National projects

Biofilms are complex microbial ecosystems formed by bacteria immersed in a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances that are adherent to a surface.   Biofilms provide several benefits to the bacteria, such as hydration, resource acquisition, digestive capacity and protection from mechanical damage and antimicrobials. Bacteria are able to ...

The declared pandemic caused by new SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2020, did not catch the research organizations and pharmaceutical companies completely unprepared. Many scientific groups have already carried out research that was indirectly addressing the challenges facing the international health systems of today. In Slovenia, high level of scientific and professional healt...

Over the past several decades, protein therapeutics, and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have contributed to better therapeutic success in a wide range of diseases. Especially formulations for subcutaneous administration are gaining in importance  and represent one of the most significant areas in the field of pharmaceutical industry. Subcutaneous administration p...

Clostridioides difficile infections represent a growing and serious health threat, particularly for the elderly and immune-compromised patients in the hospital setting. C. difficile causes a spectrum of pathological conditions ranging from mild self-limiting diarrhea, to serious diarrhea, pseudomembraneous colitis and potentially lethal fulminant colitis. C. diffici...

Breast cancer (BC) is a significant and common disease with a negative effect prevalently on women health, and the second most deadly type of cancer in females. BC is a highly heterogeneous disease due to its diverse morphological  features, variable clinical outcomes and responses to currently available therapeutic options. Due to its high degree of heterogene...

In recent years, we observed an alarming increase in life-threatening infections due to resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens and mycobacteria. Resistance has evolved to every single antibacterial   drug that has been introduced to the clinic, which strongly limits our treatment options. New antibacterials specifically aimed at resistant infe...

There is an urgent need for new therapies and new antibiotics to treat deadly infections caused by so-called  ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa  and Enterobacter species), which are often resistant to available antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is ...

The intrinsic (mitochondrial) apoptosis pathway is a physiologically dominant form of cell death and is controlled by the BCL-2 family of proteins. The members of this family have opposing effects as some of them promote and others prevent mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. The cross-talk within this family, which is governed by protein-protein interactions between p...

Currently, our world is facing an acute shortage of novel vaccine adjuvants. Adjuvants enhance the immunogenicity of vaccines, therefore they constitute essential components of vaccines. They are needed not only to increase the magnitude of the response but also to guide the type of response to produce the most effective type of immunity against distinct pathogens/t...

Due to an ageing population, the challenges associated with cancer treatment are growing. The use of conventional chemotherapeutic agents is often limited because of their side effects. Moreover, resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs often results in failure of treatment. The project aims to contribute to the discovery and development of new anticance...