The annual laboratory equipment exhibition, Medlab Middle East, took place on 3-5 February 2025 at Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), uniting with the World Health Expo (WHX) to foster greater global collaboration, innovation, and impact in the laboratory industry. As one of the world’s leading medical laboratory exhibitions, Medlab Middle East traditionally attracts both laboratory equipment manufacturers and users (physicians, biologists, technicians) from all over the world, including Asia, Europe, South America and North America. This year’s edition welcomed over 800 exhibitors from more than 40 countries to showcase the latest innovations and technologies in the field of medical laboratory.

The exhibition traditionally includes scientific sessions and presentations on a variety of subjects, with a significant proportion of these presentations focusing on automation, 'smart' solutions and the use of artificial intelligence for diagnostic purposes. Within the framework of the “Revolutionizing Diagnostics with the Help of Technologies” session, which formed part of the 'Lab Automation Track', a development made at Almazov Centre was presented: a calculator for calculating the probability of venous thromboembolic complications in patients with CNS glial tumors. Yulia Zhilenkova, Associate Professor of the Department of Laboratory Medicine, presented the results of the team of authors, who developed the «GliomaRiskThrombosis Calculator», which was carried out as part of WCRC for Personalized Medicine project led by Maria Simakova, Senior Researcher and Head of the Cardio-Oncology Research Group.

The presentation made by the specialists from Almazov Centre was met with significant interest and acclaim by the audience. It is noteworthy that the authors were personally invited by the session moderators to deliver their presentation, underscoring the current relevance of the subject matter, namely 'smart' solutions in medical and laboratory practice.

The Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC 2025), marking its 20th anniversary, took place from the 28th to the 30th January 2025 in Leipzig, Germany. LINC is an interdisciplinary live course, designed to provide a global platform, permitting the discussion of the vascular patients by integrating colleagues of different specialties who are performing endovascular interventions.

Every year, this event brings together top vascular and endovascular specialists from around the globe for three days of groundbreaking education, collaboration, and innovation. This year’s LINC featured live case transmissions from leading interventional centers, real-time insights into cutting-edge procedures, in-depth discussions with vascular and cardiovascular experts on hot topics.

The congress featured more than 40 live case and scrub-in transmissions from Germany, Japan, Dubai, the U.S., Switzerland, Ireland, Italy, and France. The educational program included more than 500 sessions on the latest trends in the diagnosis and treatment of aortic and peripheral arterial diseases. It is a great opportunity to watch and learn, with real world implications for patient care.

The Almazov Centre was represented by Sofia Samuilovskaia, a young specialist in cardiovascular surgery, who gave an oral presentation on the subject of endarterectomy versus carotid artery stenting for carotid artery disease. This was the most interesting and discussed topic with the audience.

Foreign colleagues were highly impressed by the latest results of the vascular surgery clinic of the Almazov Center, as evidenced by the active discussion of the poster presentations «Management tactics in tandem stenosis of the internal carotid artery» and «Vascular stiffness and orthostatic hypotension in patients with arterial hypertension and internal carotid artery lesions». The Congress showcased the latest achievements in the field of endovascular surgery, including cutting-edge models of stent-grafts for aortic diseases, drug-coated stents for peripheral arterial diseases, and devices for treating chronic venous thrombosis.

The Almazov Center's international cooperation in vascular and endovascular surgery serves to enhance the reputation and prestige of the Centre, contributes to the enhancement of quality standards in patient treatment and represents a significant stride towards consolidating the Almazov Centre's preeminent status as a cutting-edge medical institution.

In November 2024, specialists from the Republican Clinical Hospital of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) performed the first minimally invasive procedures to treat arterial stenosis, guided by colleagues from Almazov National Medical Research Centre.

Aortic stenosis (AS) is narrowing of the aortic valve, obstructing normal blood flow. If left untreated, this condition can lead to myocardial infarction and ischemic cerebrovascular disorders.

The primary treatment for aortic stenosis is surgery, involving aortic valve replacement. Previously, it was performed via an open heart procedure, involving a chest incision. Currently, minimally invasive methods are widely employed in Russia, with the implantation being performed through a femoral artery. The advantage of this method is low trauma, which reduces the risk of postoperative complications.

Under the guidance of Dmitry Zubarev, Head of the Department of Endovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Methods at Almazov Centre, Lugansk specialists have mastered the modern method of treatment.

As part of his working visit to the Lugansk People's Republic, a specialist of Almazov Centre visited the Republican Clinical Hospital, where he performed a number of surgical demonstrations. With Dmitry Zubarev's support, the first minimally invasive aortic valve replacement procedure was performed in the hospital's specialized department. The surgery was performed by Egor Atamanyuk, Head of the X-Ray Surgical Methods for Diagnosis and Treatment of the LPR Clinical Hospital. Surgeons from other hospitals in the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics attended the demonstrations. In just two days, five minimally invasive aortic valve implantation procedures were performed. All interventions were successful, and the function of the aortic valve in each patient was fully restored.

New high-tech treatments for severe heart defects and aortic aneurysms have been launched in new regions. These treatments will be available to patients directly in regional hospitals. Specialists from Almazov Centre are proud to share their experience and make a significant contribution to the development of healthcare in these new territories.

The 25th anniversary of the Society of Heart Failure Specialists was marked by the annual congress 'Heart Failure 2024', held in Moscow from 7 to 9 December 2024 in hybrid format. The Almazov Centre delegation, comprising seven young scientists, presented 22 oral and two poster presentations at the event.

The symposium, entitled 'Terminal Heart Failure: a doom or not?', was co-chaired by Professor of the Department of Internal Medicine and head of Heart Failure Research Department Maria Sitnikova, who presented a highly relevant analysis of the diagnostic criteria for the terminal stage of CHF, reflecting the new classification approaches that are scheduled to be introduced in Russian cardiology practice from January 2025. The symposium, entitled 'High-tech methods for HF treatment in Russia’, addressed the issue of the vast geography of heart recipients, the importance of expanding the selection criteria for the heart transplantation waiting list (P. Fedotov, head of research laboratory), as well as the difficulties of HF diagnosis and treatment in the long-term period after heart transplantation (M. Simonenko, senior researcher).

Specialists of Heart Failure Research Department, postgraduate students of the Department of Internal Medicine with Clinic, IME students – participants of the anniversary congress.

The young scientists delivered their vivid presentations, and the participants of the Congress were very interested in the challenging clinical cases. Lyubov Korneva, a junior researcher of the Heart Failure Department, cardiologist of Cardiology Department No. 8, presented the cases demonstrating the possibilities of the Almazov Centre in the joint management of patients with extremely severe comorbidity (uncontrolled HIV infection, morbid obesity and hyponatremia in terminal HF). Aylaana Kuular and Ludmila Cheban, postgraduate students of the Department of Internal Medicine with Clinic, shared the results of a five-year follow-up of HFmrEF patients with metabolic risk factors and demonstrated the commonality of this phenotype with HFrEF in terms of prevalence of a number of molecular genetic markers. HF researcher Victoria Galenko presented an assessment of the predictive capabilities of autonomic imbalance indicators in physical rehabilitation of patients with clinically significant HF. Larisa Prokopova, a senior researcher from the HF department, demonstrated the next stage of the validity assessment of prognosis calculators in CHF.

Young scientists – Congress speakers: bottom – A. Kuular, L. Korneva, L. Prokopova, V. Galenko, top – students Kirill Chelnyntsev and Victor Znamensky.

Representatives of the IME Department of Cardiology, Associate Prof. A. Solovieva and Prof. S. Villevalde traditionally highlighted some issues relating to standard medication therapy recommended for use in the new clinical guidelines.

The final day of the Congress was held online. The symposium 'Molecular and genetic markers in the area of CHF’ attracted a significant audience and featured the presentation of the initial findings from collaborative research conducted with the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, entitled 'Microvesicles in the diagnosis of cardiac transplant rejection' (led by P. Fedotov) and 'Molecular aspects of heartbeat modulation' (associate prof. E. Lyasnikova).

In November, the Almazov Centre team paid a second visit to Harbin Medical University (HMU) as part of the Centre for Innovative Research in Infection and Immunity’s ongoing work. Anna Starshinova, Head of Research Department, and Igor Kudryavtsev, Head of Immunology, delivered lectures to HMU scientists, professors and students on immunodiagnostics and peculiarities of the immune response in patients with various infectious diseases and COVD-19. They also held discussions with Professors Hong Ling and Min Zhuang regarding prospective avenues for future collaboration.

Furthermore, HMU hospital welcomed a junior researcher from the Research Laboratory of Novel Coronavirus Infection and Post-COVID Syndrome of the WCRC for Personalized Medicine. Arina Mikhaylova, an endocrinologist and PhD student at the Department of Endocrinology, successfully completed a research internship at HMU hospital, lasting a month. The internship was made possible thanks to the support of Evgeny Shlyakhto, Director General of Almazov Centre, and Professor Ji Yong, Rector of Harbin Medical University. Dr. Mikhailova gained invaluable experience examining endocrinology patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings under the guidance of Professor Hong Ciao at the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Disorders of Harbin Medical University. Additionally, she had the privilege of training at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology under the guidance of Professors Hong Ling and Min Zhuang. Furthermore, Arina Mikhailova had the opportunity to participate in a scientific and practical conference on endocrinology and rare diseases, and she also served as a Russian-speaking teaching assistant at a medical Russian language course for hospital doctors.

The young researcher would like to express her gratitude to the Almazov Centre management for their support and guidance throughout the internship. She extends her appreciation to Director General Evgeny Shlyakhto; Alexandra Konradi, Deputy Director General for Research; Anna Starshinova, Head of Research Department; Ilgiz Galyautdinov, Assistant Director General for Scientific Projects; Tatyana Karonova, Head of Research Laboratory of Novel Coronavirus Infection and Post-COVID Syndrome; Elena Grineva, Director of the Institute of Endocrinology, Svetlana Manuilova, Head of International Office, and the administrative staff.

The specialists of the Almazov Centre and Arina Mikhailova express their sincerest gratitude to Professor Ji Yong, Rector of Harbin Medical University, Professors Hong Ciao, Hong Ling and Min Zhuang, and Liu Yan of the College of International Education, for providing them with a unique opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills in the field of endocrinology, immunology and infectious diseases, as well as to gain valuable experience of international cooperation.

On 7 December 2024, Almazov National Medical Research Centre was the venue for the XXXVII meeting of the CIS Healthcare Cooperation Council chaired by Mikhail Murashko, Russian Minister of Health. This year, Russia has the privilege of chairing the meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States together with the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan.

The Council meeting was attended by representatives of the CIS member states, including health ministers from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, heads of St. Petersburg's core medical organizations and chairs of the Council's commissions, as well as representatives from the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS member states and the CIS Executive Committee. The meeting was also attended by a number of distinguished guests, including Alexander Beglov, Governor of St. Petersburg; Sergey Leonov, Chairman of the Health Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly; and Oleg Ergashev, Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg.

The meeting was inaugurated by Mikhail Murashko, Russian Minister of Health, who emphasized the importance of scientific cooperation between CIS countries. He stated, «Scientific cooperation between countries is efficacious and yields tangible outcomes that enhance life expectancy.»

The welcome address to the Council members and participants of the XXXVII meeting was delivered by Sergey Lebedev, CIS Secretary General, Dmitry Kobitsky, Secretary General and Head of the Secretariat of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly Council, Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly, and Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

Alexander Beglov, Governor of St. Petersburg, also addressed the opening session. He highlighted that St. Petersburg is currently engaged in enhanced collaboration with all CIS countries in the field of medicine and pharmaceuticals. The city attracts patients from across Russia, as well as from partner countries, seeking advanced medical care.

“In recent years, St. Petersburg has become a prominent hub for Russia's pharmaceutical industry. Our enterprises are proud to produce advanced drugs and equipment that are in demand not only in Russia, but also abroad.” He emphasized that St. Petersburg is well-positioned to share its expertise and collaborate with partners in CIS countries on new projects.

The meeting addressed the issues of enhancing the proficiency of managerial personnel in the CIS member states, the prospects for collaboration in the fields of therapy and preventive medicine, the outcomes of initiatives to combat infectious and cancer, the systems in place for preferential drug provision and the application of health technology assessment at the state level. Specific focus was placed on the matters of sanitary and epidemiological well-being and sanitary protection of the territories of the CIS member states, as well as the organization of medical care in emergency situations.

The business programme of the meeting was complemented by an exposition of Almazov Centre's innovative achievements and promising developments. Accompanied by Director General Evgeny Shlyakhto, the Ministers of Health and Chief State Doctors of the Commonwealth of Independent States were given a comprehensive overview of the Almazov Centre's history and its latest achievements in the field of healthcare.

The distinguished guests were given a special tour of Almazov Centre, which included visits to the hybrid operating room, the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, ICU, Situation and Analytical Centres, and Artificial Intelligence Centre.

Foreign experts were very impressed by the Almazov Centre’s facilities and expressed interest in the its various activities. They also expressed hope for continued collaboration between healthcare institutions in CIS countries.

On November 25, the St. Petersburg Committee for Science and Higher Education held the XXVII St. Petersburg Assembly of Young Scientists and Specialists. This included a round table meeting on Natural Sciences, where the winners of grant competitions presented their projects. The Assembly is the largest event of its kind, aimed at popularizing scientific, scientific-technical and educational activities among young people. It also provides a platform for the best scientific projects of young researchers from the city to be demonstrated.

The Almazov Centre was represented by Leila Klimshina, assistant of the Department of Pediatric Diseases with Clinic. She was the winner of the grant competition held by the Committee for Science and Higher Education for postgraduate students, young scientists and young PhD candidates of universities and academic institutions located in St. Petersburg.

Leila Klimshina presented the results of the research conducted at the Competence Centre for Congenital Hyperinsulinism under the supervision of Professor Irina Nikitina and Professor Darya Ryzhkova.

The presentation was well received by the Presidium of the Assembly and the audience, and prompted a constructive exchange of ideas.

On 21 November, the Heilongjiang China-Russia Friendship Hospital held its opening ceremony with the participation of a delegation from the Russian Ministry of Health.

The opening ceremony was attended by Feng Jinwei, Vice President of Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital; Liang Minlin, Second Grade Inspector, Heilongjiang Provincial Health and Wellness Commission; Liu Qing, Deputy Director, Foreign Cooperation Department, Medical Affairs Division, Heilongjiang Provincial Health Commission.

The Russian delegation of the Almazov National Medical Research Centre was represented by Anna Starshinova, Head of Research Department, and Igor Kudriavtsev, Head of Immunology.

After the ceremony, Anna Starshinova introduced the colleagues to the advanced technologies, research and training opportunities at the Almazov Centre.

The parties had the opportunity to discuss potential future interactions and the further development of cooperation.

The administration and staff of Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital presented their Russian colleagues with an overview of the potential applications of telemedicine technologies and patient examination in the outpatient setting.

On November 25-26, the World Trade Center Moscow hosted the Trade Fair for Medical Technology and Healthcare 2024. The event was organized a part of the «Medical Science for People» federal project and brought together over 500 leading experts from 60 Russian organizations, including developers in the fields of science, technology, medicine, production of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.

The event aims to facilitate collaboration between Russian scientists, developers and manufacturers of medical devices, in line with one of the core goals set by the President of Russia within the context of the “New Health Saving Technologies” National Project. The distinctive business structure of the event demonstrates a proactive approach to showcasing innovations and fostering promising collaboration between developers and industrial partners. This format of interaction will facilitate the transition of medical science developments from laboratory research to real-world clinical practice.

The opening ceremony of the plenary session started with welcoming remarks from the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Murashko. In his welcome letter, he stated that the fair is a new and effective platform for collaboration between domestic developers and manufacturers of medical products. He also highlighted the distinctive format of the fair, which he believes is unique in both domestic and international contexts.

The competition saw the participation of 350 projects, 40 of which were announced in person. Evgeny Shlyakhto, Director General of Almazov Centre, provided invaluable support, which enabled the Centre to showcase its cutting-edge scientific developments, including the first Russian-made self-expandable nitinol stent, «Smart Dressing», «Hydrogel Extra» and “Uzor Wound Healing Software”. The developments were presented at the format by Elena Tsvetkova, a researcher at the Research Department of Interventional and Vascular Surgery, headed by Dr. Mikhail Chernyavsky.

Additionally, Polina Popova, Head of Laboratory of Endocrine Diseases in Pregnancy, presented several other developments, including the DiaCompanion Pro mobile app for pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus, the GliomaRiskThrombosis Calculator, the RAS70-based drug for the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours, and a novel CD5-specific chimeric antigen receptor.

The first Russian-made self-expandable nitinol stent was selected as the finalist in the competition and was awarded an honorary diploma in recognition of its success in the reports category. It garnered significant interest from industrial partners due to its uniqueness and the absence of comparable developments in the Russian market. This validates the relevance of the development in the field of vascular surgery and underscores the need for its expedient introduction into clinical practice.

The event also included a patent auction and a master class, which provided participants with insights into the latest trends and developments in the field, as well as an opportunity to establish business contacts with representatives of participating companies.

It is worth noting that the event concept aligns with the selected development strategy and the technological autonomy of Russian medicine, which is based on the integration of science, education, industry and technology. Such events will facilitate collaboration between developers and manufacturers, thereby accelerating the transition of medical science developments into clinical practice.

On November 25, the International Advisory Board of the World-Class Research Centre for Personalized Medicine held its fifth online meeting.

The meeting commenced with an opening address by Evgeny Shlyakhto, Director General of Almazov Centre and Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Prof. Shlyakhto delivered a welcoming speech and provided an overview of the achievements and key successes of the WCRC for Personalized Medicine for 2024. He also emphasized the importance of the results achieved for the advancement of science in Russia and globally.

The meeting featured four 2024 performance reports for each of the WCRC areas:
I – Population genetics and polygenic non-communicable diseases
• Alina Babenko, Head of Research Department of Genetic Risks and Personalized Prevention
II – Unknown, rare and genetically determined diseases
• Elena Vasichkina, Head of Research Centre of Unknown, Rare and Genetically Determined Diseases
III – Oncology
• Konstantin Samochernykh, Head of Research Centre of Personalized Oncology
IV – Infectious diseases, microbial and antimicrobial therapy
• Alexander Suvorov, Head of Research Department of Microbial Therapy

The speakers presented the key successes within each research area, showcased the key targets that have been achieved in 2024 and gave an overview of major publications.

Following the presentations, a discussion of the Advisory Board members, chaired by Professor Vladimir Chekhonin, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, provided an opportunity for foreign colleagues to ask questions and express their appreciation for the exceptional research expertise demonstrated by the scientists at the WCRC for Personalized Medicine.

Professor Giuseppe Faggian, Director of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at the University of Verona Medical School, Italy, extended his appreciation to the Centre's experts for their valuable contributions to the project and thanked foreign colleagues for their participation.

Professor Fausto Pinto, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, emphasized the remarkable achievements of the WCRC for Personalized Medicine. He also highlighted the value of international collaboration in developing scientific infrastructure for the prevention of polygenic diseases and the significance of a scientific approach in this endeavor.

Professor Marina Konopleva of the Department of Molecular Pharmacology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA, asked about the potential for implementing the WCRC results in clinical practice and exploring opportunities for cooperation with pharmaceutical companies and business to support the successful launch of products on the market.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the members of the Advisory Board reflected on the significance of the research and findings presented, introduced their colleagues to the publications for 2024, and collectively recognized the exceptional quality of the WCRC project and its alignment with global scientific standards.