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The Toxicology Unit of the PCB collaborates with a CENIT cancer research consortium

By 25 de February de 2010November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 25.02.2010

The Toxicology Unit of the PCB collaborates with a CENIT cancer research consortium

The Experimental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology Unit of the Barcelona Science Park () has signed a collaboration contract with the biotech GEADIC, in order to carry out the toxicological assessment of certain biomarkers that will be studied in the ONCOLÓGICA research project, which has been selected from amongst 18 other projects that will be funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation by means of the 5th Programme of Strategic National Committees for Technical Research (CENIT-E).

ONCOLÓGICA aims to research new biomarker-based strategies for the detection of cancer, its prognosis, response prediction and development of new treatments. GEADIC’s task within the consortium that is promoting this project –coordinated by PharmaMar- will be to develop biologic therapies (antibodies and immunomodulators) for the treatment of cancer. The UTOX-PCB’s mission will be to assess the potential toxicity of new molecules that are under study by means of the application of several in vivo and in vitro techniques.

The UTOX-PCB (coordinated by researcher Miquel Borràs) and the Toxicology Unit of the School of Pharmacy of the UB (coordinated by researcher Joan M. Llobet) comprise CERETOX (Toxicology Research Centre): a research centre specialised in Technology Transfer in Toxicology, member of TECNIO’s (ACC1Ó) IT network (from its Catalan acronym, Technological Innovation). TECNIO is a network that encompasses the major technological transfer centres and agents of Catalonia, with the objective of bringing them closer to the company, thereby favouring the competitiveness and international projection of the Catalan entrepreneurial tissue.

Both the UTOX and CERETOX offer their knowledge and expertise in the performance of laboratory and field work toxicological studies, focused on screening prior to the development of new drug candidates, on the characterization of chemical, cosmetic, veterinary and food products and on the assessment of the exposure to and toxic effects or risk of environmental toxicology and ecotoxicology situations.

Likewise, they also carry out their own research projects and projects in collaboration with other technological centres, research institutes and companies, such as the SOSTAQUA project (funded by the Ministry within the framework of the 2007 2nd CENIT call and with the AGBAR group as consortium leader) for the improvement of the sustainable cycle of water; or the NANOSOST project “Towards sustainable, responsible and safe nanotechnology” (which is part of the “Singular and strategic projects” included in the 2008-2011 R + D National Plan, leading subproject 3 (“Health Risks”), which aims to determine the experimental difficulties that may arise during and after experimentation with nanoparticles, and the establishment of a strategy for their toxicological assessment.

The objective of the CENIT programme is to generate new knowledge that is useful for the creation of new products, processes and services or for the integration of technologies of strategic interest. For this reason, the projects selected are aimed towards boosting planned research in new technological areas with great international projection.