Innovative research by Poles in the field of genetics and molecular biology: Wprost talks about science and medicine
The names of the Polish scientists mentioned here are worth remembering, because they will remain on the pages of medicine forever. One of them discovered the enzymes responsible for the replication of SARS-CoV-2, which contributed to the creation of a drug for COVID. A Polish researcher has developed a molecule that inhibits the development of one of the most difficult cancers to treat: glioma. These are some of the discoveries that Krzysztof Michalski talks about with prof. Maciej Żylicz, president of the Foundation for Polish Science, co-discoverer of heat shock proteins.
The results of research conducted in recent years in the field of biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology are of fundamental importance, not only for understanding the causes of diseases, but also for developing more precise diagnostic methods and more effective therapies.
A drug for COVID-19 and glioma, a brain stimulation system
Polish scientists, including: prof. Marcin Drąg from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, who discovered the enzymes responsible for the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and infecting the cells of an infected person, which enabled the creation of a drug for COVID.
Prof. Bożena Kamińska-Kaczmarek from the Polish Academy of Sciences, in turn, discovered the mechanisms that cause malignant gliomas to reprogram microglial cells so that they support the development of these tumors. Prof. Kamińska-Kaczmarek has prepared a molecule that, by inhibiting the communication of the glioma with the immune system, stops the development of the cancer.
Dr. Michał Kucewicz from the Gdańsk University of Technology is also conducting important research after returning to Poland from the USA. It examines the role of the so-called neural teams in the process of remembering. He also developed a brain stimulation system that can be used, for example, in the treatment of patients with epilepsy and other neurological diseases.
Non-invasive eye observation
The development by Prof. is not only a research success, but also a commercial one. Maciej Wojtkowski from the IPC PAS spectral optical tomograph for examining the fundus of the eye. It enables non-invasive observation of glaucoma, macular degeneration or retinal detachment. The use of the new technique made it possible to speed up the image acquisition process by up to a hundred times.
A great opportunity to commercialize the achievements of Polish researchers is the creation of spin-offs at leading research institutions in Poland and more effective acquisition of European funds, among others. from the Horizon Europe Framework Program.
Listen to the entire conversation between editor Krzysztof Michalski from the Council for the Promotion of Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences and prof. Maciej Żylicz, biochemist and molecular biologist, president of the Foundation for Polish Science and winner of the FNP Award for research on thermal shock proteins:
