Development of Innovative Proton and Neutron Therapies With High Cancer Specificity by ‘Hijacking’ the Intracellular Chemistry of Haem Biosynthesis
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First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University

First Faculty of Medicine with almost 1 200 staff members and 3 400 students represents the largest medical faculty in the Czech Republic. It is one of the 17 faculties and an integral part of Charles University from its foundation by the King of Bohemia and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Charles the Fourth in 1348. As such, it is also the oldest medical faculty in Central Europe.

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Role within NuCapCure

The 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University group will participate in two work packages – design and preparation of biologically active substances for tumour therapy and verification of prepared substances in vivo and in vitro. CUNI group has unique laboratories for organic synthesis and characterization of substances, including formulations. From the biological testing point of view, the CUNI group will focus on studies from cell lines to animal models. The uniqueness of CUNI expertise lies in connection of the Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory of the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in the BIOCEV centre – a unique platform for drug research and development and the Centre for Advanced Preclinical Imaging (CAPI) together with the involvement of excellent scientists across Europe. For in vivo and in vitro verification, a special workplace with accreditation for cooperation with another member of the consortium, the Řež Research Centre, was established in cooperation with the Centre for Advanced Preclinical Imaging.

Main contact(s)

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Milan Jakubek

Our perspective on NuCapCure

Our institution offers unique background for this project: modern infrastructure, fully equipped laboratories and animal facility. Our highly motivated research team brings new ideas to the project, advanced techniques and innovative research approaches and solutions. We will provide our experience in the field of design, preparation and characterization of key building blocks, pharmaceutical formulation of active ingredients, in vitro and in vivo testing, as well as production of high-quality research results.

Our institution has a long tradition in basic and applied research, including its transfer. As part of the project, I involved the unique infrastructure of BIOCEV and CAPI. At BIOCEV, we provide a unique RD drug platform within the Medicinal Chemistry group, capable of synthesising molecules, while we have many years of experience with the given structural motif. The CAPI workplace, on the other hand, allows us to work with animals and, thanks to the accreditation, to create an inter-institutional connection for the use of the nuclear reactor at the CV Řež workplace. The aforementioned workplaces in the Czech Republic create a unique platform for connecting medicinal chemistry, medicine and particle physics/chemistry.

Milan Jakubek

First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University