Prof. Iwona Inkielewicz-Stępniak leads an international research team

27.06.2025

A team of researchers led by Prof. Iwona Inkielewicz-Stępniak, Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Pathophysiology at the Medical University of Gdańsk (MUG), in collaboration with scientists from the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), has received funding under the OPUS LAP call organised by the National Science Centre (NCN) in Poland.

The project will focus on immunotherapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 85–90% of all cases. This particular cancer remains extremely difficult to treat—whether with conventional methods such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy or with modern, cutting-edge approaches like immunotherapy. This makes further research in this area absolutely essential.

– Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma poses a significant therapeutic challenge, as radiotherapy and chemotherapy are largely ineffective in most cases. Over the past decade, immunotherapies have emerged as a groundbreaking advancement in cancer treatment. However, due to tumor heterogeneity and the presence of a dense desmoplastic stroma that creates a tumor microenvironment suppressing immune responses, the efficacy of current immunotherapies against PDAC remains limited, explains Prof. Inkielewicz-Stępniak.

– The primary goal of our project is to develop a pancreatic cancer organoid model as well as an orthotopic pancreatic cancer model using patient-derived material. These models will allow us to evaluate and verify the therapeutic potential of Natural Killer (NK) cell-based therapies and graphene oxide nanoparticles in the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, she adds.

The National Science Centre has allocated over PLN 2.5 million to support the Polish part of the research project led by Prof. Inkielewicz-Stępniak.

The full list of funded projects and more information about the call can be found on the NCN website: https://ncn.gov.pl/aktualnosci/2025-06-24-wyniki-opus28-lap-projekty-polsko-luksemburskie.