On World Cancer Day, we are pleased to announce that on September 27, 2024, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Director of the Institute, Luiza Handshuh, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof., signed an agreement as part of the third competition of the Virtual Research Institute (WIB – Wirtualny Instytut Badawczy). The outcomes of the project titled “Targeted single-cell technology for cancer diagnostics – towards cell-oriented interceptive medicine” (acronym: INTERCEPT) have the potential to impact the development of cancer research, contributing to improved diagnostics of oncological diseases.

One of the main reasons for the unsatisfactory progress in cancer treatment is the lack of methods to describe its complexity. Undiagnosed tumor heterogeneity can lead to improperly chosen or less effective molecular therapies. The solution to this problem lies in obtaining precise and comprehensive information about the tumor by examining its individual cells at the genomic and transcriptomic levels. Currently, such an approach is highly complex and costly, making it impractical for everyday clinical use.

The project leader is Prof. Marek Figlerowicz. The project started on October 1, 2024, and will last for 5 years, until September 30, 2029.

Funding has been obtained under the Virtual Research Institute program from the Polish Science Fund. The total amount of funding for the project is 40,216,289.50 PLN.

For more information about the project, please visit our website: https://portal.ichb.pl/sukces-ichb-pan-w-konkursie-wib/

Photo: Ministry of Science and Higher Education