“George Emil Palade” research and formative Platform was founded in 2006 within “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and includes eight interdisciplinary departments.
In the CNCSIS national Platform grants competition the platform has been awarded 1,4 mil Euro which were invested in high performance equipments acquisition in order to support further research projects. In the future, the Platform we will support youg scientists during their doctoral studies in the field of translational and innovative medicine.
- The Platform`s Director is Acad. Laurentiu Mircea Popescu, Head of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine from “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
- The Platform`s Coordinator for Formation Programs is Professor Irinel Popescu, MD, FACS, Head of the Center of General Surgery and Liver Transplantation, at Fundeni Clinical Institute.
- The Platform`s Administrative Coordinator is Professor Constantin Ionescu-Tirgoviste, MD, PhD, Head of Diabetes Clinic no. 1, at “N. C. Paulescu” Institute of Diabetes , Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases.
The main research focus of the Research Platform Structures is translational medicine including:
- Genetic and Molecular Testing of Gastrointestinal Cancers and Premalignant Lesions
- Diagnosis and Therapy of Malignant and Premalignant Gastrointestinal Lesions using New Mini-invasive Techniques
- Cell Therapies for Regenerative Medicine
Top techniques are going to be used (genomic, proteomic, population genetics) in quest for molecular and cellular markers for premalignancy and malignancy of human gastrointestinal tract in order to screen the population, defining groups of risk and early diagnosis of malignant tumors. The translational research is going to have a major impact for the clinical research developing targeted new therapies, by the use of “genotype-phenotype” association, and also of cell therapies through the transfer of some lab techniques used in cell production. The outcomes derived from these researches must broaden the field of oncology with positive impact upon the public health and quality of life.
Within the Platform we will create new laboratories in which performant clinical activity will develop European standard interdisciplinary formation activities, that are going to increase the results competitively degree, finalizing in doctoral and master studies.
The current infrastructure will be upgraded by:
- The creation of new laboratory for cell processing using cGMP current standards
- The improvement of the current animal core facility and the standardization of the experimental medicine in accord with European facilities
- The creation of level III BSL laboratory for the development, purification, characterization and manipulation of viral vectors that are to be used as transporters for gene transfer. By the development and updating of the current lab structures, it will be possible to standardize our research to those of EC, making possible the participation of our teams in the European competition FP7.
Through this platform, an environment which combines different research projects in order to solve translational medicine issues, alternative financial sources (industrial and academic collaborations, medical services suppliers) will be created.
Due to its complexity and experience, this platform will act as a national pole of scientific competence and technique reference in its domain and in the general development of knowledge-based society. |
