Project Leader: Prof. Jacek Kubica, PhD, DSc
The primary goal of the research team is to establish an interdisciplinary international research group at Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) named D2T-CD (Discovery, Diagnostics, Therapy for Civilization Diseases) across biomedical, veterinary, and animal sciences. Our interdisciplinary team plans to collaborate with national and international research institutes as well as partners from Poland, the European Union, the United States, and India.
Civilization diseases are responsible for the steadily increasing incidence and mortality worldwide. These include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, liver dysfunctions, metabolic disorders, chronic kidney disease, and cancer. Many of these conditions involve dysfunctions in multiple organs, and disturbances in heart, liver, kidney, central nervous system, immune system, and other organs can lead to severe clinical consequences. Although numerous bioactive substances influencing key organ functions are known, their mechanisms of action remain poorly understood.
This project focuses on addressing this gap by assessing these interactions at the molecular level, which may be valuable for the discovery, diagnostics, and therapy of civilization diseases. The inclusion of both in vivo (animal) and in vitro (human) models aims to provide innovative data and methodologies for future research, including clinical studies. Furthermore, the project adopts an integrated approach across X-omics disciplines (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics), recognizing that their interplay is crucial for discovery through comprehensive analysis. Multilevel analyses are intended to reveal the complexity of regulatory functions and metabolic disturbances in key organs in animal models, which can then be translated to human models.
Additional non-scientific objectives include the creation of a dynamic interdisciplinary research team within NCU faculties, the development of national and international collaborations, and support for the scientific activities of early-career researchers (e.g., grant applications, bilateral cooperation with external partners).