Veronika Kralj-Iglič, PhD, professor of biophysics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ljubljana University Medical Centre, Ljubljana Professor Kralj-Iglič received a 3-year grant of €150,000 starting in July 2011 to fund 1 staff member, chemicals, publications, travel, and equipment. The title of her project is “Microvesicles as risk factors for secondary thromboembolic events.” Professor Kralj-Iglič is the principal investigator and the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, is the leading institution. Collaborators are based in the Faculty of Medicine, Biotechnical Faculty and Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana; the National Institute of Chemistry; Ljubljana University Medical Centre; Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland; Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic; and the Institute of Biophysics and Nanosystems Research, Austrian Academy of Science. The focus of the project is on microvesicles isolated from blood as diagnostic tools and as basic mechanisms underlying thromboembolic disorders and cancer progression. Microvesiculation is a common process in all cells, in which membrane-enclosed fragments from the cell interior are pinched off from the mother cell and become more or less free to move in the surrounding solution. By interacting with distal cells, microvesicles constitute a cell-to-cell communication system and a catalytic surface for blood clot formation. Clinical studies have shown that the concentration of microvesicles isolated from blood is increased in patients with thromboembolism and in patients with different types of cancer. Professor Kralj-Iglič says, “We hypothesise that increased microvesiculation could be connected to the increased risk for thromboembolism in cancer patients.”

To read more about it, please check out the Prof. Kralj-Iglic on Slovenian research funding in journal Circulation.