20th Anniversary of the Department of Experimental Oncology at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana

The twentieth anniversary of the Department of Experimental Oncology marks an important milestone in the history of research activities at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana. Research activity at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana has a long and strong tradition, dating back to the establishment of the first laboratory for experimental cancerology at the Brežice Hospital by Asst. Prof. Dr. Cholewa. Since 2005, the small laboratory with six employees has grown into a modern research group of more than 20 researchers who are successfully implementing the vision of translational oncology, particularly in the fields of electrochemotherapy, gene electrotransfer, bleomycin electro-sclerotherapy, radiobiology, and veterinary oncology. With our commitment to translational research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the transfer of knowledge into clinical practice, we have made an important contribution to the development of modern oncology therapy in Slovenia and beyond. We successfully completed a phase I clinical study, which demonstrated the safety and efficacy of plasmid gene electrotransfer with IL-12 encoding as part of the SmartGene.si project. In addition to scientific and research work, the department is substantially involved in educational activities and is a part of strong domestic and international networks in the field of biomedical applications of electroporation. We look forward to future collaborative efforts in further developing experimental, translational, and clinical oncology.