Pharmaceutical biotechnology: Science for health

Cancer, neurodegenerative and immune diseases represent a great health and social burden for our society. Due to prolongation of life expectancy the burden of these predominantly  age-related diseases is anticipated to be even greater in the future. To avoid the collapse of the health care system, new, more effective therapy strategies are urgently needed. Our aim is to investigate molecular mechanisms leading to pathological processes and to identify new potential targets for development of new drugs and treatments. In particular, we will address the role of proteolytic enzymes in tumor progression, anti-cancer immune response and neuroinflammation, intra-cellular signaling of RNA/protein interactors in neurological disorders, innovative delivery systems in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer, and mechanisms controlling allergies and autoimmune disorders. A common biotechnological platform will enable target screening, validation, modulation and preclinical testing in cell and animal models for different pathologies. Further, target inactivation and manipulation will be possible by applying peptidase inhibitors, genetically modified food grade bacteria, peptide mimotopes and various tools capable of down-regulating the expression of target proteins. Our goal is to prevent tumor invasion and metastasis, to enhance antitumor immune response by activating cytotoxic NK and T cells, to eliminate colorectal tumors by cytokine binders carried by lactic acid bacteria and to inactivate allergens and autoantibodies by peptide mimotopes. Also, we will clarify the mechanisms of post transcriptional modifications of RNA, which seem to be crucial in progression of Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Our research will sharpen insights into complex mechanism of pathological processes providing new solutions for patients’ treatment in order to improve the outcome of the disease and their quality of life. Our results are relevant also for the economic development of our society providing new biotechnological products with high added value interesting for companies in the field of biotechnology, biomedicine and pharmacy or for establishment of a new company. Finally, the gained new knowledge will contribute to higher level of university education, and foster international collaboration with excellent groups worldwide.

Understanding the basic molecular mechanisms of cell function as well as disturbances causing the development and progression of cancer, neurodegenerative and immune disorders is the major preoccupation of our programme group. Besides understanding the basic mechanisms we wish to modify these processes, to identify new diagnostic and therapeutic targets and to develop new strategies to improve patient’s treatment.   In cancer we wish to improve conventional therapeutic strategies, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Our approach is directed against exceeded action of proteolytic enzymes through specific inhibitors which may prevent tumor invasion and metastasis and act also on de-differentiated tumor cells and tumor stem cells, enabling in this way better effectiveness of conventional chemotherapeutics. By regulating proteolytic enzymes which participate in immune response, we want to enhance anti-tumor immune response and develop new strategies for immunotherapy and cell therapy. The need for new drugs is even more evident in neurodegenerative diseases as, despite tremendous advances in neuroscience, there are no drugs that significantly improve the course of any neurodegenerative disorder. Our research is focused on discovery of new neurotrophic factors which promote protection and regeneration of neuronal cells, and and on signaling pathways, triggered by these factors. We investigate  also the importance of RNA-related processes in neurodegeneration since the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases is associated with RNA disfunction. In immune disorders we investigate the role of proteolytic enzymes in immune cell signaling. By using recombinant lactobacteria we try to neutralize inflammatory factors in chronical bowel diseases and cancer. We investigate also the causes of allergic diseases, a part of immune diseases which significantly expanded during last years. We discover the main allergens and mechanisms to impair their harmful action.

Cancer, neurodegenerative and immune diseases represent the greatest burden for health systems in modern societies which increases with the longevity of the population. Improved prevention, earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment are prerequisite steps to reduce the financial burden for health systems, to improve patient’ quality of life and to enable the economic prosperity of the society. To do this, we have to understand all views of the development and progression of diseases, besides social and environmental issues the knowledge on molecular mechanisms and identification of new diagnostic and therapeutic targets is the crucial one and represents the main goal for our programme group. Furthermore, the activities of the programme group also contribute to all levels of university education providing students opportunity to prepare research, diploma, master and doctoral works. This is possible due to long term pedagogical experience the members of the programme group gained at domestic and foreign universities. The results of the programme also foster our collaboration with excellent research groups in Slovenia and worldwide.   Biotechnology, biomedicine and pharmacy constitute besides scientific also leading economic priorities and our results make possible the development of new technologies and products, which are economically interesting for pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies. The scientific knowledge arising from top class research in this field, may result in products with high added value increasing the competitiveness of companies in Slovenia and Europe. The experience of the programme group on applicable research and patent protection and established co-operation with industrial partners guarantee successful transfer of our results to users in industry and clinics.