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12 November, 2021 InvestigationNews2

The Advanced Therapies Manufacturing Functional Unit (GMP Clean Room) will consolidate a research platform for advanced therapies and biotechnology drug production.

The project "Implementation of the Public Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Bank and a Cell Therapy Unit, Hemocentro Distrital, District Health Secretariat, Bogotá", financed by the General Royalties System and the District Health Financial Fund of Bogotá, included the design and installation of a Clean Room or integrated unit for the manufacture of products for advanced therapies, umbilical cord blood processing and research laboratories.

This laboratory, called the Clean Room, due to its maximum environmental control conditions (temperature, humidity, air pressure and contamination), is the only one of this size (280m2 approximately) and degree of complexity in Colombia. These state-of-the-art facilities put the Institute in a position to strengthen national and international scientific cooperation agreements and position it as a leader in the region in innovation in cell therapy, gene therapy and tissue engineering.

The start-up of this Clean Room is an achievement for science in Bogota and the country and will be used, among others, for the development of new medical biotechnology products, including tissue processing, the manufacture of products for cell and gene therapy, and the processing of blood precursor cells for transplantation.

All this infrastructure placed at the service of science and the development of Bogota and the country is the result of the work that the IDCBIS (formerly the District Hemocenter) has been carrying out for several years, in which a team of highly trained researchers has been consolidated, annually accumulating new patents, publications in scientific journals and doctoral and master's theses.

The start-up of this Clean Room is a critical route to initiate the production in controlled pharmaceutical environments of advanced and innovative medicines that will later be subjected to clinical trials to determine their safety and clinical efficacy. Ultimately, this new phase constitutes a strong commitment by the Health Sector to promote science and technology.
biomedical research with a common goal, to find the solution to complex chronic and degenerative diseases that afflict our population.

The faces behind the implementation of the GMP Clean Room: Maryuris Milore, a girl from Barranquilla, who due to medullary aplasia (a disease where the bone marrow stops producing blood components), for several years was subjected to painful therapies and treatments, until in 2017 she received a transplant of blood-forming cells processed at the Public Cord Blood Bank IDCBIS. From the transplant Maryuris, regained her full health and was able to return to her favorite activities such as skating and playing.

This is just one of the many research projects that will be enhanced and improved with the installation of the Advanced Therapies Manufacturing Functional Unit (GMP Clean Room), a state-of-the-art infrastructure that will allow moving from the research phase to the application phase of medical products and technologies that are already being developed at the Institute, where the scientific method is used to solve problems that are still unsolved.

Who will benefit from the products obtained in the future in the IDCBIS Clean Room laboratories?

1. Patients with severe hematological diseases such as leukemias and lymphomas.
2. Patients with primary immunodeficiencies
3. Patients with inborn errors of metabolism
4. Cancer immunotherapy
5. Patients with complex orthopedic conditions.
6. Patients with autoimmune diseases
7. Patients with neurodegenerative diseases


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The District Institute of Science, Biotechnology and Innovation in Health - IDCBIS, was elected for the fourth consecutive year by the Council as the deserving recipient of the Order of Social Responsibility Donate Bogota in the category that recognizes individuals and associations that have worked or made efforts to encourage and promote the culture of organ and tissue donation for transplantation and implantation purposes in the capital.

This award recognized the work carried out by IDCBIS through its District Tissue Bank, the only multipurpose bank in the country and the first in Latin America with development and standardization in acellular dermis to favor the regeneration of definitive skin in burned patients. The Bank has INVIMA certification in GMP for ocular tissue, skin and amniotic membrane, and is also a Latin American reference in donor selection, rescue, processing, storage and distribution of human tissues for implant purposes.

Dr. Bernardo Camacho, Director of IDCBIS, thanked the honorable Council of Bogota for this award, but especially praised the families of deceased donors and those who generously and altruistically gave their authorization in life to give another chance of life to patients who have required an organ or tissue transplant. He also invited the general population to join the culture of donation, which has been so affected by the pandemic.

In what circumstances is tissue donated?

  • Organs and tissues can be obtained from living or deceased donors.
  • In the case of living donors, appropriate conditions must be guaranteed to minimize as much as possible the risks assumed by the person who wishes to voluntarily donate tissue, following the legal and medical requirements already established.
  • In terms of tissues, corneas, skin, bones, bone marrow, blood vessels, heart valves, cartilage, tendons, sclera and amniotic membrane can be transplanted.

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28 September, 2021 News

Researchers at the Advanced Therapies Unit of the IDCBIS (District Institute of Science, Biotechnology and Innovation in Health) are making progress in the research on the biology of the mesenchymal cells and its possible applications in medicine that allow to improve the quality of life of patients with different conditions, since it has been observed that they modulate adverse reactions in different diseases, especially in degenerative and autoimmune diseases.

Mesenchymal cells regenerate and repair damaged tissues and replace cells that routinely die, they are characterized by a great capacity for expansion and differentiation, which allows them to renew themselves easily and give rise to various cell types, such as bone, adipose and cartilage cells; they also have the capacity for tissue regeneration, aiding healing, preventing cell death and facilitating the formation of new blood vessels.

The IDCBIS laboratories are researching and evaluating the potential of mesenchymal stem cells, which are extracted from umbilical cords donated by Colombian mothers, to reduce inflammation and regulate the activity of immune system cells in multiple diseases.

In addition, tissue engineering research is focused on the generation of structures that support mesenchymal stem cells for the regeneration/repair of skin (burns and ulcers), bone (fractures and bone loss) and cartilage (osteoarthritis).

At the same time, simulation models are being developed using mesenchymal cells to recreate metabolic diseases of genetic origin and thus evaluate the efficacy of the drugs used in these pathologies.

Currently the only approved treatment in the world is the transplantation of blood-forming cells present in the bone marrow or in peripheral blood taken from a donor or from the patient himself. Other treatments involving the use of stem cells, as in the research carried out at IDCBIS, are in the experimental phase.

This research project, among others currently being developed at IDCBIS, is being carried out under the leadership of the Institute's Director, Dr. Bernardo Camacho, who was recently re-elected as the Institute's leader by unanimous vote of the Board of Directors, composed of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, the Universidad Nacional, the Universidad de Los Andes, the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología and the Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá - Secretaría Distrital de Salud together with the integrated health services sub-networks: Centro Oriente, Sur Occidente and Norte.

 


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28 September, 2021 News

The DarCélulas program is a possible hope for patients in need of blood-forming cell transplantation, also known as bone marrow transplantation.

● DarCélulas already has more than 2,300 people registered in Bogotá.
● From now on, interested parties living in Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla will also be able to register.

Seven out of ten patients with severe blood diseases who need a transplant do not find a compatible donor in their family, so it is necessary to look for a match in genetically similar people even if they do not have a blood link. That is the challenge of DarCélulas: to create the database of potential donors who could save the lives of patients with serious blood diseases.

DarCélulas, led by the District Institute of Science, Biotechnology and Innovation in Health (IDCBIS), was born in 2019 within the framework of the Project "National Registry of Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells Donors in Colombia" with funding from the Science, Technology and Innovation Fund of the General System of Royalties and the District Administration of Bogota.

The program is in the pilot phase and already has more than 2,300 people enrolled, being the first program in Colombia in which potential donors of blood-forming cells to patients with serious diseases such as lymphoma, aplasia, among others, are registered.It is important to clarify that people who join the registry may not donate cells, as they will only be called if a genetically compatible patient requires the transplant.

"This registry is a life option for hundreds of Colombians who in the future may need a bone marrow transplant, today correctly called hematopoietic progenitor cell transplant. Valuable cells circulate in each of their veins and provide hope for others." said Dr. Bernardo Camacho, Director of IDCBIS.

In this phase of the project, the registration of potential donors and their genetic typing is carried out so that when the project becomes viable, search processes for patients can be activated.

This type of initiative is already being carried out in other countries such as Japan, New Zealand and the United States. In Latin America it has been carried out in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay.

The experience of creating the registry in Bogota has shown that the majority of people interested in being part of the database are women (73%). In terms of their profiles, 40% are regular blood or apheresis donors, 8% are relatives of people with serious blood diseases, and 52% are the general population.

Until now, registration was only available for the capital city of the country, but from now on, interested parties residing in Medellin, Barranquilla and Cali will also be able to register. The registration process is safe and fast. To learn more you can access

https://idcbis.org.co/darcelulas


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10 September, 2020 InvestigationNewsof Tissue

The District Tissue Bank IDCBIS (District Institute of Science, Biotechnology and Innovation in Health) in collaboration with the Advanced Therapies Unit is leading a research project that could help people who have suffered severe alterations in their corneas to recover, especially if they have suffered burns or severe allergies, such as Steven-Johnson syndrome.

The research line is in its first phase and its main objective is to advance in the culture of limbal cells, a type of cell capable of self-renewing and regenerating the corneal epithelium.

Mauricio Latorre, medical director of ocular tissue at the IDCBIS District Tissue Bank, states that any person who has deficiencies at the corneal limbus level could benefit from this treatment and, if proven effective, the patient would not have to rely on amniotic membrane grafts or chemical medications to counteract his condition and could instead have access to direct cell recovery that would prevent further deterioration.

You may be interested in: Medicinal mesenchymal cells that could help in the treatment of diseases such as arthritis

Currently, an alternative for people with adverse conditions in the corneas is transplantation, a solution that despite the cultural change that has been seen in Colombia in recent years in terms of tissue donation, is still limited in part by the proliferation of myths, this accentuated with the pandemic that forced medical personnel to increase the selection criteria for potential donors and extreme epidemiological measures and tests to ensure the biosafety of each of the potential tissues for transplantation.

Dr. Latorre explained that although the research is at an early stage, the results obtained so far are promising.


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8 September, 2020 InvestigationNews

Continuing with the exercise of the continuous search for international scientific cooperation and thus strengthen knowledge networks with experts in different areas of knowledge, we have received the delegation of the mission of Lazio - Italy in Bogota, who learned firsthand the research capabilities and projects led by IDCBIS.

These initiatives are possible because the IDCBIS is registered as a flagship project of Bogota and is part of the Biopolo area of the Smart Specialization Strategy of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce.

The Smart Specialization of the Bogota Region is an integrated agenda for productive development built collectively for the transformation of Bogota and Cundinamarca based on knowledge and innovation. A dynamic strategy that responds to regional capabilities and international trends for the generation of projects.

Five areas were prioritized for its implementation, made up of a set of productive activities, some of them consolidated and others barely emerging: Bogota Creative Region, Bio-pole, Business Services, Advanced Knowledge HUB and Sustainable City Region.

The IDCBIS is part of the group called Bio-pole, which refers to the development of life sciences, including technologies and productive activities pertaining to agriculture and agro-industry, fine chemistry and health.


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7 September, 2020 CellsNews

Dr. Ingrid Silva, PhD and Luz Stella Correa, PhD, Master Candidate in Genetics, are attending the TERMIS Society World Congress, which is being held in the city of Kyoto, Japan from September 4 to 7 of this year. The World Congress of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) is the most important scientific event in the field of Tissue Engineering since it brings together researchers, academic and industry sectors, world leaders in the development of advanced therapies oriented to tissue regeneration.


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7 September, 2020 Newsof Tissue

IDCBIS District Tissue Bank has the largest availability of skin in Latin America to care for burn patients.

Bogotá D. C., August 13, 2018. The District Tissue Bank of the District Institute of Science, Biotechnology and Innovation in Health -IDCBIS-, linked to the District Health Secretariat, has 70,000 cm2 available to benefit the most vulnerable population that has suffered burns by flame, boiling liquid, acid and electricity.


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7 September, 2020 Newsof Blood

The IDCBIS District Blood Bank offers the service of irradiation of blood components, which consists of a treatment that is done by gamma radiation to red blood cells, platelets, single platelet concentrates (CUPs) and plasma, in order to inactivate the T lymphocytes present in these blood components and prevent Graft Vs. Host Disease (GVHD) in the recipient.

 

Optimal applications for the use of gamma irradiation are:

-Bone marrow transplant patients

-Patients with Hodgkin's disease

-Neonatal transfusion

-Immunosuppressed patients.

-Oncology patients

The IDCBIS District Blood Bank is the only one with specialized equipment for the irradiation of blood components and tissues using gamma irradiation with Cesium-137 with an optimal distribution of the dose throughout the blood component, which ensures that T lymphocytes do not proliferate.

The blood component irradiation service is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to public and private institutions in Colombia.



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