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The Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity
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is one of the PIGMOD Centre’s three laboratories.
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Our main objective is the biomedical research
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and preclinical testing of various therapeutic approaches in miniature pigs.
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The advantages of miniature pigs lie in their physiological and anatomical similarity
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to humans and the minimal ethical hurdles associated with their use.
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The minipigs represent a unique model for testing the safety
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and efficacy of treatment prior to clinical trials.
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We specialise in studying Huntington’s disease, spinal injuries,
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and eye disorders, i.e., retinopathies such as Usher syndrome,
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Stargardt disease and macular degeneration.
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"For Huntington’s disease study, we use two minipig models, transgenic and knock-in."
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Currently, we are working with the Technical University of Munich
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to create a humanised minipig model.
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By using behavioural, biochemical and molecular genetic methods on these models,
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we are trying to characterise the onset and course of the disease.
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In addition, we also use them for testing novel therapies.
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Our long-standing collaboration
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with various biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies
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involves preclinical studies aimed at reducing huntingtin levels.
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Based on our joint results,
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uniQure has been approved to conduct gene therapy clinical trials on humans.
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Additionally, we focus on the use of nanoparticles in gene therapy
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and look into the possibilities of regenerative medicine
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featuring neuronal reprogramming.
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„Currently, the PIGMOD Centre is developing a new gene therapy programme
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for severe eye disorders that remain untreatable.“
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It concerns two serious diseases:
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Usher syndrome, which starts with a condition known as “tunnel vision”,
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We run this programme in collaboration
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with the German universities in Munich, Mainz and Giessen.
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"Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a neurodegenerative retinal disease
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and the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over the age of 60
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and affects hundreds of thousands of people in the Czech Republic."
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The dry form of this disease is still untreatable to this day.
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We are exploring cell therapy options
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involving the transplantation of healthy retinal cells into the affected eye.
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We insert the cultured cells into the eye on a nanofiber carrier,
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and, thanks to the similarity of the pig eye to the human eye,
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we can improve the technical performance of the transplantation
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and monitor its efficacy.
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Our research is helping to move therapies for incurable diseases
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from preclinical testing to the clinical stage.
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Thanks to the genetic pig models,
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we are at least able to mimic the damage
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and provide a platform for methods and testing of novel therapies.
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At the same time, we are actively involved in developing novel therapies.
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Our research is closely linked to patient organisations from around world.
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We travel to give lectures and receive funding from abroad.
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The trust patients put into our work is our greatest driving force.