There are three laboratories in the Center for Biomedical Science at the Faculty of Medicine Foca:
- LABORATORY FOR IMMUNOLOGY AND BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
- LABORATORY FOR EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY
- LABORATORY FOR MOLECULAR GENETICS
The Center for Biomedical Science of the Faculty of Medicine Foca has started since 2016, after all the necessary technical and material conditions for the work of the Laboratory for Immunology and Cell Biology were created.
LABORATORY FOR IMMUNOLOGY AND BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
In the laboratory for immunology and biology of the cell in July 2016, six-channel flow cytofluorimeter, Attune Acoustic Focusing Cytometer, Thermofisher, was purchased. In 2016, several methods of detection of apoptosis were introduced in the laboratory for immunology and biology of the cell (morphological analysis of apoptosis by staining in Turk, staining propidium iodide in hypotonic solution and staining of Annexin FITC / Propidium iodide staining by which the phase of apoptosis and necrosis of the cells is determined). A method for detecting mitochondrial potential by DioC6 staining, as well as a method for determining the cytotoxicity of different substances by the MTT test has been introduced. Also, the most significant activity was related to the phenotypic analysis of total cells or mononuclear human blood cells by means of monoclonal antibodies using multiple parametric analysis. An ELISA method for determining the concentration of different cytokines has been introduced. At the same time, this method was compared with microbug technology for simultaneous detection of 14 cytokines (Flow cytomix method on flow cytopluorometer). Methods of immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry were introduced, Three PhD students from this faculty were on three-day education in this field at the Faculty of Medicine Belgrade. A cleanroom for working on cell cultures has been fully equipped. We are currently working with the L929, THP-1, U937 and B16 cell lines, cell line stem cells and macrophage cell line where PhD students have practical lectures in the course Principles of Good Laboratory Practice and work on their dissertations. There are eight PhD students in the laboratory who are attending the course – Molecular medicine.
LABORATORY FOR EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY
At the Laboratory for Experimental Pharmacology, two senior assistants work on the realization of their PhD theses. Research was carried out in cooperation with the Department of Pharmacognosy of the Faculty of Medicine Banja Luka. The subject of the study is in vitro estimate of the vasorelaxant and spasmolytic effect of essential oil isolated from various plant organs of two representatives of the genus Seseli.
LABORATORY FOR MOLECULAR GENETICS
In the Laboratory for Molecular Genetics in the first half of 2016, the project “The Importance of Molecular Biology in Diagnosis and Therapy of Lung Cancer” was finalized, approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Srpska.
Based on contemporary trends in biomedical research, the following 5 thematic projects have been proposed and accepted in the next five-year period.
- Stem cells and cell therapy in oncology, regenerative medicine and dentistry, coordinator: academicianProf. Miodrag Colic, M.D., Ph.D.
- Pharmacological and molecular basics of the action of drugs and biological products on normal and tumor cells, coordinator: Slobodan Milovanovic, PhD.
- Cytocompatibility and immunomodulatory properties of nanomaterials, coordinator: academicianProf. Miodrag Colic, M.D., Ph.D.
- Clinical, pathophysiological and molecular-genetic basis of injuries and diseases, coordinator: Dejan Bokonjic, PhD.
- Contemporary aspects of public health research, coordinator: Maja Racic, PhD.
The first three thematic projects are being realized primarily in the Center for Biomedical Science and they are the backbone of PhD theses of 3rd cycle students from the module Molecular Medicine. The remaining two thematic projects rely on the support of the Center, but are primarily implemented on other departments of the Faculty and organizational units that are its teaching base. Students on the module Clinical Medicine or Public Health work their PhD theses on these projects.