Experimental and Translational Medicine

Learning objectives - Cycle XL - a.y. 2024/2025.

The Doctorate in Experimental and Translational Medicine aims to train young researchers, with different profiles and from different training paths (Degrees in Medicine and Surgery, Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Biomedical Engineering, and related disciplines) both Italian and foreign, in experimental research, declined in the preclinical and clinical fields, with a strong multidisciplinary imprint, initiating them into a scientific career in the translational field. The research lines of the course, listed below, achieve translational biomedical research objectives, promoting research activities that concern both the preclinical experimental phases and those applied in the clinic.
Regenerative medicine: frontier sector and transversal research paradigm in biomedical science. The PhD promotes research activities in this area, such as: i) study of somatic stem cells, their derivatives and their applications, ii) understanding of the biological mechanisms involved in degeneration/regeneration, iii) development of strategies for the morpho-functional restoration of organs damaged by disease and/or senescence, iv) study of increasing the endogenous regenerative properties of cells and tissues, v) implementation of modern tissue engineering techniques and nanotechnologies in the
organ regeneration and reconstruction.
Computational biomedicine: an emerging discipline that integrates knowledge of computer science and computational algorithms into biomedical research. Research projects range from the implementation of quantitative computational methods in the study of disease models, to the identification and characterization of new generation drugs, through docking and molecular dynamics techniques. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the research projects aim to contribute to the design and dynamic improvement of personalized therapies, through the modeling and quantitative analysis of personalized therapies.
data extracted from patients' electronic health records to optimize decision-making policies in clinical practice.
Rare diseases: In Europe, a disease is defined as rare when it affects no more than 5 individuals per 10000 people; To date, about 8000 rare diseases are classified, which, although very different in the clinic, share problems of delay in diagnosis, lack of knowledge of causes and pathophysiological mechanisms, lack of treatment, and consequent burden of care. The PhD promotes research aimed at identifying causes and studying the pathophysiological mechanisms of diseases
the development of innovative therapies, the improvement of care and monitoring protocols in the area.
Endothelial and hemostasis medicine: Physiological and pathological hemostasis underlies haemorrhagic diseases (haemostasis deficiency) and atherothrombosis (pathological haemostasis). Atherothrombotic diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world, therefore the study of the pathophysiology and pharmacology of hemostasis and thrombosis are central to cardiovascular and general medicine. The endothelium participates in vascular protection mechanisms or triggers pathological hemostasis. The PhD programme promotes research projects on the pathophysiological, molecular and pharmacological targets of cardiovascular diseases, including platelets, coagulation factors and vascular endothelium
Renal medicine: the PhD promotes research projects that integrate the knowledge deriving from basic research with the problems that emerge from routine clinical activity, such as: study of the pathophysiological mechanisms and progression of acute and chronic nephropathies (diabetic, idiopathic, rare diseases, polycystic kidney, post-transplant complications, etc.), and the development of diagnostic strategies, prevention/treatment.
Transplant medicine: the PhD programme includes projects aimed at developing new biotechnological approaches to be integrated into innovative clinical-care protocols for the approach to the transplant patient, from donor selection to tissue engineering and advanced therapies. The clinical target is the treatment of serious diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and chronic nephropathy, which are associated with organ failure (endocrine pancreas, kidney).
Gynecology: the Doctorate promotes research projects aimed at the study of gynecological pathologies that represent a paradigm of clinical and biological complexity, due to the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the affected district and the heterogeneity of conditions, ranging from perinatal medicine, to oncological pathologies, to infectious diseases and maternal-fetal transmission, to procreation support pathways.

During the doctoral cycle, the following courses are planned over the three years:

• Regenerative Medicine: 9 hours in the 1st year, 9 hours in the 2nd year, 9 hours in the 3rd year.
  
  
• New Insights into Diseases' Mechanisms: 5 hours in the 1st year, 5 hours in the 2nd year, 5 hours in the 3rd year.
  
  
• Haemostasis and Pathophysiology of Kidney Diseases: 4 hours in the 1st year, 4 hours in the 2nd year, 4 hours in the 3rd year.
  
  
• Novel Tools in Drug Design and Therapeutic Approaches: 5 hours in the 1st year, 6 hours in the 2nd year, 13 hours in the 3rd year.