N.C. State promotes one medicine concept in center

RALEIGH, N.C. — Officials at North Carolina State University hope a newly dedicated research center will lead to medical advances in animal and human medicine.

The Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research (CCMTR) works with partner facilities while sharing veterinary and human medicine techniques for the benefit of both disciplines. The facility is located in NC State's College of Veterinary Medicine, and reports ongoing success in research projects.

"The whole point of the center is to approach disease research in different animals and crossing the information over to help other animals and people," says Dr. Jorge Piedrahita, director of the center and professor of genomics.

CCMTR hopes research and clinical investigations with partner facilities will lead to new drug treatments and therapies, Piedrahita says.

NC State's Agriculture and Life Sciences, Engineering and Textiles college – along with WakeMed and private industries participate in the center's initiative.

Piedrahita says work at the center is organized around innovation, translation and utilization.

The CCMTR hopes to develop partnerships with private industries to develop new medicines and treatments, officials say.

"The center takes advantage of the expertise of clinical and non-clinical faculty and industry participants in order to new therapies and drugs," Piedrahita says. "We believe the concept of one medicine is the answer to making research and knowledge best utilized across the board. The medical advances that help animals also help humans, and the medical advances that help humans also help animals. All that we do at the center will help all species, not just one."

The center concentrates on five areas: cancer/oncology, diseases of the lung and gut, infectious/zoonotic disease, genomics and allergic diseases.

The CCMTR has been operational for two years, but its formal recognition began four months ago.

"The research this center conducts is a win-win situation," Piedrahita adds.

For more information about the center, visit www.cvm.ncsu.edu/research/ccmtr/index.htm.