This week, the National Science Center in Krakow announced the results of the OPUS 27 competition, and Dr. Krzysztof Czamara was among the awardees. Dr. Czamara will lead a project titled: “Heterogeneity of Perivascular Adipose Tissue in the Browning Process: At the Crossroads of Single-Cell Raman Spectroscopy and the Pathophysiology of Adipocytes.”

The circulatory system status is closely related to the condition of vascular endothelium. In recent years, perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT)—the fat tissue surrounding the aorta—has gained attention as a key player in cardiovascular and lifestyle-related diseases, with its heterogeneous phenotype associated with pathogenesis. In obesity, disruptions in lipid metabolism lead to increased fat accumulation, inflammation, and a loss of thermogenic function. Inducing a brown phenotype in PVAT adipocytes through the activation of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a protein critical for non-shivering thermogenesis, may help prevent cardiovascular disorders. Thus, PVAT browning is emerging as a promising vasoprotective strategy.

We already know the results of the eighth edition of the MINIATURA competition announced by the National Science Centre in Krakow. Among the prize-winners is Ms Amanda Bartkowiak, PhD, who will carry out a project entitled: “Do flozins improve erythrocyte nanomechanics? Investigation of the new flozin effect in patients with heart failure”.

We are happy to announce that on 27.09.2024, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, a contract for funding research teams within the framework of the Virtual Research Institute was signed for the project entitled: ‘Personalized endothelial diagnostics in anticancer treatment; towards modern vasculo-oncology’ [acronym: ADEVASCO (Aptamer-Based Diagnosis of Endothelium in Vasculooncology)]. The agreement was signed on the part of the Jagiellonian University by Prof Wojciech Macyk, UJ Vice-Chancellor for Science.

The leader of the research team is Prof. Stefan Chłopicki, PhD, Jagiellonian University, the project will be carried out in a consortium with five Polish research institutes (Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy Polish Academy of Sciences in Wrocław, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn, Medical University of Gdańsk, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology in Gliwice and Warsaw University of Technology). The key project team includes: Prof Szczepan Zapotoczny, PhD / Jagellonian University, Prof Joanna Wietrzyk, PhD / Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy Polish Academy of Sciences, Iwona Grabowska, PhD / Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research Polish Academy of Sciences, Prof Michał J. Markuszewski, PhD / Medical University of Gdańsk, Prof Ryszard T. Smoleński, PhD / Medical University of Gdańsk, Mateusz Tajstra, PhD / National Research Institute of Oncology, Prof Mariusz Pietrzak, PhD / Warsaw University of Technology.