BrainMap

Alina Fudulu

- INSTITUTUL DE VIRUSOLOGIE "STEFAN S.NICOLAU"

Researcher

Expertise & keywords

Development of anticancer nanoparticulate systems based on novel metal complexes Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Proiect experimental - demonstrativ
PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-5143 2020 - 2022

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL DE VIRUSOLOGIE "STEFAN S.NICOLAU"

Project partners: INSTITUTUL DE VIRUSOLOGIE "STEFAN S.NICOLAU" (RO); UNIVERSITATEA DE MEDICINA SI FARMACIE "CAROL DAVILA" (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL DE VIRUSOLOGIE "STEFAN S.NICOLAU" (RO)

Project website: https://www.virology.ro/ro/cercetare/proiecte/proiect-ped-383-2020

Abstract:

A new generation of efficient metal-based drugs needs to be developed in order to overcome the biological, biopharmaceutical and biomedical drawbacks of standard chemotherapy. Use of metallo-drugs in cancer treatment has been hampered by an indaquate pharmacokinetic profile that limited the access to the biological target. This has led to the development of novel technologies based on nanostructured materials, acting as vectors for metallodrug delivery or simply as protectors of active species of the complexes for amplifying their activities and reducing their degradation. The aim of the project is to develop and validate new liposomal systems for transport and delivery of 2 promising anticancer agents previously studied by our research group. Nanoparticulate drug carrier systems will improve the therapeutic effectiveness and safety profile of these novel anticancer agents. The efficiency of these nanoformulations will be evaluated in terms of stability, drug entrapment efficiency, release behaviour, cell uptake, cytotoxicity, farmacotoxicology and pharmacokinetics. The project specific objectives are: 1) Development of liposomal systems validated at the laboratory level with novel anticancer agents; 2) Estimation the in vitro biological activity of the liposomal systems on various cell lines, including drug resistant cell lines, identifying biomarkers involved in modulating their biological activity; 3) Estimating the pharmaco-toxicological and pharmacokinetic profile of liposomal systems. Nanoparticles provide an enhanced bioavailability, in vivo stability, intestinal permeability, solubility, sustained and targeted delivery, therapeutic effectiveness of the anticancer drugs. The proposed project is a complex, interdisciplinary study related to biomedical international research, that aims to intends to transform modern methods, worldwide used in pharmacological, immunological and molecular biology studies, in instruments used for the translation to oncology.

Artificial Intelligence Algorithms in Male Infertility Diagnosis Based on New Molecular Approaches Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Proiect experimental - demonstrativ
PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-4402 2020 - 2022

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL DE VIRUSOLOGIE "STEFAN S.NICOLAU"

Project partners: INSTITUTUL DE VIRUSOLOGIE "STEFAN S.NICOLAU" (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE ENDOCRINOLOGIE "C.I.PARHON" BUCURESTI (RO); NET - CONNECT BUSINESS SUPPORT SRL (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL DE VIRUSOLOGIE "STEFAN S.NICOLAU" (RO)

Project website: https://www.virology.ro/en/research/projects/male-infertility

Abstract:

Causes of male infertility were reported as mainly Y chromosome deletions. However only 10-15 % of infertile patients shows such anomalies. Studies regarding infertility expanded from the genetic level to epigenetic factors. The proposal aims to improve investigation protocols and diagnosis for male infertile patients. This scope will be achieved through developing a method for epigenetic profiler (panel) which will evaluate the level of methylation for selected genes involved in male infertility and to develop a decision support system (DSS) based on artificial intelligence (AI) that can predict the results a from a questionnaire, hormonal profile, infection status, methylation panel and semen analysis. The novelty of current proposal is to elaborate a new protocol and AI based algorithms to investigate infertile men, not only to diagnose, but to improve the selection for assisted reproduction techniques (ART). Such investigations, protocols are not introduced yet in the current practice worldwide, and are the subject of great interest for researchers and especially for clinicians who expect validating and transferring research results into the clinic as soon as possible. Despite the fact that the number of clinics performing assisted reproductive procedures is high, the success rate is low due to lack of opportunities for testing at the molecular level functionality sperm and oocytes.

Considering the team's experience in terms of experimental methods to be used in this project and the conceptual coherence supported by papers published in this field in recent years, along with the existent infrastructure, we believe that the project has a high feasibility to achieve the proposed goals in good conditions.

ND10 bodies dynamic switch in viral chromatin remodeling during early hrHPV infection. Call name: P 1 - SP 1.1 - Proiecte de cercetare pentru stimularea tinerelor echipe independente
PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-1759 2020 - 2022

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL DE VIRUSOLOGIE "STEFAN S.NICOLAU"

Project partners: INSTITUTUL DE VIRUSOLOGIE "STEFAN S.NICOLAU" (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL DE VIRUSOLOGIE "STEFAN S.NICOLAU" (RO)

Project website: http://www.virology.ro/en/research/projects/early-hrhpv-infection

Abstract:

Human papilloma viruses (HPVs) are non-enveloped double-stranded DNA genome viruses, divided according to oncogenic potential into low-risk (lrHPV) and high-risk (hrHPV) genotypes for which persistent infection is associated with cervical dysplasia and carcinogenesis. HPVs developed strategies to interfere with innate immune responses, to delay adaptive immune responses and thus to promote oncogenesis. Even if the HPV viral life cycle has been extensively studied, the regulatory proteins that influence viral chromatin and interactions of the viral DNA with complex nuclear structure in the infected cells are still under investigation. The proposal intends to unveil the mechanism of how hrHPV optimizes its own transcription in order to evade the intrinsic immune response being prone to use epigenetic mechanisms to regulate biological activities during virus life cycle.

In this context, we hypothesize an association between HPV genome and chromatin remodeling complexes interaction that influences the early viral gene transcription. In order to highlight this we propose the following specific objectives: identifying ND10 components involved in chromatin remodeling complexes and histone chaperones during early viral infection using as experimental models infected human cell lines with HPV16/18 pseudovirions; establishing if ND10 complex has a role in intrinsic immune response in hrHPV infection; discovering the role of histone H3.3 in viral chromatin status during first stages of infection (HPV and ND10 co-localization); understanding which viral factors may play a role in regulation of ND10 chromatin remodelers, which may help the virus escape from intrinsic immunity mechanism.

The obtained data will enrich the knowledge in the field of molecular biology and epigenetics of the HPV infection, which may represent a future challenge for developing new therapeutic targets and strategies in disease management. This may open new research direction for HPV–induced tumorigenes

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects