In recent decades, physiologists around the world have become increasingly concerned with applied physiology, starting from the cellular level to organs, systems, and the whole human organism. Today, specialists have the opportunity to embark on a real adventure: to innovate research methods, to integrate physiology with other medical sciences, and to translate old and new knowledge into clinical practice and research.
The 31st National Conference of the Romanian Society of Physiology - "Physiology today: Innovation, Integration, Translation", which took place on October 25-26, 2019 in Timișoara, at the OncoGen Center, covered extremely varied fields, from cardiovascular physiology to innovative therapies, education and research. The conference included invited lectures, plenary sessions, workshops and symposia supported by experts from Romania and abroad, highly scientific papers that were presented orally or as e-posters, all addressing topics of interest for the physiology of our days. For the first time, among the co-organizers of the Physiology Conference was the Romanian National Neuroscience Society.
Innovative therapies: the main theme
This year's edition of the National Physiology Conference included the special program sessions dedicated to the dissemination of the results obtained by society members in already established research fields: neurosciences (Challenges in experimental and clinical neurosciences; Intercellular interplay in the central nervous system and its roles in neuroplasticity and neuroprotection), physiology of the cardiovascular system (Cardiovascular physiology – new concepts and challenges), physiology of the respiratory system (Respiratory Physiology. The paradigm shift in asthma management). Also, there were working sessions that opened new research directions, addressing current top fields, with great international relevance: innovative therapies and immunotherapies (Innovative therapeutic strategies – a step to re-establish physiological function), the diagnosis of precision in cancer and allergic diseases (round table – Cell physiology: Next generation sequencing in cancer and – Cell Physiology: Molecular diagnosis in allergy), rare diseases (Rare diseases. The current medical approach).
"This year's edition was oriented towards innovative therapies. The presentations were focused on innovative therapies in cancer, but also on allergic diseases because we want to develop new treatments in this direction. OncoGen had two large research projects, with budgets of over two million euros each: one was dedicated to the study of ambrosia allergy, which is wreaking havoc in Romania, and forecasts show that it will sicken more than half of Europe in the next 20- 30 years. It is a pathology that will be of European interest. The other study was related to innovative cancer therapy using genetic engineering. We are thinking about what 21st century medicine means - personalized therapy", said Prof. Dr. Carmen Panaitescu, president of the conference and deputy director of OncoGen.
Multicenter clinical trials
The Timișoara research center is the only one of its kind in Eastern Europe and, through the high safety conditions and standards it meets, will allow the development of new therapeutic products for human use. The center is equipped with all the facilities and technology streams required for cutting-edge research, being equipped with basic and applied research facilities for translational medicine, including a GMP facility (two workrooms and a BSL2 room), a cell and tissue bank and a biobase. The aim is to promote research with application potential in the field of advanced therapies with human stem cells in regenerative medicine and to obtain immunotherapeutic products based on modern molecular biology technologies. The inclusion of the OncoGen Center in the international network of centers with similar equipment will facilitate the conduct of multicenter clinical trials for the development of innovative treatments in cancer and chronic degenerative diseases.
Mechanisms of genetic engineering
Prof. Torsten Tonn, coordinator of the Scientific Advisory Board for the OncoGen Institute, presented the international strategies related to the use of these genetic engineering mechanisms in the treatment of cancer and how the same mechanisms can be used in allergic diseases and in all autoimmune diseases. According to him, immunotherapy is increasingly showing its importance in monoclonal antibody therapies and in biological therapies, which conquer practically all fields of pathology. "The OncoGen Center specializes in the development of new cancer therapies for patients with extremely serious diseases. Globally, a whole medical revolution is taking place, and Romania is certainly part of this trend, namely the use of genetically modified CAR-T and CAR-NK cells that can be used in the personalized treatment of cancer. Specifically, the genetically modified cells recognize the tumor and destroy it. It's personalized medicine because you have to collect the patient's cells, genetically manipulate them, multiply them and make the treatment for the affected person," said Prof. Tonn.
Biological therapies in respiratory pathology
During the allergology session, molecular diagnosis in allergic diseases was discussed, which helps doctors establish a precise diagnosis and can direct the patient to a personalized treatment. Prof. Dr. Roxana Bumbăcea, president of the Romanian Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, discussed the modern management of asthma and, especially, the biological therapies indicated in severe asthma. "Asthma is a subject that concerns us all, allergists and pulmonologists alike. In severe asthma we are at the moment of biological therapy – anti-immunoglobulin E therapy, a humanized monoclonal antibody. It means a lot to us as allergists to have an anti-IgE therapy that primarily helps in numerous conditions. The therapy is currently positioned in two important conditions – asthma and chronic urticaria, but it has much greater power and will prove that it can do much more,” said the allergist.
Regarding another respiratory pathology – allergies, specialists presented the latest molecular approaches for allergen-specific immunotherapy, but also information on recombinant allergens to improve diagnosis and therapy in allergies – OncoGen's experience with ambrosia allergens. "Diagnosis and treatment of ambrosia allergy can be ineffective due to the poor quality of allergen extracts, but the use of recombinant allergens can solve this problem. Here, at OncoGen, we set out to develop a new diagnostic kit based on recombinant allergens, which will subsequently allow the development of a vaccine against ambrosia allergy", explained Prof. Kuan-Wei Chen (Medical University of Vienna , OncoGen).
Source: http://www.politicidesanatate.ro/fiziologia-azi-inovare-integrare-translatare/