Winners from MUW
- Prof. Sebastian Granica, MD, PhD, of the Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, is the head of the project “Lavender flower as a source of postbiotic metabolites regulating intestinal barrier and blood-brain barrier functions,” which received PLN 3,166,316 under the SONATA BIS competition.
Lavandula angustifolia Mill. or lavender, is the source of an important medicinal raw material known as lavender flower (Lavandulae flos). This raw material is a source of essential oil used in medicine, but the flowers themselves are also often used in the form of self-prepared infusions to treat mild symptoms of mood disorders, including various forms of anxiety. Recently, special attention has been paid to the condition and metabolic role of the intestinal and blood-brain barriers in the context of the prevention and treatment of anxiety disorders in patients. Disruption of the integrity of both barriers can lead to increased permeability of compounds and result in the development of inflammation in the body leading to anxiety disorders and depression.
The planned research aims to provide scientific evidence on the interaction of lavender flower infusion with the gut microbiota in the context of treating and preventing anxiety disorders in humans. The results will identify a new potential mechanism of action of naturally derived compounds contained in lavender flowers in the alleviation and treatment of anxiety disorders.
- Angelika Muchowicz, MD, PhD, from the Laboratory for Cellular and Genetic Therapies, is the head of the project “Subpopulations of myeloid cells as a source of effector cells for anticancer therapies using chimeric CAR-T receptors,” which received PLN 2,991,560 in the OPUS competition.
Cancer is a significant health and economic problem worldwide. Thanks to significant discoveries in immunology and advances in molecular biology, cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a promising anti-cancer treatment. The goal of cancer immunotherapy is to strengthen the patient's natural defenses against cancer cells that try to escape immune surveillance. The mechanisms involved in destroying the tumor are based on the presentation of tumor antigens, mainly by dendritic cells and the activation of specific T lymphocytes capable of killing tumor cells. Modern scientific research has shown that it is not only T lymphocytes that are involved in fighting cancer cells. Macrophages and neutrophils are also capable of killing cancer cells.
The goal of this project is to genetically modify neutrophils and macrophages so that they produce CAR molecules and evaluate their anti-tumor activity. The project's goals also include optimizing treatments that will allow neutrophils to maintain their anti-tumor functions. The project also plans to optimize a method for producing neutrophils that will effectively kill cancer cells and provide a new type of cell therapy.
- Anna Lesniak, MD, PhD, from the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutical Care, is the head of the project “Modulation of Gi/0 protein activity by disulfiram as a mechanism to prevent the development of tolerance to the analgesic effect of morphine,” which received PLN 1,680,320 under the SONATA BIS competition. The project is carried out in a consortium of the Institute of Animal Genetics and Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Chronic pain is a significant clinical problem, affecting about 20% of the world's population. Moreover, many studies indicate that it is not adequately controlled in 40% of patients. Declining opioid efficacy (tolerance) including the “gold standard” in pain management - morphine - is one of the challenges in alleviating chronic pain, especially in patients in palliative care. One putative mechanism responsible for the progression of morphine tolerance is a decrease in the efficiency of activation of the µ -opioid receptor Gi/0 protein due to prolonged receptor stimulation by morphine in the central nervous system. Preclinical studies unequivocally indicate that disulfiram, a drug once popular in the aversive therapy of alcoholism, completely and long-term counteracts the development of opioid tolerance. However, the basis of this phenomenon is as yet unknown.
The authors of the project expect to obtain results indicating that disulfiram and its metabolites, through preferential activation of the Gi/0 protein and attenuation of signaling by the Gq protein, provide a major mechanism for inhibiting the development of tolerance to the analgesic effects of morphine. In addition, the researchers expect that disulfiram will not exacerbate potential side effects of morphine such as constipation or the danger of respiratory depression. The project aims to verify this hypothesis using in silico, biochemical, molecular, spectrometric and in vivo methods.
- Agata Gaweł from the Department of Histology and Embryology is the head of the project “Analysis of the role of ERM and merlin proteins in the process of forming entotic structures and identification of new molecular regulators of entosis in cancer cells,” which received PLN 209,320 in the PRELUDIUM competition.
In Poland, cancer is diagnosed in about 180,000 people a year. Its detection and treatment are a significant social and clinical problem, due to the limited number of fully effective therapeutic strategies, resulting, among other things, from the still poorly understood biology of the cancer cell. It is believed that one of the processes by which cancer cells survive the host immune response and chemotherapies is their ability to form so-called “entozas” – “cell-in-cell” structures.
The goal of the study is to define new genes with significantly increased or decreased activity in entotic cells. Learning about new genes and signaling pathways affecting the formation of entotic figures will identify the molecular factors responsible for the formation of entotic structures. Researchers believe that some of these may find use in the clinic, as specific biomarkers indicating the state of the biological status/advancement of the tumor.
- Joanna Jarosz-Popek of the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology is the head of the project “Application of integrated transcriptomics as a tool for early diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of treatment in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa,” which received PLN 209,320 in the PRELUDIUM competition.
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS, reverse acne) is a chronic, progressive, autoimmune, inflammatory skin disease involving mainly the apocrine glands of the skin. HS is manifested by the presence of painful abscesses located in areas with a large number of apocrine glands. The disease usually develops in early adulthood. Importantly, accumulated data confirm that HS is no longer considered a disease caused by a bacterial infection, but is triggered by a dysregulation of the innate immune system. The increasing prevalence of HS not only causes diagnostic difficulties, but also those related to disease management (risk of further development, treatment).
The study will be the first to analyze the expression of miRNAs as well as genes in the context of early diagnosis, disease progression, treatment monitoring and comparing the effectiveness of selected HS treatment regimens. The project has the potential to contribute significantly to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of HS, thereby improving patient outcomes. The study will provide, for the first time, knowledge of the utility of miRNAs as diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers in a very unique population of HS patients before and twice during treatment.
About NCN competitions
OPUS is a competition for scientists working in the field of basic research, in which they can receive funding to carry out research projects. The competition has a broad formula, and is intended for everyone, regardless of age and scientific seniority.
PRELUDIUM, on the other hand, is open to researchers who do not have a doctoral degree and are therefore at the beginning of their scientific journey.
SONATA BIS is a competition for projects aimed at setting up a new research team, while MAESTRO is intended for experienced researchers carrying out pioneering scientific research, including interdisciplinary research that is important for the development of science, goes beyond the current state of knowledge and may result in scientific discoveries.
At the end of May, funding from the National Science Center was also received by:
- Monika Czerwińska, MPharm, PhD, for the project entitled “Secondary metabolites of selected dietary components as factors preventing intestinal epithelial leakage and shaping intestinal microflora - do they affect bacteriophages and bacterial nucleases?”, which has received a grant of PLN 2,147,920.
- Prof. Joanna Kolmas for the project entitled “New biomimetic 3D materials for potential applications in advanced therapies for bone tissue disorders - 3D BioBone,” which has received a grant of PLN 1,406,996.
- Ewa Olędzka, MPharm, PhD, for the project entitled “Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of biological activity of innovative thermosensitive suppositories consisting of the carvedilol/biodegradable micro- and/or nanocarrier system for hypertension therapy,” which has received a grant of PLN 1,838,160.
- Dr. Ilona Cieślak for preliminary/pilot research “Psychometric validation as well as linguistic and cultural adaptation to Polish conditions of standardized scales for measuring intercultural competence in a group of nursing students.”
More information at the link: Four researchers from MUW with funding from the National Science Center