A project led by our researcher, Patrycja Baranowska, PhD, Eng., has been selected for funding under the Foundation for Polish Science’s FIRST TEAM FENG programme. It has been awarded PLN 3,906,037.71.

The project, entitled “𝘈 𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦-𝘰𝘯-𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 – 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘴”, aims to develop an advanced miniature model that will help researchers better understand how pancreatic cancer and diabetes affect one another.

The relationship between these diseases works in both directions. Impaired glucose metabolism may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, while a developing tumour may cause secondary diabetes. Studying these processes in detail requires models that closely reproduce conditions in the human body.

The team led by Patrycja Baranowska, PhD, Eng., will use tissue-on-chip technology to grow living, three-dimensional tissues on miniature devices that mimic the environment of human organs. The model under development will combine tumour tissue with a model of pancreatic islets, making it possible to observe the interactions between cancer and metabolic disorders.

In the future, the project’s findings could support the development of more effective diagnostic and treatment methods. The research will also advance laboratory models that could reduce the use of animals in scientific research.

Congratulations to Patrycja on securing the funding! We wish her and the team every success with the project.