At the headquarters of Łukasiewicz – PORT in Wrocław, an agreement was signed to fund the winning project of the fourth edition of the Virtual Research Institute (WIB) competition. The PACMAN project, which opens a new stage in the development of oncology therapies, is led by Prof. Marcin Poręba, DSc, Eng., from the Faculty of Chemistry at Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

The PACMAN project – “Personalized antibody-drug conjugates activated by matrix metalloproteinases for solid tumors” – is carried out by a consortium of research institutions from Wrocław and Warsaw, with Wrocław University of Science and Technology as the consortium leader.

By decision of the WIB’s international panel of experts, the project has been awarded nearly PLN 73 million from the Polish Science Fund, including PLN 30 million allocated to the University. The research team is headed by Prof. Marcin Poręba, who is also the originator of the project. – Wrocław University of Science and Technology is conducting one of the largest and most ambitious oncology projects currently underway in Poland – comments the researcher from the Faculty of Chemistry.

The funding agreement for the PACMAN project was signed by the Rector of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs, and the Director of Łukasiewicz – PORT, Prof. Jarosław Bosy, who emphasized the importance of research networking.

– WIB is not an easy program, but it is a program for the best. It provides substantial funding, but it does not disperse it. The funds are meant to be concentrated around outstanding scientists who are willing and able to collaborate within a consortium, who seek interdisciplinarity and development beyond their home institutions, in cooperation with others – stressed Prof. Jarosław Bosy.

Wrocław as Consortium Leader for the First Time

The goal of the research is to develop an antibody–drug conjugate (ADC), combining an antibody with a highly potent therapeutic compound that is too toxic to be administered systemically on its own. Over the five-year duration of the project, nearly 100 scientists from six research institutions will be involved.

Medical research at Wrocław University of Science and Technology will be led by Prof. Bożena Cybulska-Stopa, MD, DSc, from the Faculty of Medicine. Work at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences will be conducted by a team led by Prof. Agnieszka Dobrzyń; at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences by a group headed by Prof. Marcin Drąg; and at the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy of the Polish Academy of Sciences by a team led by Prof. Elżbieta Pajtasz-Piasecka.

The project also involves teams led by Prof. Małgorzata Zakrzewska from the University of Wrocław and Prof. Arkadiusz Miążek from the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences.

– Such a broad and interdisciplinary consortium will enable us to carry out research from the molecular level all the way to advanced preclinical models and clinical analyses – assures Prof. Marcin Poręba.

This is the first WIB project in which a research institution from Wrocław serves as consortium leader.

The Trojan Horse Strategy

As explained by Prof. Marcin Poręba, a key element of the project is the use of a “Trojan horse” strategy.

– We want to attach a potent drug to an antibody and mask it so that it reaches the tumor microenvironment and only becomes active there, triggered by tumor-associated enzymes. This will ensure high toxicity leading to cancer cell death, while sparing healthy tissues along the way – explains the WUST scientist.

The researchers selected five solid tumors that pose major clinical challenges: non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and pancreatic cancer. The broad range of basic research – from chemistry and biochemistry to molecular biology and cytophysiology – will be complemented by advanced analyses using artificial intelligence and mathematical modeling, as well as in vivo studies.

A Young Scientist with Big Ambitions

Prof. Marcin Poręba (born April 25, 1986) is one of the most recognized representatives of the young generation of Polish scientists in the fields of chemical biology and medical biotechnology.

The Department of Biological Chemistry and Bioimaging at the Faculty of Chemistry of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, which he leads, specializes in research on proteases and in the design of antibody–drug conjugates selectively activated by proteolytic enzymes—an approach that forms the scientific foundation of the PACMAN project.

Prof. Poręba has completed research fellowships at leading institutions in the United States and Australia. His achievements include numerous publications in renowned scientific journals and patents in the field of modern targeted therapies.