Project funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education under the “Science for Society II” programme
Project number: NdS-II/SN/0304/2024/01
Project value: 1,000,000.00 PLN
Funding amount: 1,000,000.00 PLN
Project duration: 16/07/2024 – 15/07/2027
Project manager: Dr. hab. Grzegorz Chodaczek
Project implemented by:
Łukasiewicz Research Network – PORT Polish Center for Technology Development
Ovarian cancer is one of the most common malignancies of the female reproductive system. Due to the lack of early symptoms, approximately 70% of patients are diagnosed only at an advanced stage, resulting in high mortality rates. The limited effectiveness of conventional cancer treatments has led to the development of immunotherapies, which harness the body’s immune system to fight cancer. However, further progress in this field requires innovative experimental models that closely mimic the conditions of the human body.
One of the most advanced approaches in disease modeling is the humanized mouse model — an animal into which human hematopoietic stem cells are transplanted to reconstitute a functional human immune system. When tumor cells are introduced into such a humanized mouse, the animal develops a tumor and its supportive microenvironment, including immune cell infiltration, resembling what occurs in human cancer patients.
The goal of this project is to develop a research protocol for generating a “patient avatar” — a humanized mouse with ovarian cancer, which can serve as a preclinical model for testing new oncological therapies. A crucial element of the project will be model validation, i.e., assessing how closely it replicates the clinical condition of the patient and whether it can serve as a personalized experimental platform for therapeutic research.
To achieve this, the team will employ advanced analytical techniques, including histopathological analysis, flow cytometry, mass spectrometry, and next-generation sequencing (NGS), to study the cellular composition and immune function within the tumor microenvironment.
The avatar model developed within this project represents one of the most innovative and desirable tools in modern preclinical research, paving the way for breakthrough cancer therapies and enabling the advancement of personalized medicine.
