November 30. /TASS/. Employees of the laboratory of genomic editing at Belgorod State University will study neurodegenerative diseases in humans, simulating them on animals, in particular on specially bred transgenic mice, the press service of the university reported on Monday.

"A laboratory of genomic editing in biomedicine and veterinary medicine has been opened at the Research Institute of Pharmacology of Living Systems of BelSU on the sidelines of the top notch scientific and educational center "Innovative Solutions in Agroindustrial Complex". It will simulate human diseases in laboratory animals using genetic technologies, develop and evaluate the effectiveness of gene therapy drugs, create genetically modified animals with improved properties for agriculture," the message reads.

It is noted that the said research institute is already creating a depository of transgenic mice for fundamental and applied research. "These animals will be the object of study of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, as well as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Moreover, they will serve to test drugs that will help millions of people get rid of neurodegenerative diseases," the document says.

On the basis of the vivarium, where animals with SPF status (free from rodent-specific pathogens) are kept, a line of transgenic mice prone to neurodegeneration was rederived.

"Mice created at the Institute of Gene Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, with a normal microbiological background, were transferred to SPF status. Fertilized eggs were washed from the "untreated" transgenic mouse and transplanted into the reproductive system of a "clean" mouse. Animals that do not have pathogenic flora, are the gold standard for laboratory research, since they allow us to obtain much more reliable data. We can not only study the rederived line of SPF mice ourselves, but also transfer to other laboratories," the press service quotes one of the participants of the study, assistant of the Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology at BelSU Vladislav Soldatov. 

Belgorod scientific project and "Science" National Project

"Innovative Solutions in Agricultural Industry" was created to implement the national project "Science". The center was founded under the auspices of the government of the Belgorod region by the leading universities in the region in partnership with big agricultural holdings. The center aims to boost the development of top-notch technologies in accordance with the priorities of the scientific and technological development of Russia and its transition to highly productive agriculture. The center has 35 employees, its economic and financial model is designed for the period from 2019 to 2024 and includes budgetary and extra-budgetary sources.

Plans to create a network of 15 world-class scientific centers are written in Vladimir Putin's May Decree and are one of the tasks of the Science national project. According to the goals of this national project, in 2024 Russia should become one of the five leading countries carrying out research in areas determined by the priorities of scientific and technological development.