National Centre for Research and Development

Epilepsy affects 1% of the world's population and approximately 6 million people in Europe. With an estimated total cost of € 20 trillion in 2014, epilepsy is one of the most serious socio-economic burdens in Europe. Despite the progress in the treatment of epilepsy and the increasing number of antiepileptic drugs, still 30-40% of patients have epilepsy that does not respond to any treatment. Additionally, epilepsy in children is an important factor leading to complications such as mental and behavioral disorders, including developmental delay and autism spectrum disorders. Despite the research, no reliable markers of epilepsy development or biomarkers of epilepsy recurrence after treatment discontinuation have been identified. EPIMARKER is the first human project to prospectively study clinical, electroencephalographic and molecular biomarkers to develop an integrated practical tool for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy in children. The main goal will be to prevent drug-resistant epilepsy and its complications: mental retardation and autism. Molecular biomarkers will be identified by transcriptomic and proteomic studies and validated in cellular models. Several leading research centers in Poland participate in the study and the latest discoveries in biotechnology, engineering and information technology will be applied in it. Full consortium composition: Medical University of Warsaw - LEADER; Centra Genetyki Medycznej GENESIS Sp. z o.o., the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (MIBMiK), Institute of Children's Health (IPCZD), M. Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IBD), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IBB), Transition Technologies S.A., ELMICO Aparatura Medyczna.

OncoArendi Therapeutics as the leader of a scientific and industrial consortium obtained funding in an amount of over PLN 25.5 million as part of the second competition of the National Center for Research and Development in the STRATEGMED program "PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CIVILIZATIONAL DISEASES". The Medical University of Warsaw is a beneficiary of this funding as a member of the consortium implementing the DIMUNO project. The aim of the project is to develop a new approach in targeted cancer therapy based on world-unique inhibitors of enzymes that protect cancer cells against the body's immune response. The developed compounds will inhibit the activity of enzymes that break down arginine and tryptophan. New therapeutic strategies will be developed by an interdisciplinary scientific and industrial consortium conducting research in the fields of medical chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, nanotechnology, immunology and medicine. The result of the project will be the development of a new molecule - a candidate for clinical trials for the treatment of many types of cancer. The selection of a clinical candidate will take place in a parallel search for inhibitors of several enzymes, including the use of nanocarriers. The full composition of the consortium participating in the project is: OncoArendi Therapeutics Sp. z o.o., Medical University of Warsaw, M. Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, International Institute of Experimental and Cell Biology, private partners: Nanovelos Sp. z o. o. oraz Scanmed S. A.