With global partnerships and investments of R$ 1 billion, the institute trains new professionals and wants to change the history of healthcare
Medicine reaches levels of excellence when it goes hand in hand with scientific research and training. This is the vision of the Instituto D’Or de Pesquisa e Ensino (IDOR), a private non-profit organization whose main sponsor is Rede D’Or, the largest private healthcare company in Latin America.
IDOR is the largest multicenter research platform (capturing patients from various health services) in Brazil. With offices in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia, it can collect data from more than 200 health institutions in 14 Brazilian states, being able to quickly respond to new and serious health problems, such as cases of the Zika virus and covid-19.
The institution has more than 100 researchers from different specialties, many of whom are ranked among the top 5 in the world in their areas of expertise. “According to Scival, an Elsevier platform that allows the collection of global data on the performance of scientific articles, IDOR occupies the 5th position in the world in Human Physiology (intensive care medicine publications), ahead of institutions such as the University of Oxford and the Institute of Massachusetts Technology (MIT),” reports Fernanda Tovar-Moll. President of IDOR, you have just been elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine, one of ten women to hold this position in history.
In tune with digital transformations, the institution also participates in studies that evaluate the impact of emerging technologies (artificial intelligence, machine learning) on the accessible and ethical diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
The future of healthcare
IDOR’s budget for the next 10 years amounts to more than R$1 billion, the largest sum ever invested by the private sector in Brazilian science. One of the destinations of this contribution is the exchange of IDOR researchers with the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), which is based in California and is led by Jennifer Doudna – Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry in 2020.
The partnership represents a milestone in collaboration in genetic research using CRISPR-Cas9, which has opened the door to breakthrough therapies for inherited diseases. Applying CRISPR is an expensive process. However, this advancement has the potential to offer more effective therapies for diseases, making treatments accessible and effective for all. IDOR researchers study gene therapies that democratize access to this technology and the goal is to contribute to the creation of more affordable treatments. Biologist Thyago Leal Calvo and cell therapy specialist Bruno Solano are currently IDOR researchers at IGI.
“The important thing for us is to help build local capacity with collaborations like the one we have with IDOR in Brazil. It is essential to work to improve access,” explains Jennifer Doudna.
So many investments and so much dedication to science translate into growing recognition for IDOR researchers, with frequent publications in the most prestigious medical journals (see table). This month alone, two studies were published in the renowned New England Journal of Medicine, reinforcing IDOR’s important participation in oncology research into new, more curative protocols. The authors examined the effectiveness of new treatments for lung cancer (NSCLC) and medullary thyroid cancer.
Immediate responsibility
IDOR gained international visibility in 2016, contributing to the identification of the Zika virus as a cause of microcephaly. Published in the journal Science, the study gave the institution a high level of credibility in scientific research. “A result of which we are very proud, which demonstrates how prepared we are to respond quickly to the most urgent health problems,” considers neuroscientist Stevens Rehen, researcher at IDOR and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Since the beginning of the pandemic, the institution has also actively participated in research for the development of four vaccines against the covid-19 virus.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
