Molecular Medicine Interdisciplinary Platform

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Aim

Molecular medicine interdisciplinary project Platform's aim is to create, support and make work a research device of modern molecular medicine which focuses on molecular biology techniques largely involved in the study of genes, proteins, cells and tissues as well as in the complex interactions between these, interactions which are relevant for the understanding of the normal biologic processes and of the way in which they are disturbed during certain diseases. The platform generates the necessary resources for identification and characterization of the human genes associated with human development, disease and susceptibility to disease. The acquired knowledge stimulates the development of new technologies, offering the ability to retain and apply recent discoveries for Romanian use as well as the possibility of integration in the European research network.

The platform represents a research investment project in biomedical fundamental research. The investment profit includes development of the research for health technology transfer, development of the biotechnological projects as well as the ability to maximize the intellectual property benefit.

Objectives

Orientation towards molecular genetics and func- tional genomics, the development of a group of technologies based on nucleic acid manipulation;
Development of a transdisciplinar domain of mole cu lar medicine in a highly competitive medical environment;
Use of the logistics of the platform for the development of PhD programs, postdoctoral programs and master programs in molecular medicine;
Competition, with a higher success rate, for the financial resources of the national and international research programs;
Development of the immunogenomics programs, oncogenetics programs and molecular epidemiology programs with the potential of becoming specialization programs.
Establishment of a strong base for the relationship between patients, physicians, researchers and economic envinronment.

Description of the training part

The platform is destined to all bio-medical high education teaching stages (license, master, PhD, post-doctoral, residents and specialists). The curricula are taking into account the interdisciplinary and transdiciplinary characteristics of molecular medicine. The curricula are based on integrating lectures with practical instruction and with research program, in order to insert the students in research activities.

At the present time, within the platform, several master and PhD students from various teaching units, eager to specialize in the fields of biology and molecular medicine are working. They are supported and encouraged to publish and present their results in various journals and meetings. They can take advantage of the collaborations established by the platform with prestigious laboratories across Europe, and they can train themselves in top research techniques. On the long run, the young trainees will be able to enhance the research quality, in order to be able to find proper jobs and this will eventually stop the "brain-drain" phenomenon.

Description of the research part

       The main research directions of the Platform refer to many medical fields like cancer, immunology, genetics, epidemiology, biochemistry, microbiology and prenatal diagnosis:
           - Molecular study of BRCA genes' involvement in genetic predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer;
           - CYP1A1 and p53 polymorphism study in gynecologic cancers;
           - Cytokine secretion profile in tuberculosis;
           - Bcr/abl translocation analysis in acute leukemia;
           - Flt-3 mutations analysis in acute myeloid leukemias;
           - Endocan expression in renal tumors;
           - FcRn receptor expression on glandular epithelia;
           - Medular microenvironment study in acute leukemia and multiple mieloma;
           - Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis by fetal DNA analysis in maternal plasma;
           - Lymphocyte subsets characterization at the fetalmaternal border;
           - Lymphangiogenesis in breast cancer;
           - Molecular diagnosis of genetic forms of mental re- tardation;
           - Molecular diagnosis of Duchenne and Becker muscle dystrophy;
           - Monitoring by phenotypic and genotypic detectionE. coli types that produce beta-lactamase;
           - Detection systems based on multilayered metal nanowires for biomedical aplications.

Description of interdisciplinary character

Departments having an active contribution to the Platform: Immunology, Genetics, Oncology, Anatomy, Epidemiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Cell biology, Microbiology, Gynecology.

       Fields tackled by the Platform:
           - Cancer molecular biology and oncogenetics;
            - Molecular immunology of infectious and inflamatory diseases;
           - Reproduction molecular immunology;
           - Histocompatibility;
           - Molecular epidemiology;
           - Molecular genetics and cytogenetics – molecular diagnosis;
           - Nanotehnologies with biomedical aplications;
           - Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis;
           - Normal and abnormal pregnancy;
           - Genotyping of the germs resistant to antibiotics.

Research infrastructure

The molecular medicine Platform has been structured into the following distinct research departments:

I. Functional genomics compartment – responsible: lecturer, PhD student Lucian Negura;

II. Molecular imagistic compartment – responsible: senior lecturer, MD PhD Florin Zugun;

III. Flow cytometry compartment – responsible: biol. Mihaela Zlei;

IV. Molecular biology teaching compartment – responsible: assistant professor, MD PhD Petru Cianga;

V. Cell separation and stem cells' study compartment;

Annex compartments:

Compartments already present in the immunology and genetics lab before the starting of the molecular medicine platform joined the platform brin ging their own research projects to the central compartments of the platform:

- Histocompatibility analysis and transplant compartment – responsible: assistant professor Petru Cianga;

- Cytogenetics and genetic diagnosis compartment – responsible: assistant professor – MD PhD Cristina Rusu;

- Pathology and immunohistochemistry compartment, immunology and genetics lab – responsible: senior lecturer, MD PhD Irina Florea;

- Compartment of molecular immunology of infectious and inflamatory diseases – responsible: assistant professor, MD PhD Dragos Grigoriu.

Use and access

The access to the platform facilities is bidirectional. On one way, those interested in using the special units on the platform can do this based on one project, some financial resources and a team. The work is planned in different spaces according to a pre-established schedule. On the other way, the platform members initiate research projects outside the platform itself as an extension of the technologies and assist the formation and professional improvement of the personnel. The interdisciplinary molecular medicine platform creates the infrastructure and the logistics in order to get access to the European research programme. Also, the platform will supply services designed to improve medical diagnostics.

The sustainable development of the platform

Molecular medicine platform became accesible for all the ongoing, either local or national multicentric projects which are based on molecular medicine as well as for the international colaborations. These inter and trans disciplinary colaborations become more than ever dependent on a local operational base of modern research similar those of the European partners. Achievement of a technological circuit designed for nucleic acid manipulation superposed on the appropriate high performance devices creates the basis for an interdisciplinary research environment which is used for research projects that involve physicians (oncologists, immunologists, geneticians, epidemiologists, pathologists), biologists, bioche mists and chemists. This circuit allows the functional analysis of the genes involved in the hereditary predisposition for the disease or of those involved in the chronic and acute manifestations of various diseases, the biomedical spectrum covered being extremely large.

Difficulties encountered in implementation and recommendation for similar potential programs

During platform implementation there were no special difficulties. It was necessary an extremely detailed task book which meant a time consuming technical documentation. Also, the lab equipment deliveries were belated by the suppliers in most of the cases.

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