At the chair of microbiology the first experience of a joint PhD-program is being realized: KFU and Justus-Liebig-University Giessen implement the joint DAAD, DFG and the International Giessen Graduate School for the Life Sciences (GGL) project “PROMISE – heart protection from ischemia”. Project leader at the KFU is academician, professor, head of a chair of microbiology Olga Ilyinskaya and at the German side – prof. Klaus Preissner.
The scientific theme has emerged as a result of a fruitful, more than 20-year-lasting cooperation between universities.
One of the protagonists of the project is Cabrera Fuentes Hector Alejandro – graduate of the Faculty of biology and soil. The main topic of his scientific work is therapeutic potential of ribonuclease in cardiology and oncology. One part of the project concerning oncologic research is carried out in Kazan. Chair of microbiology has an impressive instrument base, purchased partly at the expense of the KFU Development Program: cytometer, fluorescence microscopy, gas and liquid chromatography etc. The other part of the project in cardiology will be implemented by the PhD-student in Germany. It is planned that in the coming autumn he will present the Russian variant of his PhD-work in microbiology in Kazan and in spring 2013 – will take place the defense in Giessen.
Olga Ilinskaya says: “The main problem of oncologic diseases is the selectivity of the effect from the medicine. Because the modern medicines are toxic and they harm not only cancer, but also normal cells. By ribonuclease we found the advantage, which gives the opportunity to “kill” effectively the tumorous cells. In future is may be possible to create the new generation of sparing smooth therapeutics”.
As for the cardiology, at the laboratory of prof. Preissner were discovered new mechanisms of regulation of development of ischemia diseases, heart attacks and strokes. “And this new regulatory system includes the interaction between ribonucleic acid and ribonuclease. We have to examine all mechanisms in order to find out how to use ribonuclease for the purpose of prevention of heart attacks and to prove our assumptions” – explains the PhD-student.
We wish the members of the project good luck!