Physiology

The teaching of Physiology in Timisoara responds to the current needs in the medical field, both from the point of view of the didactic process as well as that of research, promoting a modern, interactive approach. Physiology is currently taught in most sections of our university:

– the Faculty of General Medicine:

• Medicine specialization – students from the Romanian, English and French sections, for three semesters (one in the first year and two in the second year).
• Nursing, Balneophysiokinetotherapy and recovery, Nutrition and dietetics specializations – students from the Romanian section, for one semester in the first year.

-the Faculty of Dental Medicine:

• Dental Medicine specialization – students from the Romanian and English sections, for two semesters in the first year.
• Dental Prophylaxis, Dental Technology specialization – students from the Romanian section, for one semester in the first year.

The teaching activity is evermore student-centered, with the acquisition of new skills being pursued and evaluated. The web management system of the lectures and practical laboratories material has been implemented, all the necessary information for the students being accessible online, in Romanian, English and French, on the dedicated Moodle platform (https://moodle.umft.ro).

The Physiology Department has contributed with lectures and laboratoriess to integrative interdisciplinary courses:  

• The optional course “Neuroscience”.
• Summer courses: “From molecule to therapy in evaluating allergic syndromes”, “Biosignals – clinical applications”, “The liver, from function to dysfunction”, “The renal apparatus: three centuries after Malpighi”, “The heart, from function to dysfunction”.

The practical laboratories are equipped with high-performance equipment for functional explorations for investigations of cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous system physiology and with virtual simulation software for advanced experimental physiology techniques:

• the BIOPAC biological signals acquisition system, which allows virtual physiology laboratories and the simulation of isolated organ experiments.
• the PowerLab Tutor system for the study of bioelectrical signals, a student-centered system, which allows independent work, under minimal guidance from teachers, in order to develop practical skills and medical thinking.
• the Praxilabs program through which students gain access to a virtual laboratory environment with specific equipment and reagents for developing experimental technical skills, in order to stimulate the interest for research.

By implementing this teaching system, the student benefits from a modern educational framework, in accordance with international standards, and the resources necessary for elaborating the general part of their license paper.

The research activity of the Physiology Department is interdisciplinary, oriented towards international collaboration, and centered on 4 themes:

(1) Study of respiratory function

Objectives: to evaluate the in vitro reactivity of the guinea pig tracheal muscle and human bronchial fragments, using the isolated organ bath; characterization of cellularity from bronchoalveolar lavage and realization of an experimental animal model of asthma.

Representative research projects: The main research project in the area of ​​interest is PREVALERG, the first national research project on the impact of aero-allergens on the health of the population in western Romania (http://prevalerg.umft.ro/).

Results: Awareness of ragweed in Romania was assessed, showing that it affected more than 60% of the allergic population, including children. The allergic process of the respiratory tract has been complexly characterized, an algorithm has been developed for the comparative study of pulsed dendritic cells with respiratory allergens, respectively inflammatory mediators, and an in vitro model of the bronchial remodeling process in asthma has been developed.

National partners: West University of Timisoara.

International partners: University of Szeged.

• Study of respiratory function

Objectives: to evaluate in vitro the reactivity of the guinea pig tracheal muscle and human bronchial fragments, using the isolated organ bath; characterization of cellularity from bronchoalveolar lavage and realization of an experimental animal model of asthma.

Representative research projects: the main research project in the area of ​​interest is PREVALERG, the first national research project on the impact of aero-allergens on the health of the population in western Romania (http://prevalerg.umft.ro/).

Results: sensitization to ragweed pollen in Romania was assessed, showing that it affected more than 60% of the allergic population, including children. The allergic process of the respiratory tract has been characterized, an algorithm has been developed for the comparative study of dendritic cells pulsed with respiratory allergens, respectively inflammatory mediators, and an in vitro model of the bronchial remodeling process in asthma has been developed.

National partners: West University Timișoara.

International partners: University of Szeged, Hungary.

• The molecular approach to allergen sensitization

Objectives: the production of recombinant allergens in bacterial cells and insect cells (with a focus on allergens from ragweed pollen, mugwort, house dust mites), testing of IgE reactivity by microarray and ELISA, in silico prediction of B and T epitopes of allergens, the design of state-of-the-art allergen-specific immunotherapies based on synthetic peptides with B epitopes, the development of an in vitro experimental model of human bronchial epithelium to test the effect of recombinant allergens on bronchial permeability.

Representative research projects: the main research project in the area of ​​interest is INSPIRED (Innovative strategies for the prevention, diagnosis and therapy of respiratory diseases induced by ragweed pollen), with the stated aim of developing a new diagnostic kit based on recombinant allergens, which would allow the development of effective personalized therapies for patients with ragweed pollen allergies and the development of innovative concepts for therapeutic vaccination and allergen-specific prevention (https://oncogen.ro/ro/inspired-project/).

Results: 11 recombinant allergens from ragweed pollen were obtained and characterized for the first time in Romania, the first ever bank of recombinant allergens in Romania was established, and patents were filed for 2 analysis kits: a kit designed for the diagnosis of ragweed allergy, containing all the relevant allergens from ragweed pollen, which will increase the specificity of the diagnosis, and a kit for the detection and quantification of ragweed allergens in various environmental/air/allergen samples. At present, peptide candidates are being experimentally validated to design a vaccine for the treatment of ragweed allergy.

National partners: Centre for Gene and Cellular Therapies in the Treatment of Cancer – OncoGen, “King Mihai I of Romania” University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine.

International partners: Medical University of Vienna, Austria.

• Cell therapies in regenerative medicine

Objectives: the isolation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), their differentiation into adipocyte, vascular and bone cell lines, characterization of surface cell markers and molecular factors involved in adipogenesis, osteogenesis and vascular regeneration, standardization of GMP production of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and their use in the treatment of skin and corneal lesions.

Representative research projects: the main projects in the area of ​​interest are GENOSTEM (Adult mesenchymal stem cells engineering for connective tissue disorders. From the bench to the bed side), CASCADE (Cultivated Adult Stem Cells as Alternative for Damaged tissue) and REBORNE (Regenerating Bone defects using New biomedical Engineering approaches).

Results: the molecular profile of mesenchymal stem cells was characterized, highlighting the possibility of orienting these cells towards cell types with applicative potential in regenerative medicine. A bank of stem cells and differentiated cells was obtained.

National partners: Centre for Gene and Cellular Therapies in the Treatment of Cancer – OncoGen.

International partners: Polytech Marseille, France, Autonomous University of Medicine Madrid, Spain.

• Biology of malignant processes

Objectives: the optimization of procedures for the isolation and culture of tumor associated fibroblasts (TAF) derived from solid tumors, in vitro identification of morphological and functional markers characteristic of TAFs, identification of methods to stimulate the immune system against TAF-specific antigens, genetic engineering of Natural Killer cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-NK).

Representative research projects: the main research projects in this area of ​​interest are CAR-NK (https://oncogen.ro/ro/car-nk-project/) and Tumor associated fibroblasts as a new target in anti-tumor therapy – identification of the origin, role and characteristic molecular markers (https://oncogen.ro/fibroblastele-peri-tumorale-ca-noua-tinta-in-terapia-anti-tumorala-identificarea-originii-rolului-si-a-markerilor-moleculari-caracteristici/)

Results: the expression of some markers characterizing MSCs by TAFs was validated, the anti-tumor immune response was evaluated by the action of CD8+ T lymphocytes on TAFs isolated from patients. Collections of cytotoxic T lymphocyte fractions specific for TAF antigens were obtained. A series of vectors based mainly on CAR-carrying lentiviruses were developed, tested and compared, which were used to obtain genetically modified CAR-NK cells and T lymphocytes. A bio-bank of approximately 60 vectors of various functionalities was obtained.

National partners: Immunology Department, “Victor Babeș”University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara.

International partners: Dresden University of Technology, Germany.