Clinical and Translational Research: The Department of Medicine's new center has been inaugurated.

The University of Udine has inaugurated the new Clinical and Translational Research Center, an advanced, multifunctional hub within the Department of Medicine. The facility was created with the goal of becoming a hub for advanced clinical research applied to basic research methodologies, creating a bridge between the patient's bedside and the experimental laboratory, and translating the laboratory's scientific discoveries into practical applications such as new diagnostic tools and new therapies. The facility also aims to contribute to medical-biological training, technology transfer, and dissemination.

The headquarters is located in the renovated complex at Via Faedis 46 in Udine , near the “Santa Maria della Misericordia” University Hospital.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Roberto Pinton , rector of the university; Alberto Felice De Toni , mayor of Udine; Denis Caporale , director general of ASUFC; and Riccardo Riccardi , regional councilor for health, social policies, and disability and delegate for civil protection. Also speaking were Leonardo Sechi , director of the university's Department of Medicine; and Carlo Pucillo , scientific director of the new research center's laboratories.

THE GOALS

The new Clinical and Translational Research Center was created to become a hub for advanced clinical research applied to basic research methodologies, respond to the challenges of active aging, connect universities, healthcare providers, and businesses, and enhance translational clinical research by transforming it into solutions for protecting health and well-being.

The new center's goal is to create equipped laboratory spaces for the Department of Medicine's clinical faculty and researchers and to establish a "community" business model generating revenue through the sale of products and services.

THE INTERVENTIONS

"Not just an act of building regeneration, but a project that further strengthens the forward-looking vision of combining research, healthcare, and business," as Rector Pinton emphasized in welcoming the completion of a building that represents "a major step forward in strengthening the city's university and medical schools, making them among the best in Italy," said Mayor De Toni.

The new research center's launch was applauded by ASUFC Director Caporale, who emphasized the importance of both research and hospital care, and by Regional Councilor Riccardi, who emphasized that scientific findings cannot be used as a basis for interpretation.

Sechi, Director of the Department of Medicine, and Pucillo, Head of the Laboratories, then outlined the goals and activities of the new facility. Sechi revealed the new facility's name, which will be GAIA, or "Global Approaches to Innovation in Aging," given that one of the center's primary goals is to promote active aging policies through research and scientific dissemination. Sechi also announced that the auditorium will be named in memory of Professor Dario Sorrentino and honored the contribution of Mattia Crosetto, who also passed away prematurely, as a manager of the research center.

THE VIA FAEDIS COMPLEX

The area originally housed the former convent of the “Ancelle della Carità” nuns, built between 1957 and 1960 as a residence for the nuns working in the hospital wards.

The building was completely demolished and rebuilt , respecting the original shape and volume constraints. The new design allowed for the redesign of the interior spaces, creating functional and modern environments for the laboratories of the Department of Medicine's clinical area.

All areas have been designed as interdisciplinary, flexible, and technologically advanced workspaces. Great attention has also been paid to sustainability: the entire complex meets the "climate house" standard, aimed at reducing consumption and improving energy performance.

The complex comprises two interconnected buildings . The first, spread over four levels, houses three floors of laboratories and a top floor with meeting rooms and offices . It houses equipped laboratories for animal physiology and microbiology, an animal facility, a biobank, and spaces dedicated to teaching and scientific dissemination . The second building houses an auditorium , with a capacity of approximately 150 seats.

CLINICAL RESEARCH PROJECTS

The MicroCATCH project: biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, developed in collaboration with the Pordenone-based company BrainTech SpA and supported by regional funding, will begin on October 1st at the facility. The project aims to identify biomarkers in saliva to facilitate the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, the Department of Medicine is a partner in the European ADMIRE-brain proposal, which involves eight international partners and was submitted under the European Horizon 2020 call for proposals, aiming to develop new research strategies in the field of neurology.

The center's core activity will be the implementation of proposals submitted by clinical faculty members of the Department of Medicine, which has identified and funded 13 clinical research projects with its own funds, starting November 1st. These projects will form the initial nucleus of a series of activities targeting a broad spectrum of medical disciplines, with the goal of developing knowledge and tools useful for early diagnosis, personalized therapy, and clinical innovation.

• Cristiana Catena (Internal Medicine): study of the molecular and metabolic mechanisms of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
• Marco Colizzi (Psychiatry): ADHD-OMICS project, to analyze inflammatory and behavioral profiles in patients with ADHD
• Angelo Di Giorgio (Pediatrics): Use of advanced proteomics to identify metabolic and inflammatory alterations in pediatric obesity and autoimmune liver diseases
• Enzo Errichetti (Dermatology): Analysis of the cytokine profile in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa treated with bimekizumab
• Massimo Imazio (Cardiology): Proteomic analysis for the diagnosis and prognostic stratification of inflammatory heart diseases
• Simone Lanini (Infectious Diseases): Study of immuno-inflammatory signatures in people with HIV undergoing different antiretroviral therapies
• Francesco Mancuso (Orthopedics): Proteomic analysis of synovial fluid to distinguish infections from mechanical complications in knee replacements.
• Luca Quartuccio (Rheumatology): Development of an ex vivo model with organoids and microfluidics for precision medicine in Sjögren's disease
• Massimo Robiony (Maxillofacial Surgery): Application of 3D bioprinting to create customized tissue grafts in head and neck surgery
• Fabio Puglisi (Oncology): A liquid biopsy platform based on intelligence and clinical knowledge to study resistance to anticancer drugs.
• Eleonora Toffoletti (Hematology): Identification of predictive markers of efficacy and toxicity in CAR-T cell therapy
• Mariarosaria Valente (Neurology): In vitro modulation of glial cells in various neurological diseases, with attention to the effects of nutrition
• Daniele Veritti (Ophthalmology): Evaluation of new molecules (APX3330) to protect the retina and optimize intraocular therapies.

These projects will be part of a network of clinically focused scientific initiatives with highly specialized capabilities in the use of cutting-edge technologies, with a concrete aim of improving care for patients suffering from numerous pathologies.

THIRD MISSION: FROM RESEARCH TO THE MARKET

The new Center will not only be a research hub, but also a hub for universities, businesses, and institutions. With this in mind, the Department of Medicine has begun a collaboration with Bio4Dreams SpA through the Bio4DMED project, which aims to leverage the laboratories' scientific findings and transform them into innovations beneficial to society and the healthcare system. The first phase, already underway, involves a department-wide mapping of ongoing research: over 70 reports collected from 40 researchers and 13 individual meetings to explore topics, lines of study, and potential practical applications. The second phase will begin at the end of 2025, with the identification of two pilot projects that will be analyzed in detail to define the most effective development and technology transfer strategies to the market.