Research laboratory of military therapy of the S.M. Kirov Military Medical Academy: from its origins to present day

This article outlines the key milestones in the development of the Research Laboratory of Military Therapy. The laboratory was founded in 1981 during the height of the armed conflict in Afghanistan, when a high incidence of morbidity (particularly infectious diseases), a large number of complications in the wounded, and the prolonged and recurrent course of somatic conditions resulted in sanitary losses equating to combat losses. In 1984, based on data obtained in Afghanistan, Professor Novitsky formulated and substantiated the fundamental concept of chronic adaptive overstrain syndrome, elucidated its mechanisms, and defined its clinical manifestations. One of the laboratory’s research areas was the study of the health status of individuals living in the areas of Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia contaminated with radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. In 1996, studies were conducted at the Luga Artillery Range to examine the effects of air blast waves of varying intensity on the physical performance and conditioned reflex activity of laboratory animals, enabling the assessment of the potential use of new actoprotective agents. In collaboration with the Department of Military Field Therapy, the laboratory’s staff investigated the characteristics of somatic conditions in individuals engaged in chemical weapons destruction. The Research Laboratory of Military Therapy staff developed and implemented a modern system for the medical examination of military personnel engaged in work with chemical weapons. Currently, the laboratory addresses research issues in areas such as improving the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of injuries caused by highly toxic compounds; studying the chromosomal apparatus of cells in cases of occupational exposure to various chemicals and acute poisonings; and experimentally justifying the prevention and treatment of hepatotropic poisonings using glutathione disulfide- and inosine-containing drugs. In an organotypic culture model, changes in cell proliferation of various tissues under the influence of alkylating agents and the potential of using selected coded amino acids and oligopeptides to mitigate toxic effects were studied. In addition, organizational measures for preventing maladaptation disorders in military personnel serving in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation have been proposed. Furthermore, the laboratory has examined the state of cellular and humoral immunity in patients with novel coronavirus infection.