Dr Paweł Ferdek received PLN 3 670 394 from the National Science Centre in the SONATA BIS 12 call for the research project titled: New insights into pancreatic diseases - ion signalling, mitochondria and the TRPA1 channel. His project was ranked 4th out of all 16 projects funded nationwide, selected out of 125 applications submitted in total.
The TRPA1 ion channel is present in PSCs, but its levels differ between quiescent and activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs). The high level of TRPA1 in quiescent cells makes them prone to toxicity of ethanol metabolites and fatty acids, mediated by intracellular Ca2+ overload. On the contrary, the low level of TRPA1 in activated PSCs makes them substantially more resistant. Therefore, the main objective of this project is to investigate the role of TRPA1 in the physiology of PSCs, its potential role in the toxic effects of the cigarette smoke, and to understand the impact of this ion channel on the progression of pancreatic diseases.
Congratulations and we wish you fruitful research and further success!!!