Rats with poor memory will bring Tatarstan to global market of drug development
The President of Tatarstan has visited the updated for 62 million rubles microbiological site of the Kazan Scientific Center of RAS
By 2018, in Kazan, it is planning to have released new pharmaceuticals developed at the International Research and Innovation Center of Neurochemistry and Pharmacology at A.E. Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry of Kazan Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of Sciences. Tatarstan won the competition of the Russian Science Foundation, which brought Tatarstan 312 million rubles for the development of science. By 2016, the Centre has already realized 100 million rubles, 62 million of which were spent on modernization and reconstruction of the microbiological site with a vivarium. The correspondent of Realnoe Vremya visited the updated lab, following Rustam Minnikhanov.
The Morris water maze and the truth serum for a rat
In 2015, the Russian Science Foundation allocated 100 million rubles to the International Scientific-Innovation Centre of Neurochemistry and Pharmacology at the A.E. Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry of Kazan Scientific Centre of RAS. Part of these funds was spent on the reconstruction of the microbiological site and on its re-equipment. In fact, the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, the Minister of Health Adel Vafin, the Minister of Education Engel Fattakhov, the Rector of Kazan Federal University Ilshat Gafurov and other VIP guests were shown the refurbished premises with recently installed state of the art technologies. They were shown how the work is being held on the development of new drugs for Alzheimer's disease, liver diseases and other important medicines.
In one of the offices, the delegation was demonstrated the Morris water maze. A rat was placed in a special pool filled with tinted powdered milk, where there was a small platform. Due to the opaque water, the experimental animal did not see the platform, but in the course of training it should memorize its location. At the same time, the animal was administered a drug that causes memory impairment, and then it was tested various developed substances.
The rat, that happened to swim in front of the President of Tatarstan, for memory disorders was injected with scopolamine hydrobromide — a substance that is in the composition of truth serum. This familiar phrase, unlike scientific terms, provoked a strong reaction from the audience. During the presentation of the experience, the rat was pinned hopes, but, apparently, frightened by the crowds of people and flashes of camera, the animal completely disoriented and never found the coveted platform. Rustam Minnikhanov during all these 90 seconds, while the animal was floundering in the water, looked at the computer screen, standing next to the installation, — the monitor displayed everything that was happening in the pool.
The President of RT was also shown the lab, where he looked into the microscope to examine diseased liver cells. During the excursion, the delegation was shown three blocks and finished the meeting with a conference, where the journalists were not allowed.
62 million rubles on drugs development
As the correspondent of Realnoe Vremya found out, on modernization and reconstruction of the microbiological site with a vivarium (an area for raising experimented animals) 62.2 million rubles were allocated. On reconstruction of the building with a total area of over 1 000 square meters it was spent 25.7 million rubles, on unique scientific equipment — 36.5 million rubles. Of 62.2 million rubles, the Russian Scientific Foundation funded 37.8 million rubles, 13.3 million rubles — fund of the founder (the Federal Agency of Scientific Organizations (FASO) of Russia), 7.7 billion rubles were invested by JSC Svyazinvestneftekhim and the other 3.4 million rubles – net profit of A.E. Arbuzov Institute.
Within the framework of the programme, where among the 16 winners was the International Research and Innovation Centre of Neurochemistry and Pharmacology, on the development of the Center it is planned to allocate 312 million rubles. Modernization of material and technical resources and reconstruction of premises of A.E. Arbuzov Institute is to be completed by 2018. It is supposed that this will develop our own production of pharmaceuticals for the Russian pharmaceutical market and will help to obtain high technology products at the global level. It is also planning that funds from the sale of drugs will grow twice.
'So many people I see for the first year'
The senior researcher of A.E. Arbuzov Institute Konstantin Petrov told Realnoe Vremya about the changes in the microbiological site. Over the past year, the Center purchased both Russian and foreign equipment, analogues to which there are no in Russia. Investments in the Сenter have positively affected the salaries of its employees. All the youth that now works in the Centre (and there are many), was recruited due to the programme of the Russian Science Foundation.
'So many people I see for the first year. A couple of years ago it was different: there were no wages, young people were graduated from universities and had no chances to continue developing in that sphere. Now the policy has changed. There is state's interest, the interest of the government of Tatarstan, the interest of the Institute,' said Konstantin Petrov.
Now, the work at the Institute is conducted in three main directions: finding new pharmaceuticals for the treatment of diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems, an anti-microbial direction — the study of bacteria and anti-fungal; the third direction is a reparative regeneration. First of all, it is about the study of liver regeneration and of nerve tissue. One of the global aims of the Center is to develop new pharmaceuticals, from a design of molecules to getting of the finished result. Thus, the interviewee believes that the Institution will not compete with the Centre established on the basis of Kazan Federal University Centre.
'Perhaps, we will work together. At the Institute, people are ours, who express their ideas. In the University, there are their scientists. There is no competition. Such people are so few that they all know each other, at least within the region. They shouldn't compete. Development of a pharmaceutical is a great success,' believes Petrov.
According to him, it takes decades to develop a pharmaceutical, in Tatarstan the pharmaceuticals have not been developed since 1990s. Petrov believes that by 2018 the Centre will have developed pharmaceuticals that will help a billion of people.