First meeting of ACCDiS, Advanced Center for chronic diseases:
130 investigators shared findings cancer and cardiovascular diseases
– Risk factors associated with these diseases and early diagnosis and therapeutic tools, they are key areas in studies that develops this entity, It brings together professionals from the University of Chile and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
– Pathologies affect the 60% of the national population.
SANTIAGO, One hundred and thirty researchers from the Centre for advanced chronic diseases, ACCDiS , they celebrated the first year of this grouping, dedicated to the research of two diseases that affect 60 percent of the Chilean population: cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
During the first meeting of ACCDiS, the professionals of the Centre, belonging to the University of Chile and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, They showed their main developments, relating to risk factors associated with these diseases, biological mechanisms of its emergence, and the development of diagnostic and therapeutic tools. All of this, in order to generate a positive impact on the health of Chileans.
Dr. Sergio Lavandero,(on right side of the image),Director Center advanced diseases chronic ACCDiS;along with the doctors MarceLo Kogan; Catterina Ferreccio; Andrew Quest and Alejandro Corvalan.
The event was held at the centro de Extensión Los Almendros, huechuraba district. In the opportunity, Dr. Sergio Lavandero, ACCDiS Director and Professor of the University of Chile, He noted positively the indexes generated in 2014, as the publication of 42 manuscripts in international journals - about 20 percent in journals ranked in the top 10% of their disciplines -, and the formation of human capital: 66 thesis of doctorate and master's degree, and 18 postdoctoral. Also, He appreciated the integrative work carried out in the interior of the Centre and the activities carried out with students from the commune of independence, and the role of ACCDiS in the scientific dissemination to the nonspecialized community, with a focus on the prevention of chronic diseases. Also, referred to outreach activities and educational, as the celebration of the day and the week of science, instances in which more than 4,000 people participated.
MAUCO project
The Deputy Director of ACCDiS and epidemiologist from the Catholic University of Chile, DRA. Catterina Ferreccio, explained some reaches of MAUCO project, population-based study (Cohort) focused on the city of Molina, that - during ten years-, It seeks to observe and evaluate the natural history of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, whose incidence in that area, is of the more high in Chile.
"Our interest is to provide the Chilean population with proposals to control the damage that are causing chronic diseases, which requires support from many disciplines, as we see in ACCDiS,"said the specialist.
According to researcher, the study and follow-up to community, It includes conducting surveys, biological sampling and other indicators, It already has more than two thousand inhabitants of Molina information, fact that constitutes a clear path to the goal: to ten thousand people survey. In this town, scientists hope to analyze the environmental factors, and biological, that predispose to the development of inflammation chronic and of these diseases, such as: exposure to pesticides. For it also, a Bank of information and biological samples has been generated, located in Molina and Santiago.
Biomarkers and other advances
Within the framework of the first meeting ACCDiS, researchers of the Center also unveiled their findings in the study of biomarkers, biological indicators that may contribute to the early detection of diseases. In the area of heart failure, the doctors Pablo Castro, Maria Paz Ocaranza and Verdejo Hugo explained its progress. On the other hand, Dr. Alejandro Corbalán referred to his discoveries in gastric cancer and a biomarker called Reprimo, that he has shown to be present in the initial stages of this disease.
Other treated subjects were: ovarian cancer, addressed by Dr. Gareth Owen; tumor biology and inflammation, in charge of the Dr. Andrew Quest, DRA. Carmen Romero and Dra. Lisette Leyton; gallbladder cancer, subject matter covered by the Dra. Catterina Ferreccio; environmental and social exhibitions in Mauco, guided by the Dras. Sandra Cortes and Alejandra Vives; energy metabolism and cardiovascular diseases, areas addressed by Dr. Sergio Lavandero, DRA. Lorena Garcia and Dr. Alfredo Criollo, and nanomedicine and nanoteranosis, in charge of the Dr. Marcelo Kogan.
Participated in exhibitions both principal investigators of ACCDiS, as postgraduate students, associated with the different laboratories.
With respect to the challenges, one of them is to renew and extend the term of operation of the FONDAP ACCDiS, beyond the ten years which correspond, According to the assigned resources. To do this, the interdisciplinary team will continue to progress and realizing the multiple findings ranging from basic genetic and cellular aspects, until the clinical areas, environmental and social, linked to these chronic diseases. (By: Carolina Todorovic. Agency Ines Llambias communications).
Researchers attending scientific meeting of Centre for advanced chronic diseases, ACCDIS.