Human progress has given us longer, more fulfilling lives, but at the same time we are affected by more and more dangerous diseases. Lifestyle diseases are a modern-day plague. They are caused by imbalances in molecular homeostasis — the internal balance of the human body. The imbalances take the form of regeneration or degeneration at the molecular level, which is dangerous to human health.

Every year, 10 million people around the world are diagnosed with dementia – this means a new case every 4 minutes. These statistics will only get worse as, according to the World Health Organization, the number of cases of dementia may triple in the coming decades. This is mainly due to population growth and aging. In approx. 60% of cases dementia is the symptom of Alzheimer’s disease which affects 20 million people globally. This is only a fraction of all neurodegenerative diseases, with 60 million cases worldwide, and it is set to increase by another 20 million by 2030. (reference: World Health Organisation, . https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia )

An equally serious problem is cancer which is the cause of every sixth death. In 2020, the International Agency for Research on Cancer reported 19.3 million cancer cases, causing 10 million deaths worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic had an additional impact on cancer care as a result of an increase in the number of patients who did not have access to medical facilities and effective healthcare. Cancer incidence projections clearly indicate that cancer may become the leading cause of death in Poland and around the world. (reference: The International Agency for Research on Cancer oraz WHO, https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/latest-global-cancer-data-cancer-burden-rises-to-19-3-million-new-cases-and-10-0-million-cancer-deaths-in-2020/ )

Metabolic disorders also present a challenge in medicine. They are associated with the disruption of metabolic processes in the body. These may be rare inherited disorders (e.g. phenylketonuria, mitochondrial diseases), as well as those developed throughout the lifespan which can be managed to some extent, or prevented by changes in lifestyle (e.g. diabetes).

Metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, are civilization diseases which have emerged with the development of our civilization. About 30% of school-age children and 20% of adolescents are overweight or obese, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Statistics demonstrate that every third adult in the world is overweight. (reference: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity )

More attention should also be paid to infections. Up to 3-4 infections per year for adults, and even 10 infections per year for children, aren’t a cause for concern. If they happen more often, this may be a sign that something is wrong in the body and the state of internal balance has been disturbed. Frequent infections may result from a regular lack of sleep, fatigue and long-term stress. The lack of a proper diet may also lead to homeostasis disorders, which means that the body does not have the energy to fight the illnesses, and is more susceptible to viruses and bacteria. Viruses disrupt molecular balance, and stress and fatigue exacerbate this condition. Recent years have shown that not only SARS-CoV-2 or the flu pose a significant threat, but also “forgotten diseases”, such as polio and measles, which have been eradicated in many places worldwide due to national immunization programmes. (reference: American Family Physician, https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2001/0115/p257.html)

Infections with bunyaviruses are also becoming more and more prevalent. Bunyaviruses comprise approximately 350 viruses which are spread by infected mosquitoes, ticks and rodents. Bunyaviruses can cause hemorrhagic fever and viral encephalitis.

Metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer are all the result of disrupted molecular homeostasis, or the homeostasis of the body’s internal environment. In a properly functioning body homeostasis is maintained and everything works correctly. But when there are fluctuations from the norm, illnesses start to surface. It’s critical to detect the early phase of these diseases, the first symptoms, when doctors can begin treatment. This is why understanding the mechanisms that disrupt cellular homeostasis is so crucial.

An extreme example of disrupted homeostasis is degeneration which can lead to tissue necrosis, and is associated with e.g. aging. The lack of homeostasis in the brain, for example, is demonstrated in neurodegenerative diseases resulting in progressive neuronal damage (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Regeneration is the process that helps to restore homeostasis. On the other hand, dysregulated, uncontrolled regeneration causes uncontrolled proliferation of cells and the development of tumors. The main causes of tumor development are genetic factors, exposure to carcinogens due to environmental pollution, and age-related physiological dysregulation. Aging population signifies an increase in the incidence of both cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Research carried out at IMol on cell regulation at the molecular level is important for developing treatment for lifestyle diseases, such as age-related neurodegeneration, cancer and metabolic disorders. Gene expression analysis, including mRNA biology (Cieśla, Konarska, Mikulski, Gerlach), allows us to understand the management level in the cell and its impact on the physiological and biochemical development of the cell. The executive level, formation, activity and the dynamics of both the proteome (the entire set of the organism’s proteins) as well as higher order structures, such as membrane-bound organelles, is the next key element in understanding cell plasticity (Chacińska, Vascotto, De Franceschi, Szczepanowska, Proteomics Core Facility led by Serwa). Cell metabolism not only integrates the abovementioned mechanisms, but also describes biochemical changes, including the behavior of bioactive low molecular weight compounds (Azzi, Szczepanowska, Vascotto, Proteomics Core Facility led by Serwa). Signalling pathways and feedback loops are extremely significant in cell response and plasticity (Azzi, Marusiak, Vascotto). Research on viruses and their interactions with host cells is useful in understanding the viral mechanisms in taking over molecular processes in the cell (Gerlach, Chacińska). This knowledge is channeled by IMol scientists into solving biomedical problems that are important to society, by means of proposing new therapeutic strategies and treatments. The teams use various state-of-the-art tools in the fields of molecular, biophysical, theoretical and chemical research, focusing not only on describing the processes, but also on understanding their cause and effect relationships. Studies are carried out on various models — from the simplest, such as yeasts and nematodes, through human cell cultures, mice and patient-derived models.

The areas in which the most promising research worldwide is conducted include bionanotechnology, synthetic biology, or the design of artificial biological systems modeled on natural ones, as well as systems biology which studies protein interaction and gene networks, and networks of metabolic pathways. Research in structural biology, cancer, neurodegenerative and age-related diseases, rare diseases, and the discovery of new drugs is crucial. Scientists aim to understand cellular processes that concern all the structural components of the cell — from nucleic acids and proteins to lipids and metabolites. This is how they unravel the complex networks that make the whole organism work. Disruptions in regeneration associated with stem cells and cancer, as well as infectious diseases and the potential molecular adaptation for personalized medicine present significant challenges.

IMol is an international research institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences which aims to find solutions to civilization diseases, genetic disorders and infectious diseases. The centre focuses on research in the effective diagnostics, treatment and prevention of such diseases. The Institute’s groups are made up of specialists from nearly 20 countries, including India, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Brazil, or Lebanon.

1. We carry out research at the highest level, which is ensured by our international Scientific Board. The chair of the Board is Professor Phillip A. Sharp — a molecular biologist, geneticist, and Nobel Prize laureate in Physiology and Medicine (1993) for the discovery of split genes; there are 11 distinguished researchers serving in IMol Scientific Board in addition to IMol Directors.
2. We aim to work with researchers from all over the world who are recruited through an open recruitment system for advertised roles. Nearly 50% of IMol researchers are foreigners coming from 16 different countries.
3. Our research is focused on basic and applied molecular biology and biomedicine. We want to serve as an incubator for excellence, promoting creativity, productivity and innovation.
4. Research topics are determined through the selection of leaders whose ideas are evaluated during the recruitment process.
5. IMol has a proteomics core facility which focuses on protein expression analysis.
6. The institute is compact and dynamic, which contributes to our flexibility and organizational efficiency.
7. Our objective is to have an impact on people’s health. Our research creates the basis for new technologies.
8. We model our biomedical research on that carried out at the University Medical Center Göttingen, IMol strategic partner.
9. Over the past 2 years, we have established close partnerships with both research institutes and industry. Two of our partners are RealResearch and Molecure.