Education Minister Mary Hanafin will today open a €20 million world-class biotechnology centre.
The National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology (NICB) at Dublin City University (DCU) works with hospitals in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, diabetes, eye disease and microbial diseases.
The NICB's first cancer drug treatment discovery has been taken into clinical trial at St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin.
In a separate initiative, a team researching resistance to chemotherapy drugs have identified a common arthritis drug, Sulindac, can inhibit an important cancer resistance factor.
"Although still in the early stages, this unique partnership is a model for the evolution of rational cancer treatment to improve treatments for Irish cancer patients", said Professor Martin Clynes, NICB director.
Work is also being done on a revolutionary new treatment for diabetes that will involve the harvesting of "islets" from donors and transplanting them directly into the veins of patients.
These islets then produce insulin normally, bringing about an effective cure to the patients.