Dr Snežana Pantović, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Montenegro, says that study on the so called “golden sponge”, i.e. Aplysina aerophoba, is an extremely important project as it deals with the engineering of tissues and finding biologically active components.
Dr Pantović says that the work is happening on three tracks. Institute for Biology of the Sea from Kotor, in cooperation with Dr Herman Erlich, finished part of the work. Now, she continues.
She says that Government of Montenegro has recognized this project as very important.
“We go on with the project through the Center of Excellence in the Institute in Igalo. The project will be carried out by my team of experts. A team from the Medical Biochemistry, Institute for Public Health and Faculty of Mathematics will be in charge”, Dr Pantović says.
She points out that they are working on the new method of biological tissue and biological material on one side and biological components that were isolated from the “golden sponge” on the other.
“We are doing science on a very high level in Montenegro. We have been working on this project since 2008, and this is the first time we are talking about it in public”, Dr Pantović says.
Dr Pantović stresses that results of this project are now getting the outlines, although conditions for clinical studies are required.
Dr Pantović says there are some indicators that cure for COVID 19 might be found.
“There’s still a lot to be done in that context. It’s a very long and very expensive process. But this is the first time we announce that we can obtain that biological active tissue that has great potential. For that, we need verification of the world health community”, Dr Pantović says.
She stresses that research is very expensive but that country and economy can’t make progress without medicine.
