Gold medal for enzybiotics
The research success of Prof. Izabela Sabała and Elżbieta Jagielska - ENZYBIOTICS - was honored with a Gold Medal by international jury of the E-NNOVATE 2025 Online International Innovation Summit (held June 20 – July 12, 2025)
E-NNOVATE is a renowned platform for creators, startups, scientists, and companies seeking to stand out on the international innovation scene. Over 300 inventions from around 30 countries participated in the 2025 edition, demonstrating the event's scope and importance.
NAWA STRIM for Magdalena Winiarska
We are pleased to announce that the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) has awarded Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences (MMRI PAS) funding for the implementation of a project under the Strategic Partnerships 2024 program.
The project titled "Strategy for the Development of Scientific Research in the Field of Cancer Immunotherapy" (STRIM) is one of only 11 projects (out of 142 submitted) selected for funding in the 2024 edition.
Its goal is to enhance MMRI’s research potential and scientific excellence in the area of cellular immunotherapy by establishing an international, long-term strategic partnership between MMRI and foreign partners: the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC) and the University of Oviedo (UO).
At MMRI, the STRIM project will be implemented by the Department of Immunology, led by Dr. hab. Magdalena Winiarska. On the IJC side, the project will be coordinated by Prof. Pablo Menendez, and at UO by Prof. Xose Puente.
Planned activities include, among others, enhancing MMRI's visibility by fostering networking and mobility of MMRI researchers, as well as disseminating project outcomes and knowledge about CAR-T therapies among scientists, medical professionals, and the broader public.
In addition, the expected improvement in MMRI’s research capacity may bring tangible benefits in the area of basic and translational research, potentially leading to the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies.
OPUS LAP for Prof. Bużańska
Congratulations to Prof. Leonora Bużańska,
whose international research project received funding in the OPUS 28 competition in the LAP (lead agency procedure) track.
The research of Prof. Bużańska's team will be conducted in cooperation with the team of the University of Luxembourg and will concern the pathology of Parkinson's disease.
Prof. Bużańska: "I am extremely proud that the team I lead from the Department of Stem Cell Bioengineering received the OPUS 28+LAP Weave grant. I would like to thank the NCN and partners from Luxembourg – this is a unique opportunity to explore the mechanisms of microglial aging and its impact on Parkinson's disease using innovative brain organoids.
This interdisciplinary approach will allow us not only to better understand the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, but also to develop potential therapeutic strategies. I am looking forward to working with the team of Prof. Jens Christian Schwamborn from Luxembourg – I believe that together we can achieve real progress in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Using state-of-the-art in vitro models that resemble the structure of the human brain, we try to "build bridges" between basic science and practical solutions for patients and their families."
Project Summary
Doctoral School - recruitment
Join us at Doctoral School of Translational Medicine
Application deadline: end of July 2025
For details - click the image below:
Opus & Sonata grants for our researchers
We are pleased to announce that our researchers have been awarded grants in National Science Centre Opus & Sonata competitions!
Tomasz Rygiel, PhD was awarded OPUS funding for project titled: “Investigation of the Mechanism of Enhanced Liposome Delivery to Tumors and its Application for Dual-Target Immunotherapy”.
This project will be carried out in collaboration with Wrocław University of Science and Technology, aims to break new ground in cancer immunotherapy.
Tomasz Rygiel: “We will investigate how advanced liposomal systems can be designed to deliver small-molecule compounds that activate immune cells directly into the tumor microenvironment. We plan to reprogram the function of tumor-associated macrophages and activate strong immune responses against tumors. By combining cutting-edge nanotechnology with immunology, we hope to contribute to more effective and targeted cancer therapies.
A huge "thank you" to the NCN for supporting this important research and to our fantastic team and collaborators”.
Project’s objectives include:
- optimizing liposomal formulations
- investigating biodistribution and pharmacokinetics
- valuating efficacy in preclinical tumor models
- validating results using ex vivo human tumor models
Patrycja Rachubik, PhD was awarded funding in Sonata competition for her project titled: "The role of bile acid receptor TGR5 in insulin-dependent regulation of podocyte function and glomerular filtration barrier permeability".
The gut microbiota is recognized as a distinct organ that, apart from facilitating the absorption of nutrients and energy storage, also participates in the production of secondary bile acids in the human body. Changes in the composition of the gut microbiota affect the overall pool of bile acids, which undergo significant modifications in pathological conditions associated with insulin resistance, such as obesity or type 2 diabetes, simultaneously contributing to the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease. As signaling molecules, bile acids interact with the specific membrane TGR5 receptor, which is involved in regulating insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, and glucose tolerance. Insulin influences the morphology and function of podocytes that surrounding the glomerular capillaries, thereby determining the impermeability of the filtration barrier to plasma proteins. In diabetes, disrupted insulin signaling leads to the development of insulin resistance that impairs podocyte function, resulting in the disintegration of the glomerular filtration barrier and increased permeability to albumin, known as albuminuria.
Therefore, for the first time, we will investigate whether there are cellular and molecular mechanisms linking TGR5 receptor activity to the development of podocyte insulin resistance and increased permeability of the filtration barrier. An important part of this project will also include studies on the effect of bile acids and the TGR5 receptor on kidney filtration function and microbiota content in the rat genetic model of type 2 diabetes.
Obtained results help us understand the machanism linking the gut microbiome to the development of glomerular diseases. Consequently, it may be the first step towards designing new pharmacological therapies and therapeutic targets for treating kidney diseases.
