The “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest opens a new phase of medical scientific research by inaugurating the Center for Research and Development of Innovative Therapeutic Structures (InnoTher). Thanks to this advanced research structure, the University will carry out a wide range of programs and projects focused on basic, applied research, development and innovation in the biomedical field, with an emphasis on the development of new personalized therapeutic systems.

At the same time, InnoTher will provide access to technology and resources for academic staff, researchers, students, masters, doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and residents within the university, and will be able to host researchers and students from other institutions within the university. domestically or abroad that have partnerships or joint research projects with UMFCD. The value of investment in InnoTher’s research infrastructure is more than 2.5 million euros, including advanced technology for the synthesis of pharmaceutical systems from nanoparticles, for the evaluation of the biopharmaceutical profile of conventional and advanced therapeutic systems, as well as an integration platform based on a high-resolution mass spectrometry table, unique in south-eastern Europe.

“The mission of this research center is to develop sustainable excellence in scientific research and education, because in addition to the role of conducting fundamental and applied research, implementing specific research projects, promoting the use of advanced technologies, the work of the InnoTher team will also contribute to the improvement of the quality of education and professional training for the development of human capital”, – noted the rector of UMFCD, prof. Dr. Viorel Jinga.

He added that “InnoTher is more than a strategic investment, it is a guarantee of our efforts to support CDI’s excellence in the field of healthcare, as well as to increase competitiveness at the institutional level to achieve the status of a European regional leader.”

In turn, the director of InnoTher, prof. Dr. Christina-Elena Dinou-Pirvu emphasized that “At the center of InnoTher’s activity are key technologies from such fields as biomaterials science, nanotechnology, chemical-physical medicine, biopharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, molecular biology and mass spectrometry. These are not only tools, but also bridges to the future, which contribute to the emergence of new horizons in precision medicine.

The opening of the InnoTher Center is a firm commitment to our academic community and society, which promises that UMFCD will continue to use its resources to promote the development of the biomedical field and bring precision medicine closer to society. The center will function as a catalyst for institutional development and contribute to increasing the global visibility of our university.”

About the Research Center for Innovative Therapeutic Structures

Through three pillars: (i) the core of biomaterials and nanotechnology; (ii) an omics science core and (iii) a physicochemical, biopharmaceutical and pharmacological characterization core, the Center for Research and Development of Innovative Therapeutic Structures (InnoTher) enables the integration of research activities into the flow required for in silico development and evaluation , in vitro and in vitro in vivo of new pharmaceutical systems filled with bioactive compounds, medical devices or food additives.

Biomaterials and Nanotechnology Coreequipped with advanced technology for the synthesis of nanoparticles of pharmaceutical systems (liposomes, nanoparticles, nanofibers, nanotubes, quantum dots), medical devices (transdermal patches, aerogels, implants), biomimetic materials, intelligent hydrogels, etc., which allows obtaining modern, specially functional pharmaceutical systems, control their qualities, as well as their optimization using bioinformatics tools using integration and correlation algorithms based on the use of AI.

equipment The core of physicochemical, biopharmaceutical and pharmacological characteristics allow elucidating the biopharmaceutical profile of any type of therapeutic system (conventional, vectorized, monolithic or multiparticle, systemic or local), modeling and mechanistic understanding of the interaction of a drug with an individual. Based on this know-how, the developed systems can be optimized and adjusted according to the individual needs of the patient, which is a requirement of personalized medicine.

Typical equipment in this core are three compendial systems for the study of drug release kinetics, covering all types of conventional or modern therapeutic systems. Among them, the most versatile is the USP IV system with flow cuvettes, which, in addition to studying conventional forms, also allows studying implants, nanoparticles, powders, granules, semi-solid and highly viscous systems. In addition, confocal Raman microscopy, which provides complementary information to electron microscopy, detailed information on the molecular structure of samples with applications for the identification and quantification of compounds in pharmaceutical formulations, provides high-resolution imaging of drug distribution in tissues or cells, understanding how drugs interact with biological targets at the molecular level, analysis of changes in the molecular composition of tumor tissues compared to healthy ones.

Core of Omics Sciences: applies and develops integrative approaches based on high-resolution mass spectrometry for the discovery of new diagnostic, progression and prognostic markers, comprehensive screening of biological or environmental samples and therapeutic drug monitoring. Combined with molecular biology with microarrays and RT-PCR, the core of the research aims to better understand the molecular processes that govern normal and pathological processes. As a central element, the InnoTher Omics core has a hybrid high-resolution mass spectrometry system unique to South-Eastern Europe. The application of HRMS in the field of precision medicine, proteomics, lipidomics and metabolomics will make a significant contribution to the early diagnosis of diseases, understanding disease mechanisms at the molecular level, thus contributing to the development of targeted therapeutic approaches, determining how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized and removed from the body, important information for accurate and personalized medication dosing.