On January 28, 2026, at Łukasiewicz–PORT in Wrocław, an agreement was signed to finance the winning project of the fourth edition of the Virtual Research Institute (WIB) competition. This marked the official launch of the PACMAN project, aimed at developing new cancer therapies.

The PACMAN project (“Personalized Antibody-Drug Conjugates Activated by Matrix Metalloproteinases for Solid Tumors”), submitted by a consortium of research institutions from Wrocław and Warsaw, was awarded nearly PLN 73 million from the Polish Science Fund following a decision by an international panel of experts.

The project is led by Prof. Marcin Poręba from Wrocław University of Science and Technology and will involve nearly 100 scientists from six institutions: Wrocław University of Science and Technology, the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy PAS, the University of Wrocław, the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, and the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS.

On behalf of the Nencki Institute, the project is carried out by a research team led by Prof. Agnieszka Dobrzyń, which will be responsible for key studies on pancreatic cancer - one of the most aggressive solid tumors, characterized by poor prognosis and limited effectiveness of current therapies.

The research will focus on the development of innovative antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) that, thanks to activation mechanisms operating within the tumor microenvironment, are expected to effectively destroy cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. The project will investigate five solid tumors: non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

More information about the project: https://nencki.edu.pl/the-nencki-institute-is-a-partner-in-the-pacman-project-73-million-pln-for-new-cancer-therapies/