OncoGen Research Centre for Gene and Cellular Therapies in Cancer is a research centre of Emergency Clinical County Hospital „Pius Brînzeu” Timisoara. It was financed with support from the European regional development fund and the Romanian national budget. The construction was begun in September 2010 and finished in October 2015. The goal of the project was to create a research-development and in
novation infrastructure able to discover, sustain and facilitate the translation to clinical trials, and eventually to the medical practice of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic methods, bearing the potential to complement or even replace existing methods for cancer therapy (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery). With a surface of 2910 square meters (distributed on 6 floors), the research centre building has 15 dedicated compartments and laboratories, including a GMP facility of about 150 square meters enabling the processing of biological materials in standard GMP (good manufacturing practice) conditions, specific for drugs and biologic therapeutics. The area includes 3 working spaces of class A placed in B class (ISO 5) rooms, where the environment parameters are strictly monitored and the access is restricted only for specialized personnel. Other OncoGen facilities are:
- bank of human cells and tissue equipped with cryopreservation systems (liquid nitrogen tanks and controlled rate freezers).
- advanced research laboratories (cell culture, genomic, proteomic, microarray, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, cytology, gas and liquid chromatography).
- high performance diagnostic laboratories:
Immune-phenotyping for diagnosis of malignant hemopathies; detection of specific tumor antigens by molecular biology.
- laboratories for HLA typing – analysis of donor/recipient compatibility for bone marrow and solid organ transplantation.
- small animal house facility for experimental models required for validation of new therapeutic approaches. The general objective of our activity is to increase the quality and efficiency of research-development activity in the medical field in order to improve the health status of population and to promote economic competitiveness among biotechnology producers. The main areas of interest at OncoGen are:
Personalized diagnostics and advanced therapies in cancer (next generation sequencing, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based immunotherapies)
Personalized diagnostics and immunotherapies in respiratory allergy
Stem cells in regenerative medicine
Health and environmental factors
OncoGen attracted total funding of more than 8 million euros for research projects in these areas.
