Rega Institute for Medical Research
Encyclopedia
The Rega Institute for Medical Research is a Belgian scientific establishment that is part of the Catholic University of Leuven
(Leuven
) in central Belgium
. The Rega Iinstitute is an interfacultary biomedical research institute of the Catholic University of Leuven and consists of departments of medicine
and pharmacology
.
, who named it for Joseph Rega, a Professor at the University in the 18th century. The building of the Rega Institute was constructed in 1954 and paid by the company Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques
(R.I.T.) in Rixensart
, where Dr De Somer had a leading function. During the sixties, De Somer withdrew from R.I.T. and in 1968 he became the founder and first rector of the Flemish
Catholic University of Leuven. From 1970 on the Rega Institute has worldwide cooperations with a lot of industrial companies. Since 1985, after rector P. De Somer died, the management of the Institute consists of professors from the laboratories housed in the Institute.
In 1987, the Rega Institute entered into a cooperation with Janssen Pharmaceutica
(led by Dr. Paul Janssen
). This collaboration would result in the discovery of a totally new class of HIV
Reverse Transcriptase
(RT) inhibitors, the so-called Non-Nucleoside RT Inhibitors or NNRTI's. NNRTIs distinguish themselves of the NRTI's because they do not bind at the catalytic place of the enzyme (i.e. the place where the normal substrate binds himself, such as dATP
, dGTP, dCTP or dTTP) but to another, allosteric binding site. The NNRTIs block the normal enzymatic activity of the RT and thereby interrupt the replication cycle of HIV. As a result of the "Rega-Janssen" cooperation several prototypes of NNRTIs, among which the so-called TIBO ("TetrahydroImidazoBenzodiazepinOne") and alpha-APA (Alpha-AnilidoPhenylAcetamide) derivatives were created. This research, in cooperation with Tibotec
, resulted in a particular powerful anti-HIV compound, Rilpivirine
(TMC-278). NNRTIs are at the moment considered one of the essential ingredients of so-called anti-HIV cocktails. The best well-known NNRTIs are nevirapine and efavirenz
.
, 3'-fluoro-3'-deoxythymidine (FLT) and 3'-fluorodideoxyguanosine (FLG), and the NNRTI's 1-[(2-hydroxy-ethoxy) methyl]-6-phenylthiothymine (HEPT), tetrahydro-imidazo[4,5,1-jk][1,4]-benzodiazepine-2(1H)-one and -thione (TIBO) and alpha-anilinophenylacetamide (alpha-APA) were first described at the Rega Institute. The anti-viral drugs Brivudine
and Tenofovir were discovered at the Rega Institute.
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is a Dutch-speaking university in Flanders, Belgium.It is located at the centre of the historic town of Leuven, and is a prominent part of the city, home to the university since 1425...
(Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
) in central Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The Rega Iinstitute is an interfacultary biomedical research institute of the Catholic University of Leuven and consists of departments of medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
.
Laboratories
- Bacteriology
- Clinical and Epidemiological Virology
- Immunobiology
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Molecular Immunology
- Virology and Chemotherapy
History
The Rega Institute was founded in 1954 by Pieter De SomerPieter De Somer
Pieter De Somer was a Belgian physician and biologist. He studied medicine from 1935 up to 1942 at the Catholic University of Leuven . He did research and later became a professor at the Department of medicine, where he specialised in microbiology and immunology...
, who named it for Joseph Rega, a Professor at the University in the 18th century. The building of the Rega Institute was constructed in 1954 and paid by the company Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques
Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques
Recherche et Industrie Thérapeutiques was founded in Genval, Belgium, as a penicillin factory in 1945 by Dr Pieter De Somer, who later became the founder of the Rega Institute for Medical Research and rector of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven . The industrialist Jacques Lannoy provided the...
(R.I.T.) in Rixensart
Rixensart
Rixensart is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Rixensart had a total population of 21,355. The total area is 17.54 km² which gives a population density of 1,217 inhabitants per km²....
, where Dr De Somer had a leading function. During the sixties, De Somer withdrew from R.I.T. and in 1968 he became the founder and first rector of the Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
Catholic University of Leuven. From 1970 on the Rega Institute has worldwide cooperations with a lot of industrial companies. Since 1985, after rector P. De Somer died, the management of the Institute consists of professors from the laboratories housed in the Institute.
In 1987, the Rega Institute entered into a cooperation with Janssen Pharmaceutica
Janssen Pharmaceutica
Janssen Pharmaceutica is pharmaceutical company, established in Belgium in 1953 by Paul Janssen. Its headquarters are located in Beerse, in the Campine region of the province of Antwerp, Belgium. It was created not as a subsidiary of a chemical factory but solely with the aim of conducting...
(led by Dr. Paul Janssen
Paul Janssen
Paul Adriaan Jan, Baron Janssen was the founder of Janssen Pharmaceutica, a pharmaceutical company with over 20,000 employees. In 2005 he finished as runner up, after Father Damien, in the poll for The Greatest Belgian organized by the regional Flemish television...
). This collaboration would result in the discovery of a totally new class of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
Reverse Transcriptase
Reverse transcriptase
In the fields of molecular biology and biochemistry, a reverse transcriptase, also known as RNA-dependent DNA polymerase, is a DNA polymerase enzyme that transcribes single-stranded RNA into single-stranded DNA. It also helps in the formation of a double helix DNA once the RNA has been reverse...
(RT) inhibitors, the so-called Non-Nucleoside RT Inhibitors or NNRTI's. NNRTIs distinguish themselves of the NRTI's because they do not bind at the catalytic place of the enzyme (i.e. the place where the normal substrate binds himself, such as dATP
Adenosine triphosphate
Adenosine-5'-triphosphate is a multifunctional nucleoside triphosphate used in cells as a coenzyme. It is often called the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer. ATP transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism...
, dGTP, dCTP or dTTP) but to another, allosteric binding site. The NNRTIs block the normal enzymatic activity of the RT and thereby interrupt the replication cycle of HIV. As a result of the "Rega-Janssen" cooperation several prototypes of NNRTIs, among which the so-called TIBO ("TetrahydroImidazoBenzodiazepinOne") and alpha-APA (Alpha-AnilidoPhenylAcetamide) derivatives were created. This research, in cooperation with Tibotec
Tibotec
Tibotec is a pharmaceutical company with a focus on research and development for the treatment of infectious diseases such as HIV , and Hepatitis C...
, resulted in a particular powerful anti-HIV compound, Rilpivirine
Rilpivirine
Rilpivirine is a pharmaceutical drug, developed by Tibotec, for the treatment of HIV infection. It is a second-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor with higher potency, longer half-life and reduced side-effect profile compared with older NNRTIs, such as efavirenz.Rilpivirine...
(TMC-278). NNRTIs are at the moment considered one of the essential ingredients of so-called anti-HIV cocktails. The best well-known NNRTIs are nevirapine and efavirenz
Efavirenz
Efavirenz is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and is used as part of highly active antiretroviral therapy for the treatment of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1....
.
Achievements
The Nucleoside analogs, d4TStavudine
Stavudine is a nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor active against HIV.-History:...
, 3'-fluoro-3'-deoxythymidine (FLT) and 3'-fluorodideoxyguanosine (FLG), and the NNRTI's 1-[(2-hydroxy-ethoxy) methyl]-6-phenylthiothymine (HEPT), tetrahydro-imidazo[4,5,1-jk][1,4]-benzodiazepine-2(1H)-one and -thione (TIBO) and alpha-anilinophenylacetamide (alpha-APA) were first described at the Rega Institute. The anti-viral drugs Brivudine
Brivudine
Brivudine is an antiviral drug used in the treatment of herpes zoster.-History:Brivudine is a similar drug to acyclovir. The compound was first synthesized by scientists at the University of Birmingham in the UK in the 1970s...
and Tenofovir were discovered at the Rega Institute.