The EU supports scientists, researchers and innovators in pushing the boundaries of knowledge. It has invested more than €2.2 billion across more than 10,500 research and industry organisations in Poland. Meet Natalia who is exploring new targeted cancer therapies and discover some of the groundbreaking work in sectors such as microbiology, digital technology, circular economy and linguistics.
Researchers are working tirelessly on innovative ways to fight cancer more effectively. Led by Natalia Marek-Trzonkowska at the University of Gdańsk in Poland, an international team of researchers is exploring new targeted cancer therapies. T cells, the immune cells that protect us by fighting bacteria and viruses, constantly scan the body and can recognise cancer cells. The researchers find and isolate the T cells capable of attacking cancerous cells, multiply them and reintroduce them into the patient. These scientists are working to defend the human body, showing that collaborative research supported by the EU can bring real-world results.
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What if a cure for cancer could be found inside the patient’s own body?
At the University of Gdansk, scientists believe the answer may lie in T cells, immune cells that patrol the body, fight infections and detect abnormal cells.
Supported by the EU, researchers at the university’s Centre for Cancer, Vaccine Science, and Cancer Immunology are working on making this a reality.
‘T cells are immune cells present in my body. They fight with bacteria and viruses, but they also can recognise the cells which are somehow improper, for example, mutated cancer cells,’ explains Dr Natalia Marek- Trzonkowska, director of the centre. ‘And we are able to identify the cells that can kill the cancer. We are also able to isolate them from the patient’s body with special equipment, and multiply them into big numbers, with the aim of injecting them back to the patient.’
Natalia and her team believe their work will help find innovative ways to fight cancer that are more effective compared to current treatments, such as chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is less precise than biological therapies. It is like trying to kill a mosquito with a hammer – and the mosquito is sitting on your knee. You might miss it, or worse, hurt yourself.
Originally trained as a veterinarian, Natalia now leads a multinational team, funded by the EU and cooperating with other European universities to move this potential cure towards clinical trials. Collaboration, she says, is crucial: ‘The bigger the team, the bigger our chances.’
In this type of cooperation across countries and areas of expertise, communication may not always be easy, but, as Natalia explains, ‘We have already learned that it is not a shame to ask questions, because questions bring answers and that also brings knowledge’. This research initiative, which began in October 2022 and runs until March 2026, received €1.5 million from the EU. Overall, the EU has invested over €2.2 billion in science, research and innovation in Poland.
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Other project examples
Carbon black, a fine powder that is soot-like in appearance, is used in making products ranging from plastics, inks and coatings to rubber tyres, but generates waste and harmful emissions. Researchers in Poland developed a new technique that recovers carbon black from recycled tyres as a cost-effective and more eco-friendly way of producing the resource.
Thousands of regional and minority languages are endangered around the world, but keeping them alive may be vital for preserving identity, centuries-long knowledge and even well-being. With a focus on minority and indigenous languages in Poland and Mexico, researchers explored endangered languages and their revitalisation in an EU-supported endeavour.
Packaging materials made of polymers can last in the environment for hundreds of years, leading to research into alternatives that can be easily broken down by microorganisms in soil. Researchers investigated the use of bacteria for efficiently turning methane into a biopolymer that has already found application in industry, medicine and pharmaceuticals.
The availability of smartphone apps, wearable devices and artificial intelligence software for tracking health has rapidly increased in recent years, but they can be difficult to access and operate for users such as elderly people. An EU-supported collaboration looked into ethical issues related to such users and came up with a roadmap on how to address their needs in the design of health technology.
Beneficial microorganisms that live in soil are a promising substitute for chemical fertilisers for providing nutrients to help plants grow, as well as potentially helping to mitigate the effects of adverse conditions. Researchers explored how bacteria that live in high-salinity environments can help provide the key nutrient nitrogen to salt-stressed plants.