Latest projects
- Innovative advanced therapy construct for cartilage regeneration (ICAR)
- Individualisation of immunosuppressive therapy in post-organ transplant patients by pharmacokinetic modelling and prognostic indicators
Head of the project: Prof. A. Ūsas
Implementation period: 20/12/2017 – 19/12/2021
Total project value: 686,786.20 Eur
Category: 2014-2020. Operational Programme for EU Structural Funds Investments. Measure No. 01.2.2-LMT-K-718. Targeted research in smart specialisation area “Research Projects Implemented by World-class Researcher Groups”.
Project partners: Kaunas University of Technology
Brief description of the project:
The project aims to develop an innovative advanced therapy product for the regeneration of articular cartilage. A 3D polymeric construct with growth factors and somatic stem cells will be developed, and the physical and biological properties of the construct will be characterised and optimised in vitro. The construct will be implanted into artificially induced joint lesions in experimental animals, and the therapeutic efficacy and cartilage tissue forming abilities of the developed product will be evaluated in the preclinical cartilage lesion model.
Head of the project: Prof. E. Stankevičius
Implementation period: 01/10/2017 – 30/09/2020
Total project value: 100,000.00 Eur
Category: Projects by research groups
Brief description of the project:
Modern pharmacotherapy is based on the individual selection of a drug and its dose, taking into account the following factors: (1) patient’s personal characteristics, i.e. the patient’s genetic code, which determines drug sensitivity and drug metabolicity; (2) the severity of the disease; (3) organ failure; and (4) comorbidities and risk factors.
Choosing an individual target dose of the drug allows for better treatment outcomes, i.e. greater efficacy and avoidance of adverse reactions, the treatment of which may sometimes be more complex than the treatment of the underlying disease. Proper selection of a targeted individual dose is very important when prescribing drugs with a narrow therapeutic latitude (including immunosuppressants), or when multiple agents are prescribed and drug interactions are difficult to predict. This may lead to low drug concentrations in plasma that are either ineffective or toxic and may be the cause of treatment failure.
In Lithuania, almost half of kidney transplant recipients (47.2%) develop complications due to immunosuppressive therapy in the late post-transplant period, and drug-induced nephropathy is the main cause of graft failure during long-term treatment. 11.3% of patients develop biopsy-confirmed acute kidney rejection, indicating an insufficient level of immunosuppression. The aim of the anticipated study is to develop individualised pharmacotherapy, i.e. optimal drug dosing techniques to prolong graft survival and improve the recipients’ quality of life.
The aim of the study would be to monitor changes in pharmacokinetic parameters and biomarkers in order to identify the strongest association between these parameters and graft quality (renal transplant function and morphological markers). The study will aim to develop an optimal drug dose selection technique in order to achieve target drug concentrations in plasma of renal transplant recipients with optimal renal transplant function and unchanged morphological markers.