Research on thyroid cancer, breast cancer, and childhood sarcomas funded by ABM

Research aimed at improving the effectiveness of treatment for HER2-negative breast cancer, medullary thyroid cancer and sarcomas in children is among 18 projects that will receive funding from the Medical Research Agency (AMB) in the competition for non-commercial clinical trials and research experiments in the field of oncology.

The first place in the ABM ranking list was taken by a project that concerns improving the diagnosis and, consequently, the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas in children in Poland (titled "Liquid biopsy and comprehensive molecular tests of soft tissue sarcomas in children in Poland to improve diagnosis, risk stratification and treatment outcomes (LiBRha – Liquid Biopsy for Rhabdomyosarcoma)").

As part of this LiBRha project, a consortium of physicians and experts will conduct cutting-edge molecular testing of cancer cells and monitor the disease using liquid biopsy (LB). This innovative method allows for the detection of cancer cells or DNA fragments in a patient's blood without the need for traditional, invasive biopsies.

"Soft tissue sarcomas in children, including rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS), are rare and very complex cancers, the diagnosis and treatment of which pose a huge challenge," said Prof. Bernarda Kazanowska from the Department and Clinic of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Oncology and Hematology of the Medical University of Wrocław, who heads the project, as quoted in a press release sent to PAP.

The specialist added that over the past 20 years, sarcoma treatment outcomes have not improved, especially in high-risk groups and those with disseminated disease. "Currently, there is a lack of standardized diagnostic methods that allow for the rapid and precise identification of risk and the selection of effective therapy," she explained. According to Professor Kazanowska, the LiBRha project allows for the first time such widespread use of modern molecular diagnostics (whole genome sequencing, DNA methylation profiling) and liquid biopsy in the treatment of all children in Poland with soft tissue sarcomas. "This allows us not only to diagnose more precisely, but also to respond more quickly and effectively to changes in the course of the disease. This is a milestone towards more personalized, effective, and safe treatment for the youngest cancer patients," the specialist commented.

The project will also create a nationwide Biobank for pediatric soft tissue cancers as a resource for future research and innovation, as well as a central reference center for the pathological diagnosis of these cancers with an assessment of their predisposition to carcinogenesis.

The project is being implemented in partnership with the Foundation for the Rescue of Children with Cancer and the Medical University of Lodz. Funding from the Medical University of Lodz amounts to over PLN 26 million.

Among the winners of the ABM competition was Dr. Marta Opalińska from the Department of Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College. The main goal of the awarded project is to develop a new, personalized, molecularly targeted radiotherapy for the treatment of advanced, inoperable medullary thyroid cancer using a CCK-2 analogue ([161Tb]Tb-CP04). The study will involve 30 participants and will be conducted at several clinical centers across Poland.

Medullary thyroid cancer is a rare cancer that accounts for only 5% of all thyroid cancer cases but accounts for 13.4% of deaths related to the disease. In advanced stages, surgical treatment is often not possible.

The awarded project, "161Tb-labeled Gastrin Analogue - A Novel Tool for Precision Treatment of Advanced Medullary Thyroid Cancer - A Prospective Phase I/II (Acronym: MTC-Tb)," received funding of over PLN 25 million. It will be implemented by a consortium in which the Jagiellonian University Medical College serves as the leader. Other centers collaborating on the project include the National Centre for Nuclear Research, the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Institute of Oncology - National Research Institute, Gliwice Branch, and the Świętokrzyskie Oncology Center in Kielce.

Another project co-financed by ABM is the PRIORITY project carried out by the Department of Histology and Embryology of the Medical University of Wrocław in cooperation with the eRAKobiet Foundation.

It focuses on personalizing treatment for locally advanced HER2-negative breast cancer. The project will assess the effectiveness of various chemotherapy regimens and analyze the expression of the PIP protein, a predictive biomarker used to assess treatment response. The project also includes analysis of circulating tumor cells and the transcriptome, the set of mRNA molecules present in a cell at any given time. This could significantly improve patient outcomes and reduce treatment-related side effects.

“The PRIORITY clinical trial is a continuation of the existing basic research conducted by Prof. Piotr Dzięgiel’s team, indicating significant and promising relationships between the presence of the PIP protein and the effectiveness of cytostatics used in breast cancer therapy,” commented Dr. Karolina Jabłońska from the Department of Histology and Embryology at the Medical University of Warsaw, quoted in the press release.

The project entitled "Prospective, randomized phase IV clinical trial assessing the effectiveness of treatment in patients with HER2-negative breast cancer undergoing preoperative therapy with analysis of prolactin-induced protein (PIP) expression – PRIORITY" received over PLN 34 million in funding from the Medical Academy.

The Medical Research Agency's competition was open for applications from June 24, 2024, to November 14, 2024. Eighty-four projects were submitted, and 69 were submitted for merit-based evaluation. Based on the ranking list prepared after the competition process, 18 projects were recommended for funding. The total funding amount is PLN 547,579,473.75.

"In Western Europe, approximately 40% of clinical trials are non-commercial. Just a few years ago, before 2019, non-commercial trials in Poland accounted for less than 2%. Now we're approaching around 10%. We still have a long way to go, but this change demonstrates the intellectual potential of Polish researchers. It's not just publications. It's primarily new solutions that can be implemented in healthcare," commented Professor Piotr Rutkowski, Chairman of the Medical Research Agency Council from the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Institute of Oncology - National Research Institute in Warsaw, during a press conference presenting the competition results.

The full ranking list with the competition results is available on the ABM website (abm.gov.pl). (PAP)

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