Preclinical Research and Molecular

Imaging Institute

(ISPeMI)

PON 2007-2013 Axis I: “Support to structural mutations”

Operational goal 4.1.1.4. “Improving infrastructures and scientific and technological

assets”- Action 1 “Infrastructural improvement”

Project Partners

• Fondazione Ri.MED (Ri.MED)

• Istituto Sperimentale Zootecnico per la Sicilia (ISZS)

• Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A.

Mirri” (IZS)

Fondazione Ri.MED

Research at Ri.MED is carried out on two fronts:

• post doc researchers winners of Ri.MED fellowships carrying out research

projects at the University of Pittsburgh and in other European centers of

excellence

• Researcher, biologists and technicians working at the Regenerative Medicine

and Biomedical Technologies Unit at the Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti

e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione (ISMETT) in Palermo.

Regenerative Medicine and Biomedical

Technologies

4

Experimental

Laboratory

GMP

Facility

Pre-clinical

Laboratory

Regenerative Medicine

Immunobiology

Molecular Medicine

Biotechnologies Advanced Therapies

Animal models for

experimental surgery

Animal models for

tissue rigeneration

Preclinical Research Laboratory

• Collaborative program involving: ISMETT, UPMC, Ri.MED, ISZS • Activity started in January 2008;

• 230 surgical procedures performed • Objective: preclinical studies in the field of end-stage organ diseases → Liver

disease: increase the use of partial grafts

ISZS

Research Station of Regional Agriculture and Food Department with the following

purposes:

• preservation and genetic improvement of indigenous sicilian breeds of interest

for zootechnics

• protection of wild fauna

• improvement of culture techniques and utilization of forage species suitable for

Sicilian environment

• scientific research in the field of animal husbandry

• training in agricultural and livestock sector

• technical assistance to livestock farms

IZS

National Reference Center

N° Human Resources: 447

Ministry of Health funds:€ 27.533.777,00

Fund for research: € 4.730.000,00

Technical and Scientific body of Ministry of Health with the following goals:

• experimental research on etiology, pathogenesis and prophylaxis of infectious

animal diseases

• technical-scientific support for veterinary drug surveillance

• protection of Food Safety and Animal Welfare

thought

Objectives of ISPeMI

• To create a Multicenter Institute of integrated laboratories to

transfer biomedical research outcomes to patient care and vice

versa.

• To enhance scientific, training and commercial skills in veterinary

medicine.

• To train highly qualified personnel able to participate and/or lead

pre-clinal research projects

Summary

Grant

Improvement of infrastructure project € 9,455,000

Training project € 945,000

Tot. project € 10,400,000

Summary: improvement of infrastructure

The Institute will include 3 centers

1. The Small-size Animal Preclinical Research Center (IZS)

Structural Interventions planned:

• Animal research facility for rodents and lagomorphs

• Area for experimental surgery and microsurgery

• Area for surgery and molecular imaging (magnetic resonance 7T)

• Area for preclinical research laboratory: area for cell biology (2 labs),

molecular biology, microscopy and storage of biological materials

Summary: improvement of infrastructure

2. The Large-size Animal Preclinical Research Center (ISZS)

Structural interventions planned:

• Animal research facility for Precision Livestock Swine Farming (PLSF)

and for Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) animals

• Animal research facility for experimental surgery and for teaching

surgery in open and video-laparoscopy

• Area for echo-graphy, echo-endoscopy and resonance for large-size

animals

• Area for cell biology (2 labs), for bioreactor, molecular biology,

microscopy and storage of biological materials

Summary: improvement of infrastructure

3. The Molecular Medicine and Molecular Imaging Center (Ri.MED)

Structural Interventions planned:

• Area for molecular medicine, for genomics and proteomics,

immunological tests, microscopy and storage of experimental and

pathological samples

• Area for molecular imaging (magnetic resonance 3T)

• Software for data processing and storage

Summary: training project

Duration: 18 months

Figures in training: Anesthesiologist, Biologist, Surgeon, Radiologist, Laboratory Technician, Radiology Technician, Veterinarian, Animal Technologist.

Selection procedures: CV, interview, written test and English test according to the figure in training.

Methodology:

– Common interdisciplinary course: duration 1 months; courses: principles of cell and molecular biology, microbiology, hygiene, comparative anatomy, zoonosis, national and European legislation on animal research, animal welfare, ethics on animal research, techniques of laboratory, GxP (Good Laboratory, Manufacturing and Clinical Practice),Intellectual Property and Technological Transfer, Managment

– Specific courses: duration 17 months; specific activity and courses for the different professional figures, seminars, lectures, activities of laboratory and training on the job

Summary: training project

Tests:

– Intermediate: every 4 months

– Final: preparation of a report and discussion of the results/achievements of the

individual research project in Italian or English (according to the professional

figure)

Final evaluation:

– Evaluation of a final report by an Expert Committee formed by from the

partners

ISPeMI: activities flow

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH PRE-CLINICAL RESEARCH PRODUCTS FOR

CLINICAL APPLICATION

Cells

Tissues

Pathological

samples Biological samples

(pathological and experimental)

Small-size

animal research

Large-size

animal research

Biomarkers

Compounds with pharmacological activity

Stem cells/progenitors, etc…

New techniques for diagnostic

(molecular, immunological, molecular imaging)

New pharmacological therapies

New cellular therapies

New techniques for surgery

SALE OF SERVICES SALE OF PRODUCTS

Patents (compounds and innovative methods)

Pharmaceutical Industries

Enterprise producing diagnostic test

Enterprise producing reagents for research

Enterprise of diagnostic imaging

Development of surgical models

Service activity for research

Production of SPF and genetically

modified animals

Research

Food chain

Training course for specialized

personnel

Medical-veterinarian advise for

surgery and micro-surgery and

experimental embryology

Studies on pathological samples and cell models:

• Identification of biomarkers

• Molecular imaging on cell and tissue models

• Development of innovative therapeutic, pharmacological

and cellular strategies

• Development of innovative diagnostic tests

Molecular Medicine and Molecular Imaging Center(Ri.MED, ISMETT, UPMC)

Studies on human:

• Clinical Trial for reagents, drugs and methodologies of

regenerative medicine

• Trasfert of diagnostic and molecular imaging techniques to

the clinic

• Use of cellular tracking

• Application of innovative surgical techniques

• Analysis of experimental models by studies of cell biology,

genomics, proteomics and molecular imaging

• Experimental Surgery and Micro-surgery

• Production of genetically modified murine strains

Small-size Animal Preclinical

Research Center(IZS)

• Analysis of experimental models by studies of cell biology,

genomics, proteomics and molecular imaging

• Experimental surgery-artificial organs

• Production of SPF swine

Large-size Animal Preclinical

Research Center (ISZS)

Products

Services

ISPeMI Institute: Functional Centers

Impact

• Enhancement of the activities and purposes of the Project Partners

• Strengthening of regional production activity in the biomedical and veterinary field

• Enhancement of entrepreneurial potential and translational research of the territory

• Development of products and services for the national/international market

• Strengthening of the capacity of attraction of translational research initiatives with high technical and scientific content and with strong industrial potential

National and International projection

Regional collaborations:

– Distretto Tecnologico Micro e Nano Sistemi

– Distretto Tecnologico Biomedico

– Distretto AMAR

– Laboratorio Pubblico/Privato Myrmex-CNR

– Companies: Myrmex, Fidia Farmaceutici, ST Microelectronics

National and international collaborations:

– CNR, ISS, Universita’ di Genova, Universita’ di Milano

– University of Pittsburgh, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine

– Cluster ALISEI

– Infrastruttura Italiana di Medicina Rigenerativa (IRMI)

– European Infrastructure for Translational medicine (EATRIS)