Angiogenesis Research Center, Timisoara (ANGIOTM)

Angiogenesis Research Center Timisoara was established in 2007, out of the desire to focus resources on the topic of maximum interest for angiogenesis. The center was organized by Professor Marius Raica and Professor Anca Maria Cîmpean, including morphological methods, molecular and experimental biology, which allow the investigation of a wide range of events related especially to tumor angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis Research Center includes the following compartments:

1. Primary tissue processing laboratory;
2. Conventionalmicroscopy laboratory, with fluorescence in ApoTome system and virtual microscopy;
3. Laser Capture Microdissection Microscopy Lab.;
4. Micro-Array Tissue Laboratory;
5. Automated immunohistochemistry laboratory;
6. Molecular pathology laboratory: DNA extraction and analysis; RNA, in situ hybridization with chromogen and fluorescence, classical RT PCR techniques and in TaqMan Array system;
7. Laboratory of experimental medicine on chorioallantoic membrane model and rabbit cornea model.

The main research directions of the Angiogenesis Research Center are:

1. Study of angiogenic mechanisms associated with solid malignancies (breast, clear cell renal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, malignant melanoma);
2. Investigation of the structure and molecular profile of neoformation vessels;
3. Identification of the sequential effect of growth factors on the stages of angiogenesis;
4. Therapeutic targets for antiangiogenic and antivascular therapy;
5. Development of new experimental models;
6. Innovative methods for assessing the proliferative nature of endothelial cells;
7. Characterization of progenitor mesenchymal and endothelial stemcells in culture;
8. Involvement of tumor-associated blood and lymph vessels in the metastatic process;
9. Development of monoclonal antibodies that inhibit the proliferation of blood and lymph endothelial cells in neoformation vessels;
10. Identification and molecular characterization of “type cells”.