We present the profile of another winner of the National Science Centre's OPUS 29 competition: dr Estera Rintz from the Faculty of Biology, whose project ‘Molecular pathogenesis and precise therapy with antisense oligonucleotides in type 6 myofibrillar myopathy associated with mutations in the BAG3 gene using mouse and cell models’ received funding in the amount of PLN 3,099,900.00.

Dr Estera Rintz

She is a graduate of the Faculty of Biology at the University of Gdańsk, where she obtained her PhD in biological sciences in 2024. She conducted research for her doctoral thesis both at the University of Gdańsk and during a two-year research internship at a children's hospital in Wilmington (Delaware, USA).

‘My scientific experience focuses on the molecular biology of rare diseases and the search for modern, precise therapies,’ says the scientist.

In May 2025, dr Estera Rintz was included in the list of the 100 most talented Polish scientists under the age of 30 announced by the Foundation for Polish Science. It is the oldest scholarship programme in Poland for the best young scientists representing all fields of science.

About the project

The project, funded by the National Science Centre as part of the OPUS competition, concerns research into type 6 myofibrillar myopathy, an ultra-rare and severe neuromuscular disease caused by mutations in the BAG3 gene. These mutations lead to the formation of a toxic form of protein that damages muscle cells and causes progressive muscle weakness, including the heart muscle.

Myopathy comes from the Greek words myo, meaning muscle, and pathy, meaning suffering (disease). Therefore, myopathy is another name for muscle disease.

The aim of the project is to understand the molecular mechanisms of disease development and to develop a precise therapy based on antisense oligonucleotides that can selectively silence the disease-causing version of the BAG3 gene.

‘The research is being conducted at the University of Gdańsk, where I am the project manager and responsible for its substantive implementation. As part of international cooperation, doctoral students employed in the project will undertake research internships at the University of Bonn,’ says dr Estera Rintz. - An important element of the project is also close cooperation with the BAG3 patient foundation, established by the parents of a child with myopathy, which allows us to combine basic research with the real needs of patients and supports the development of personalised medicine.’