History
Initially, the RIEM"s title was “Belarusian Pasteur Institute, affiliated to the People"s Commissariat for Health Care of the Belarusian Soviet Social Republic” and it was founded in November 30, 1924 as the result of a merge of the Minsk Pasteur Station (established in 1899) with the Central Chemical-Bacteriological Laboratory. At that time there were only 17 members on the staff.
In 1924 the governmental commissions for the control of key regional infections were given to the Institute. The organization of the departments for bacteriology, epidemiology, sera-vaccines, smallpox, sanitary-hygiene, serodiagnosis, parasitology, forensic chemistry and clinical diagnosis was aimed at the contribution to the nation health. Dr. B. Ya. Elbert was in charge of the fight with most actual infections, which prevailed on the territory of Belarus at that post-revolution period. The researchers manufactured smallpox vaccines and developed methods for its control, they studied features, safety, immunogenicity of a live tuberculosis vaccine. The decentralized principle of vaccination against rabies was adopted and the schedule for diphtheria and pertussis immunization was designed. In 1925 the vaccine-sera preparations production was started. In 1931 the Institute was renamed as the Belarusian Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology.
In 1941-1945 tremendous events of the Great Patriotic War (World War II) interrupted the research work, since the territory of Belarus was occupied by the Nazis. The Institute"s facilities were destroyed and many of the scientists perished on the front. Enormous efforts were put to restore the Institute and to train new scientific personnel after the end of that holocaustal war. Profs. S.M. Frid, D.P. Belaytzki, Docent I.S. Rubinstein made an invaluable contribution to the rehabilitation of the devastated buildings, equipment and scientific potential.
In October 1950 Dr. Venyamin V. Votyakov, Doc.Med.Sci., entered upon office as a Director. The initiation and intensification of a new research trend – virology is noted for the long-term period of his scientific activity and management. The Virology Department, which comprised laboratories for studies of influenza and other respiratory infections, poliomyelitis, enteroviruses, tick-borne encephalitis, viral hepatitis was instituted. Some supporting services were established, too: departments of culture media and tissue cultures, a Statistical Analysis laboratory. In 1965 the Institute received the title – the Belarusian Research Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology (BRIEM), affiliated to the Public Health Ministry of the Republic of Belarus.
A new laboratory building, specifically designed and equipped for a world-scale research was erected in 1968. That was the year, when the breakthrough was made towards the studies on chemical antiviral inhibitors and the development of therapeutic, preventive and diagnostic preparations. Firstly, a laboratory was opened and in 1975 the Department of Virus Activity Inhibitors was organized to provide a deep insight into the antiviral properties of chemical compounds, macromolecular inhibitors and interferon inductors. Later on natural substances and official medicines were included into the scope of investigations.
Over 25 years of scientific efforts in this area the medicines for influenza (Deitiphorine) and tick-borne encephalitis were developed and approved for practical therapeutic application. Official medicines, highly potent in rabies, herpes (Acyclovir), hepatitis were clinically trialed. For the first time in global virology practice the Institute"s researchers proposed chemical preparations Niphan and Belphtaside for the diagnosis of viral infections (identification and differentiation of poliomyelitis, ECHO and Coxsackie viruses). These investigations yielded good results – more than a hundred of Scientific Invention Certificates of the USSR were issued to the Institute"s team. The scientific excellence was appreciated by the Presidium of the Soviet Union Academy of Medicine and the USSR Ministry of Public Health and from 1974 All-Union Problem Commission “Chemotherapy and Chemoprophylaxis of Viral Infections” started working at the BRIEM.
Drs. V.I. Votyakov, N.P. Mishaeva, T.I. Lobacheva were the first who defined the previously unknown phenomenon of convergence inhibition of the causative agents reproduction by host immune factors in transmissive diseases of humans and animals. The convergence mechanisms were proved to affect antigens, functions of nutrition and reproduction in blood-suckling ectoparasites. This discovery opened new prospects for the design of effective protective measures in natural-foci diseases of cattle and it was officially registered under No. 324 in the State Register of Scientific Discoveries of the USSR.
In 1971 on the request of the Bolivian Government the USSR Public Health Ministry sent a scientific expedition to this Latino-American country on the occasion of the highly lethal hemorrhagic fever outbreak of the obscure origin. Dr. Venyamin V. Votyakov, Director of the BRIEM, was at the head of the expedition, targeted at the identification of the fever agent. In order to process and examine pathogenic samples, collected in the epidemic focus area, specific protective lines (biosafety level P 4) were designed. These lines secured the guaranteed protection and safety of both the personnel and the environment. They turned to be applicable for the studies not only on the Bolivian hemorrhagic fever agent, but on any other pathogenic viruses. This research led to the establishment of the Department for Highly Pathogenic Viruses, its objectives were concentrated upon the investigations of molecular-biologic properties and reproduction mechanisms of arenaviruses, development of experimental methods for chemotherapy of the infections, induced by them, as well as the approaches to the arenaviruses taxonomy and identification.
Such viruses as Pichinde, Mopeya, Lassa, Machupo, Marburg, Ebola were examined in cell cultures, the methods for concentration and purification of pathogenic arenaviruses were tailored, their virion RNAs and proteins were isolated, the effects of physical and chemical factors on the arenaviruses were also the subjects of prominent interest. At this department the diagnostic preparations on the basis of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies for serodiagnosis and identification of agents of highly pathogenic hemorrhagic fevers Lassa, Marburg, Ebola were developed and implemented into medical care practice. These diagnostic preparations were successfully tested in endemic foci (Guinea Republic) and in non-endemic areas (Belarus, Ukraine).
In November 1984 the Department for Slow and Chronic Virus Infections was set up to ensure comprehensive studies of those viral infections, affecting nervous system, which were reported in Belarus and to develop methods for their laboratory diagnosis and specific treatment with further wide application in medical care institutions. The researchers of this department have discovered and studied a novel, earlier unknown disease – amyotrophic leukospongiosis – a new nosologic form of subacute spongiosis encephalopathies, caused by prions. Clinico-epidemiologic and morphologic characteristics of this disease were determined, evidences of the etiologic role of the infectious agent were given, the methods for intravital laboratory diagnosis were developed. Simultaneously, the careful studies were concerned with similar progressing nervous diseases (Creutzfeldt- Jacob disease), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. The clinical and morphological criteria for their differentiation from amyotrophic leukospongiosis were found.
In 1983 the Problem Commission “Chemotherapy and Chemoprophylaxis of Viral Infections” was re-organized into the Commission under the title “Chemotherapy and Chemoprohylaxis of Viral Infections. Highly Pathogenic and Slow Virus Infections”. This fact reflects the recognition of the strong reputation and progress, achieved by the Institute personnel in the trend of growing importance by the Soviet Union science authorities. The BRIEM was assigned as a leading institution in this field among the USSR biomedical research institutions.
Alongside with the diverse virological investigations, the epidemiology studies were also continued and the list of diseases, subjected to the surveillance was expanded. At the Epidemiology Department the studies on the epidemiology and prevention of infectious hepatitis were undertaken, methods for specific diagnosis of rotavirus infection and viral hepatitis were upgraded.
In 1970-s the Institute"s scientists proposed a new organizational form for research within the network of Belarusian sanitary-epidemiologic stations. This trend was headed by the Epidemiology Department. Up till now many qualified practisizing specialists in communicable diseases carry out investigations on certain subjects in close cooperation and under the treaties concluded among the experienced scientists from the Institute and the personnel of the stations. The results of these joint investigations are analyzed and discussed at regularly held conferences.
Parasitologic diseases have always been in the focus of scientific interest – immunologic methods for helminthism diagnosis (trichinellosis, cysticercosis) were developed, the manufacture of antigens and control diagnostic sera for Belarus and other USSR Republics was established. The complex of up-to-date measures to control helminthism in rural and urban Belarusian population was worked out. The methods of diagnosis and treatment of ascariasis and trichinellosis were offered.
Over the last two decades the Institute have not stopped producing bacterial, viral and other preparations needed for diagnosis and treatment of bacterial and viral infections. Small enterprise facilities at BRIEM met the demands in the medical market of Belarus and some other USSR regions for the following products: embryo sera, preparations and culture media for diagnosis of scleroma, trichinellosis, cysticercosis, staphylococcus infections, numerous cell cultures, several types of immunoglobulins, including antilymphocytic and antistaphylococcal immunoglobulins, conserved erythrocytes for diagnosis of various infectious diseases, lyophilized citrate rabbit plasma, proteins, celiase, chemical differentiators of viruses, gialurine acid, dry bovine albumin, tissue culture media. The vast majority of the mentioned products were developed by the original technologies at the Institute and the BRIEM was their sole manufacturer in the country at that period.
In September 1974 the Government of the Republic of Belarus decorated the Institute with the honourable award – the Order of the Red Banner of Labour for the results in significant R&D work and training of highly skilful medical professionals.
In 1986-1995 the BRIEM was run by the Director Prof. Petr G. Rytik, Doc. Med. Sci., who set about investigations of epidemiologic processes in poliomyelitis, hepatitis, tick-borne encephalitis, measles, diphtheria in the Belarusian territories, radionuclide-contaminated due to the Chernobyl disaster as well as AIDS.
Since 1995 Prof. Leonid P. Titov, Doc.Med.Sci., has held the position of the Institute"s Director. He took the initiative in the matter of the organizational structure changes and modernization, microbiology and immunology have been renewed and undergone radical advances. Modern technologies for the development and manufacture of immunobiologic and molecular-biologic preparations of new generation began to be implemented. The problems of nosocomial infections and resistance of microrganisms to medical drugs and disinfectants are thouroghly studied. Innovative activities and manufacturing facilities, original technologies are being constantly broadened and perfected. As a result, the Institute is accredited as a key research center to coordinate all activities in the area of infectious pathologies under the State Scientific-Technical Programme “Communicable Diseases”. More than 40 diagnostic test-systems have been developed, renewed and brought about into the health care practice, culture media for microorganisms are being produced, too.
