BrainMap

Andrei-Alexandru Muntean

- UNIVERSITATEA DE MEDICINA SI FARMACIE "CAROL DAVILA"

Researcher | Teaching staff

Expertise & keywords

Developing novel nanopharmaceutics against bacterial infections at center nervous system Call name: P 3 - SP 3.2 - Proiecte ERA.NET
ERANET-EURONANOMED-3-Antineuropatho 2022 - 2025

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE MEDICO-MILITARA „CANTACUZINO”

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE MEDICO-MILITARA „CANTACUZINO” (RO); The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL); Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique (FR); NanoSanguis S.A. (PL); Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK)

Affiliation:

Project website: https://cantacuzino.mapn.ro/webroot/fileslib/upload/files/3.Proiectul%20AntiNeuroPatho%20din%20cadrul%20Programului%20European%20-%20ERA-NET%20EuroNanoMed%20III.pdf

Abstract:

Antibiotic resistance is a growing health crisis worldwide. The indiscriminate overuse of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, led to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, which incurs a substantial healthcare and financial burden globally. In particular, bacterial infections affecting the center nervous system (CNS) are extremely difficult to treat due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel and non-antibiotic-based therapeutics coupled with delivery systems for effective and targeted transport to the infection sites in brain. This project aims to develop nanotechnology-based targeted drug delivery systems (nDDSs) to deliver innovative antibacterial agents and fight neuroinvasive bacterial pathogens, using bacterial meningitis as a proof-of-concept study. Specifically, novel and stable antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), with potent antibiotic activity, will be designed, synthetized and evaluated as non-antibiotic agents. Promising AMPs will be encapsulated within lipid-, polymer- and dendrimer-based nDSSs, which will then be decorated with BBB-homing peptides. The so-obtained nanoformulations will be assessed for BBB crossing and antibacterial activity against neuroinvasive bacterial pathogens in vitro, using cell-based experiments, and in vivo using relevant animal models for bacterial meningitis. The most promising candidates will be used for further preclinical studies. The success of this project will provide a proof-of-concept and preclinical evidence for translating concepts into clinical studies against bacterial neuropathogens. We expect to establish an effective nanomedical strategy for downstream investigational new drug-enabling preclinical, scale-up, and regulatory studies. The project is highly likely to result in the generation of clinically relevant Intellectual Property, as well as significant advances in antibacterial research and subsequent clinical applications.

Selection and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes from wastewater treatment plants into the aquatic environment and clinical reservoirs Call name: P 4 - Proiecte Complexe de Cercetare de Frontieră
PN-III-P4-ID-PCCF-2016-0114 2018 - 2022

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA BUCURESTI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA BUCURESTI (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE -DEZVOLTARE PENTRU ECOLOGIE INDUSTRIALA - ECOIND (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE BOLI INFECTIOASE ''PROF.DR.MATEI BALS'' (RO); UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE MEDICO-MILITARA „CANTACUZINO” (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE MEDICO-MILITARA „CANTACUZINO” (RO)

Project website: https://bios.unibuc.ro/Proiecte/pn-iii-p4-id-pccf-2016-0114.html

Abstract:

The RADAR project aims to assess the prevalence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance (AR) from urban, clinical and industrial wastewater into the aquatic environment via wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Moreover, RADAR will give information on the environmental and clinical resistome, identifying the possible mechanisms of AR emergence and spread.

Scientific objectives: i) investigation of WTTPs resistome to establish the prevalence of AR bacteria (ARB)/genes (ARGs) in the environmental samples from upstream-WWTP-downstream transects; ii) evaluation of selected antibiotics (beta-lactams, fluoroquinolones and macrolides) occurrence in both WWTP’ influent and effluent; iii) comparative analysis of geographically and time related ARB/ARGs from wastewaters and clinical sources; iv) assessing and prediction how the presence/absence of ARGs and their relative abundance depending on a class of geographical, hydrological, physico-chemical and microbiological factors.

Methodology: The urban, clinical, farming and industrial wastewater will be monitored by physico-chemical, microbiological methods and metagenomics throughout various steps, i.e.: 1000 m upstream river, influent, different treatment steps inside WWTP, effluent and 200 m downstream river. Wild fish from the receiving river after discharge of WWTP effluent will be also analyzed. The following analyses will be performed: i) LC/MS and HPLC techniques to monitor the levels of selected antibiotics; ii) isolation and identification of ARB belonging to ESKAPE species; iii) evaluation of metagenomic resistome by bioinformatic data processing; iv) environmental and clinical ARGs and plasmids sequencing; v) analyzing the potential of ARGs for transferability and environmental/clinical risk by mapping the insertion loci of transposable elements and the ARGs potential to mobilize the resistance genes in a bioreactor model; vi) elaboration of a prediction model for the occurrence of ARB/ARGs

Development of new technologies, drugs and vaccines for prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Soluţii - 2020 - 1
PN-III-P2-2.1-SOL-2020-0073 2020 - 2021

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: SPITALUL CLINIC JUDETEAN DE URGENTATIMISOARA

Project partners: SPITALUL CLINIC JUDETEAN DE URGENTATIMISOARA (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE MEDICO-MILITARA „CANTACUZINO” (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: https://oncogen.ro/ro/decode-project/

Abstract:

In the present context of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and increased number of cases of COVID-19 which is continuously increasing in Romania, the proposed approach is addressing prevention of disease by identification of a peptide-based vaccine, which can induce specific immune response with protective role. The vaccine is based on immunophenotypic characteristics (HLA) of Romanian population, offering protection for > 80 % of population. The vaccinal component will be represented by a combination of peptides, specifically recognized by the 2 components of the adaptive immune system: T lymphocytes (T helper lymphocytes – secrete immune mediators and mediate activation of other immune cells – and cytotoxic T lymphocytes – responsible of direct destruction of viral infected cells) and B lymphocytes (production of specific antibodies - indirect). This vaccinal approach was published in a medical journal with high impact for biomedical research (Bojin, F.; Gavriliuc, O.; Margineanu, M.; Paunescu, V. Design of an Epitope-Based Synthetic Long Peptide Vaccine to Counteract the Novel China Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Preprints 2020, 2020020102). The project proposes a strategy for producing of these peptides, followed by in vitro and in vivo validation and generation a preventive vaccine for phase I clinical trials. Immunization of the population will decrease the number of persons suffering of COVID-19, thus reducing the burden on the health system induced by this highly contagious infectious disease.

Strengthening the capacity in translational research: vaccine development from concept to preclinical evaluation Call name: P 1 - SP 1.2 - Proiecte complexe realizate in consorții CDI
PN-III-P1-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0529 2018 - 2021

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE MEDICO-MILITARA „CANTACUZINO”

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE MEDICO-MILITARA „CANTACUZINO” (RO); INSTITUTUL DE BIOCHIMIE (RO); UNIVERSITATEA PENTRU STIINŢELE VIEŢII "ION IONESCU DE LA BRAD" DIN IAŞI (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE - DEZVOLTARE CHIMICO - FARMACEUTICA - I.C.C.F. BUCURESTI (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE IN DOMENIUL PATOLOGIEI SI STIINTELOR BIOMEDICALE "VICTOR BABES" (RO)

Affiliation: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE MEDICO-MILITARA „CANTACUZINO” (RO)

Project website: http://www.convac.ro

Abstract:

Benefits of vaccination are indisputable, at both individual and social levels. As a major strategic direction in public health, vaccination makes these benefits far outweighing individual protection against many infectious diseases by eliminating / eradicating / reducing morbidity and complications associated with infectious diseases.

However, even if the benefits of vaccination are evident in modern society where unfiltered information leads to lower confidence in the vaccine, scientific arguments need to be continually put forward to demonstrate the efficacy, safety of vaccines, and to improve the concepts of their use. Also, the current tendency to use a limited number of antigens in existing vaccines on the market may lead to a vaccine pressure limited to a subset of microorganisms which may generate an antigenic drift of circulating microorganisms and, consequently, reduce protection. It is therefore necessary to continuously develop new antigens and the reduced antigenicity of some microbial components requires the presence of suitable adjuvants in current formulations of vaccines available on the market.

This consortium provides the necessary framework for the development of the vaccine through studies involving better characterization of the antigen, optimization of its formulation, extension of the immunogenicity characterization modalities, evaluation of the protection and finally elaboration of non-clinical studies documentation according to pharmaceutical regulations, aiming at increasing and consolidating scientific performance in the field of vaccination.

In addition, the consortium's objectives will include the development and consolidation of laboratory animal model studies completed with an accredited research-development service and the expansion of scientific expertise in vaccine science through the training and specialization of young researchers.

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects