User:GabrielaMis/Foundation for Research and Science Development

Foundation for Research and Development of Science - a public benefit organization established in 2009. The Foundation has the status of a Scientific Unit registered in the POLon system of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The reason for the establishment of the Foundation was the desire to participate in the development of science and to support young Polish scientists in their pursuit of discoveries on a global scale.

The organization is mainly engaged in educational and research activities in medical and biochemical sciences. The founding of the Foundation was and is inspired by the scientific activities of Prof. Michał Wszoła, a surgeon and transplantologist. The Foundation promotes Polish technological thought and supports and promotes the research of Polish scientists, raises funds and finances many projects itself. It also provides training, education and legal assistance.

Statutory objectives of the Foundation

 * Educational and research activities in medical and chemical sciences and directly related sciences, mathematical and natural sciences, humanities and legal and economic sciences, telecommunications, teletechnical and information technology;
 * Supporting the development and promotion of Polish science.

Organizational structure of Foundation
President of Board: Filip Fertner

Foundation council: Magdalena Tyrlik (Fundator), Wiktor Witkowski, Ewa Wszoła

3D bionic pancreas bioprinting
The "3D Bioprinting of the Bionic Pancreas" project aims to create an organ that performs the functions of a real pancreas. The bionic pancreas will be created from biological elements (including cells, pancreatic islets, extracellular matrix proteins) using engineering and mechatronics. According to the adopted assumptions, thanks to the use of tissue engineering, the islets placed in the bionic pancreas are to be created from the patient's own stem cells - leading to the creation of a personalized organ, i.e. prepared for a individual patient. The result is to create a fully functional bionic pancreas, suitable for transplantation. Thanks to the use of the patient's own tissues, there will be no need to use immunosuppression. Additionally, the creation of a bionic pancreas is expected to shorten the waiting period for an organ for transplantation. The project is financed by the National Center for Research and Development under the "Prevention and treatment of lifestyle diseases" program. The works will last from January 2017 to December 2019. The value of the project is estimated at PLN 26,709,750.00.

On March 14, 2019, Foundation scientists led by prof. Michał Wszoła bioprinted the world's first fully vascularized prototype of a bionic pancreas.

BIONIC consortium
In October 2015, on the initiative of the Foundation of Research and Science Development, the BIONIC consortium was established, which is implementing the project "3D bioprinting of scaffolds using living pancreatic islets or insulin-producing cells to create a bionic pancreas".

It consists of:


 * Foundation of Research and Science Development together with the team of prof. Michał Wszoła, MD, PhD as the leader of the consortium. Currently 12 scientists are working on the project,
 * Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences M. Nencki and the team of prof. Agnieszka Dobrzyń,
 * Faculty of Materials Science of the Warsaw University of Technology under the supervision of prof. Wojciech Święszkowski,
 * Biostructure Center of the Medical University of Warsaw under the supervision of prof. Artur Kamiński,
 * Clinical Hospital of the Infant Jesus in Warsaw,
 * MediSpace Sp. z o. o.

The consortium received funding from the National Center for Research and Development under the STRATEGMED III program and thanks to this support, intensive work on the bionic pancreas began in 2017.

A group of Polish doctors, after a consultation with an astronaut – Mirosławem Hermaszewskim – have made a scientific coverage to help in planning the space travel. It was published in MEDtube Science, a scientific journal, in 2013. The project was financed from Foundation of Research and Science Development’s own resources.

Prof. dr hab. med. Michał Wszoła was the project coordinator.

In 2009, the Foundation of Research and Science Development financed and conduct, together with a team from the Department and General and Transplant Surgery of the Jesus Child Hospital and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, pioneer research on endoscopic pancreatic islet transplantation under the gastric mucosa. It was the first such procedure in the world, which a few years later resulted in successful transplantations in several patients.

Awards and distinctions

 * The Golden Leader of Healthcare 2019 - Statuette of the Golden Leader of Healthcare 2019 in the category of Innovative Ideas for the project “3D bioprinting of bionic pancreas”
 * Second prize in the Golden Scalpel - competition organized by Puls Medycyny. Prize for authors of “3D bioprinting of scaffolds using pancreatic islets or insulin producing cells in order to create bionic pancreas” project
 * „Order of distinction” - American Transplant Congress in Seattle, „order of distinction” for two of the Foundation’s researchers: „Pancreas Decellularization Protocol – Comparison of Methods” (the winner of Best in Congress Posters at the same time) and „Changes in Gene Expression of Selected Genes in Patient with Type 1 Diabetes in Peripheral Blood”
 * Polish Intelligent Development Award 2016 - in category “Foundation” for the implementation of “3D bioprinting of scaffolds using pancreatic islets or insulin producing cells in order to create bionic pancreas” project