In June, the CREATIC Center of Excellence hosted another edition of its “CREATIC Breakfast,” a regular informal gathering that brings together colleagues from across the center. This format is more than just a morning get-together—it creates a space for discussion, the exchange of experiences, and sharing updates from various areas of CREATIC’s work. This time, the program covered topics ranging from precise diagnostics and patient support to the development and production of modern therapies.
The morning session was opened by Prof. Jaroslav Štěrba, head of the Department of Pediatric Oncology at Brno University Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University. In his opening remarks, he emphasized how the importance of CREATIC’s work is reflected in the real-life stories of patients that doctors encounter in clinical practice.
This was followed by a presentation by Dr. Kateřina Slabá, which focused on ultra-rare diseases and undiagnosed patients. Her lecture guided participants through the issues surrounding the so-called “silent epidemic,” the diagnostic odyssey, and the often very complex journeys that patients and their families face in their search for the correct diagnosis.
Dr. Slabá also presented the activities of the Center for Precision Medicine, which combines advanced diagnostics, clinical expertise, and an individualized approach to patient care. In this context, she presented the BabyFox project, led by Prof. Ondřej Slabý, which uses rapid whole-genome sequencing to help shorten the path to diagnosis for children suspected of having a genetic disorder. The lecture also highlighted the importance of supporting families of children without a confirmed diagnosis or with ultra-rare diseases, including the irreplaceable role of the patient organization Malý Odyseus, z. s.
The program continued with a presentation by Prof. Lenka Zdražilová Dubská, who introduced the products currently being developed at the CREATIC manufacturing facility, known as CREPROFA. This manufacturing center, which complies with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements, enables close integration of research, development, and clinical production of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs).
Participants learned more about how these scientific approaches are translated into specific therapeutic products. Examples mentioned included products based on mesenchymal cells and anticancer immunotherapy using dendritic cells. For the latter product, CREATIC received a so-called “hospital exemption” this spring, which represents an important milestone on the path of modern therapies to reaching patients.
The CREATIC Summer Breakfast once again demonstrated how valuable it is to bring together different perspectives in an open and collegial atmosphere. From precise diagnostics and support for undiagnosed patients to the development and production of modern therapies—the entire meeting confirmed just how much joint discussion can strengthen CREATIC’s core mission: to bring modern medicine closer to patients.
