There is the electronic nose that will allow less invasive and cheaper health screenings. The advanced computer system that allows people and things to be made safe in the event of floods, earthquakes or fires. The protein that, when inhibited or expertly directed, promises beneficial effects on a compromised liver. Or the 'smoothie' of blood platelets that regenerates tissues and the discovery of the antioxidant power of inulin, the sugar present in many foods. These are the five projects developed in the Laboratories of theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma which in 2014 won publication honors in the most authoritative scientific journals. Presented during the Research Day, promoted by the University itself, they promise more effective therapies and greater safety. A promise that in some cases is already a reality
A simple breath for more effective and less invasive screenings
The device for collecting and analyzing volatile compounds has already been successfully tested in the food and industrial sectors to detect product quality and any adulteration. It now promises to make broad-spectrum health screening possible for a large number of pathologies, replacing more invasive and expensive tests. The results for lung cancer are currently promising, with screenings carried out on 100 patients as part of the Campus campaign “A breath for life”, together with the low-dose spiral CT scan, an exam used to verify the presence of nodules in the lungs. Developed by the Head of the Sensory Systems Electronics Research Unit, Prof. Giorgio Pennazza, together with another engineer from the Bio-Medico Campus, Marco Santonico, the Pneumopipe captures and conveys the exhaled volatile organic compounds into an analysis instrument, called BIONOTE, capable of detecting those characteristic mixtures that would be useful for intercepting the so-called 'false positives', i.e. the nodules identified during the CT scan, which do not they are dangerous. An application still in the validation phase, which in the future could help to understand in which patients it is advisable to have tomography, allowing only people at risk of developing lung cancer to be subjected to radiation, albeit minimal. The presentation in Lisbon earned the researchers of the Bio-Medico Campus the ESTS Young Investigator Award.
CIPRNet, an advanced system for the management of crises and catastrophic events
With the 'tropicalisation' of the European climate and the consequent growth of extreme events, such as sudden and very strong storms, it becomes increasingly important to have innovative systems capable of supporting effective and efficient emergency management. And 'CIPRNet' aims at this objective, a decision support system to be used in the presence of natural catastrophes such as: floods, earthquakes, fires or other types of adverse events threatening people and infrastructures in highly urbanized territories. A project in which the Campus participates with the Complex Systems and Security Laboratory, directed by Prof. Roberto Setola, together with 12 European partners and the University of Vancouver. “In practice, data from various devices and administrations are processed by a complex computer system capable of assessing in advance the impact of an adverse event on infrastructure and territory, as well as on individual population types,” explains Prof. Setola. CIPRNet is already partially in use by Acea, the Roman electricity company, which is testing the system in order to improve the reliability of the electricity system, even in the presence of adverse events, thus preventing and limiting damage to businesses and citizens. The system could now be adopted by the Civil Protection and other bodies indicated by the Government.
A 'liver-saving' protein
The protein that researchers have been successfully focusing their attention on for some time now is called MMP10.Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma together with those of the University of Pamplona. An element that can work in favor of the liver in case of 'acute damage', not repeated over time, as in the case of resections of parts of the liver tissue or following intoxications. “In this case – he explains Simone Carotti, Human Anatomy researcher at the Bio-Medico Campus – we discovered that MMP10 promotes the regeneration and repair of liver tissue. On the contrary, in cases of chronic damage, such as in cirrhosis, following chronic viral or metabolic hepatitis, the same protein can instead favor the onset or progression of liver tumors".
The study of the protein's mechanisms of action now promises therapeutic advantages. “In acute cases MMP10, together with other similar molecules, could be used to restore a compromised liver mass, or one that is missing in the event of a transplant of an organ that is too small for the body's needs. This through pharmacological formulations or by promoting the production of the protein by the liver”, explains Carotti. While in chronic cases the idea is to interfere with MMP10 "counteracting the protein through specific inhibitors that could be effective for the treatment of liver cancer", concludes the researcher, who worked on the project.
The 'smoothie' that regenerates tissue
It is a concentrate of platelets resuspended in plasma or in a fibrin gel. Its code name is PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) and it is obtained from the patient's own blood or from donors. Applied directly to bones, cartilage, tendons or large joints such as the knee, it stimulates and increases regenerative and repair processes. The combined use of PRP and multipotent stem cells is being tested in the field of spinal surgery. “Moreover – he explains Maria Cristina Tirindelli, researcher and head of the Transfusion Center of the Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital - PRP has proven to be very useful for the treatment of chronic skin ulcers, which are very frequent in diabetics". In the context of the most advanced regenerative medicine, platelet concentrate combined with epidermal, bone or mesenchymal cells can be effective in reconstructing connective tissues.
“The studies underway at the Campus – continues Tirindelli – are now moving towards two new types of treatment: that of disabling post-transplant haemorrhagic cystitis and inflammation of the mouth and digestive system induced by chemotherapy and radiotherapy”.
Inulin, the antioxidant sugar
It is known that 'good' intestinal bacteria, especially bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, are fond of it and, thanks to its presence, can proliferate and thus defend the intestine from harmful bacterial species. Now there is scientific confirmation that inulin, a fructose polymer belonging to the fructan family, protects the gastrointestinal mucosa from the excess of free radicals caused by harmful substances such as Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial endotoxin responsible for the activation of the immune system at the intestinal level, and beyond. Among the consequences: the alteration of normal intestinal motility and the induction of an inflammatory state harmful to the body. The confirmation is the result of the work of gastroenterologists and food scientists fromUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma. “According to the experimental data – underlines Dr Valentina Pasqualetti, researcher at the Campus Food and Nutrition Sciences Laboratory – the ability of inulin to eliminate free radicals is much greater than that of other simple sugars. We also found that this property remains unchanged even by subjecting the molecule to cooking and simulation of the human digestive process. This means that its radical neutralization action can take place directly at the level of the inflamed mucosa."
Inulin is present naturally in the roots of chicory, in garlic, onion, artichokes, bananas and, for those who can afford it, in the highly prized white truffles. It is available on the market in specific food supplements, so far used for the so-called intestinal dysbiosis, i.e. the alteration of the normal bacterial flora of the intestine, but also in the treatment of acute gastroenteritis and in regulating intestinal function. “These data – underlines Dr Annamaria Altomare, gastroenterologist of the Campus Bio-medico University Polyclinic - open the way to the possibility of using this molecule in the future for the creation of new therapeutic opportunities to complement the traditional anti-inflammatory pharmacological treatments currently used in the treatment of acute and chronic intestinal inflammatory pathologies".
