Address: Splaiul T. Vladimirescu, Nr. 14, 300173, Timişoara
Phone: +40256/490507
E-mail: vpaunescu@umft.ro
Head of the Academic Department
📲 Phone: 0256/490507
📧 Email: vpaunescu@umft.ro
📃 Curriculum vitae
Members
📲 Phone: 0256/490507
📧 Email: tatu.calin@umft.ro
📃 Curriculum vitae
📲 Phone: 0256/490507
📧 Email: crisnic.daniela@umft.ro
Curriculum vitae
📲 Phone: 0256/490507
📧 Email: cioaca.ramona@umft.ro
Curriculum vitae
📲 Phone: 0256/490507
📧 Email: zambori.csilla@umft.ro
Curriculum vitae
📲 Phone: 0256/490507
📧 Email: florinabojin@umft.ro
📃 Curriculum vitae
📲 Phone: 0256/490507
📧 Email: ivan.alexandra@umft.ro
Curriculum vitae
📲 Phone: 0256/490507
📧 Email: gavriliuc.oana@umft.ro
Curriculum vitae
The discipline of Immunology has been established since 1996, being initially coordinated by Prof. Dr. Doina Drugărin, and later by Prof. Dr. Virgil Păunescu, who is presently the coordinator of the Discipline of Immunology and Allergology, Biology and the Director of Department III – Functional Sciences. Starting with 2011, an optional Allergology course was introduced in this discipline, for 5th year students, and from 2018 the courses in Biology (1st year students) and Environmental Medicine (2nd year students) are optionally presented.
The courses offered by our discipline are updated annually, being available in PowerPoint format on the e-learning platform (Moodle) of the university. Immunology courses are designed to enable students to acquire information related to basic immunology – the cellular and humoral components of the innate and acquired immune response, as well as the immune mechanisms involved in various diseases – autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiency, transplantation, malignancies, hypersensitivity reactions.
The discipline offers students from years IV – VI the opportunity to participate in the VADA program (volunteering in the activity of academic development), in the didactic activity of tutoring in the practical Immunology laboratories and in the research, in the laboratories of the OncoGen Center and Center of Immunophysiology and Biotechnology.
Research focuses on the development of advanced methods for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and chronic degenerative diseases with increased morbidity and limited treatment options, through an interdisciplinary approach to basic, translational and clinical research, and by supporting educational programs and partnerships with academia and industry. By promoting quality, responsibility, innovation and value, the aim is to improve the performance of the health system, in order to offer patients new therapeutic options.
- Tumor cell biology and innovative cancer therapies;
- Study of stem cells in order to develop regenerative therapies;
- Environmental medicine and environmental factors;
- Research in the field of allergic diseases and the development of innovative immunotherapies.
The research activities, both fundamental and clinical, are carried out in the Center for Immunophysiology and Biotechnology within UMFT and the Center for Gene and Cellular Therapies in Cancer Treatment – OncoGen (www.oncogen.ro) within SCJUT, through a bench-to-bedside approach, which aims to:
- Development of applications in the field of advanced human stem cell therapies in regenerative medicine;
- Obtaining immunotherapeutic products based on modern molecular biology technologies;
- Development of new therapeutic products for human use;
- Improving the prognosis of patients through personalized treatment.
- Center for Gene and Cellular Therapies in Cancer Treatment (ONCOGEN), POS-CCE program, contract 852/14676, no. 261 / 28.09.2010 (2010-2015)
- Development of a prophylactic peptide vaccine for COVID-19 based on epitopes recognized by the immune system (DECODE), UEFISCDI SOLUTIONS, Project no. 11Sol / 2020 (2020-2021)
- Development of BIOnanotechnologies based on Extracellular Vesicles, applicable in the early diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of Atherosclerotic disease (BIOVEA), PNIII-PCCDI UEFISCDI, Project no. 83PCCDI / 2018 (2018-2021)
- Innovative strategies for the prevention, diagnosis and therapy of respiratory diseases induced by ragweed pollen (INSPIRED), POC 2014-2020, contract no. P_37_747 (2016-2020)
- Oncoimmunotherapy with NK cells carrying chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-NK), POC 2014-2020, contract P_37_786 (2016 – 2020)
- 3D bioprinting techniques for obtaining tissue constructs that mimic the tumor microenvironment (DeLIMIT), PNIII-PED UEFISCDI, Project no. 100PED / 2017 (2017-2018)
- Adaptation of stem cell technology to the conservation of endangered species (CONSENS), PNII-UEFISCDI Partnerships, Project no. 120/2012 (2012-2016)
- Peri-tumor fibroblasts as a new target in anti-tumor therapy – identification of the origin, role and characteristic molecular markers, PNII-IDEI UEFISCDI, Project no. 318/2011 (2012-2016)
- New biomarkers and therapeutic strategies in immunosenescence and Alzheimer’s disease-associated immunosenescence, PNII-IDEI UEFISCDI, Project no. 259/2011 (2011-2016)
- Regenerating Bone defects using New biomedical Engineering approaches (REBORNE), program FP7, contract nr. FP7-241879 (2010-2014)
- Studies on in vitro differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells towards the adipocyte lineage and validation of molecular factors involved in adipogenesis, PNII-IDEI UEFISCDI, Project no. 1748/2008 (2008-2011)
- Cultivated Adult Stem Cells as Alternative for Damaged tissue (CASCADE), program FP7, contract nr. FP7-223236 (2008-2011)
- Genetic engineering of tumor stem cells in the perspective of modulating the immune response in cancers of non-viral origin (ONCOSTEM), PNII-Partnerships UEFISCDI, Project no. 41-019/2007 (2008-2010)
