Working on new drugs requires studies that meet the standards of Good Laboratory Practice. One such laboratory is located in Wrocław; it combines fundamental research with applied studies.
GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE – GLP – is an international certificate that confirms that the studies are performed in compliance with the highest standards. NeoLek – Integrated Laboratory of Experimental Oncology and Innovative Technologies, which is part of the Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Wrocław, has obtained this certificate.
‘The concept behind the foundation of NeoLek was to combine biological and chemical research in one organisational unit,’ says Professor Janusz Boratyński, head of the Laboratory of Biomedical Chemistry. NeoLek is made up of two labs: the Laboratory of Experimental Anticancer Therapy led by Professor Joanna Wietrzyk and the Laboratory of Biomedical Chemistry led by Prof. Janusz Boratyński.
Researchers at the Laboratory of Experimental Anticancer Therapy test preparations for their anticancer activity. The spectrum of their studies is broad: from in vivo tests on approved cell lines (NeoLek has approximately 300 approved cell lines) to animal testing. One of NeoLek’s major projects involves the study of the anticancer properties of vitamin D and its derivatives.
The team at the Laboratory of Biomedical Chemistry, in turn, develops preparations based on drug-carrier systems, which enable delivering the therapeutic substances directly to the pathological tissue. Moreover, the scientists study the properties of boron compounds. NeoLek is planning to participate in the research on promising cancer treatment modalities such as the Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT).
A Wide Range of Activity
NeoLek does not limit its activity to studies on cancer treatment. In the course of examining the physicochemical properties of bacteriophages (bacterial viruses), the scientists from the laboratory developed an original, scalable technology for obtaining pyrogen-free bacteriophage preparations. As Prof. Boratyński emphasises, these studies greatly contribute to research on drug-resistant bacterial infections, and in particular to the application of bacteriophages in the treatment of infectious diseases.
In addition, NeoLek performs contract research for industrial customers: screening tests in vitro and in vivo, as well as chemical analyses. Companies usually order advanced analyses, because they receive results that meet the GLP standard, which is required in formal reports and in further application.
Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology
and Experimental Therapy
Polish Academy of Sciences
Read more: „Science in Poland in 34 Snapshots”
