Two consortia had applied, the leader of one being the Medical University of Gdańsk and the other one being led by the Medical University of Warsaw.  The money allocated for the co-financing of the project i.e. PLN 100 million, could be granted to only one consortium. Despite both applicants receiving positive assessment by foreign experts, a higher number of points (by 50 points) was granted to the consortium led by the Medical University of Warsaw, which the Medical University of Lodz also belongs to.

MUL researchers who are among the scientists engaged in the project include Prof. Piotr Rieske (with the team from Cancer Biology Department) and Ewelina Stoczyńska-Fidelus MD PhD (with the team from Department of Molecular Biology). The researchers’ task is to develop CAR-T i.e. the therapy based on the use of genetically modified immunocompetent cells, T lymphocytes with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR). Such genetically-engineered cells can be applied in the treatment of haematological oncology.

The team supervised by prof. Wojciech Młynarski (the Department of Paediatrics, Oncology and Haematology) will be involved in further tasks of the project. Together the researcher will carry out pre-clinical tests of the modified lymphocytes and then describe their characteristics (immunophenotypes and on qPCR-based monitoring methods) in clinical trials.