The Final of RaDiChal 2023…
This year, diseases such as Beta Telassemia, Huntington's diseases and DMD were research in the competition.
Students, who carry out research that can be a solution to the treatment of genetic-based rare diseases, came together in the RaDiChal 2023 competition.
This year, 32 teams participated in the competition, which consisted of semi-final and final stages, initiated by the RaDIChal (Rare Disease Challenge) team, which was established with undergraduate students under the leadership of Üsküdar University TRGENMER and RaDiChal Coordinator Asst. Prof. Cihan Taştan.
Started in 2020, RaDiChal's target was determined as Beta Teassemia (Mediterranean anemia), Huntington's and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) disease this year.
President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, TÜBİTAK President Prof. Hasan Mandal and Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör also attended the final program of RaDiChal 2023, which was held by Asst. Prof. Cihan Taştan and his team for the 4th time this year at Üsküdar University Central Campus Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall.
Prof. Hasan Mandal: 30 percent of them die before they reach the age of 5...
TÜBİTAK President Prof. Hasan Mandal emphasized the importance of studies on rare diseases and stated that the goal of achieving together is also the starting point of TÜBİTAK's studies.
Noting that 7 thousand rare diseases are currently identified and 80 percent of them are genetically transmitted and 50 percent of them occur in childhood according to the 2023 report of the World Economic Forum, Prof. Mandal stated that "30 percent of children with these diseases die before they see the age of 5."
One in 16 people has a rare disease
Stating that they see this competition as a contribution to giving hope to despair, Prof. Dr. Mandal noted that 95 percent of rare diseases still have no cure.
Prof. Mandal said: "One in every 16 people has rare diseases," and stated that these diseases affect many people.
Pointing out that rare diseases have increased since last year, Prof. Mandal stated that drug development in this field has increased by 10.7 percent.
Emphasizing the importance of people from multiple disciplines coming together and producing solutions, Prof. Mandal explained that the developments in the field of genome editing have also made significant progress in regards to fast and accurate diagnosis, sensitive treatment and facilitation of access to rare diseases.
Referring to Nobel Prize-winning scientist Aziz Sancar's studies on molecules for brain cancer, Prof. Mandal pointed out the importance of basic sciences in the field of health.
Medicines also need to be developed
Stating that the drugs developed for rare diseases are being left behind the research, Prof. Mandal stated that scientific progress is not enough, and that drugs should be developed at the same rate.
Prof. Mandal also informed on TÜBİTAK's ongoing research programs for students and academicians, and explained that there are 134 scholars related to rare diseases in the intern researcher program, and a total of 36 projects of university students on rare diseases are supported.
Reminding that the Biotechnology Innovation Competition was held within the scope of TEKNOFEST Technology competitions, Prof. Mandal also noted that 4,369 general applications were made to this competition this year.
After Prof. Mandal’s speech, a plaque was presented to Prof. Hasan Mandal by TRGENMER Coordinator Asst. Prof. Cihan Taştan in the program.
To discover, it is necessary to dream first
Speaking at the opening of the program, President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that those who make discoveries in science are people who see laboratories in their dreams, and that these people can make discoveries when they find an environment.
Stating that luck is at the point where intelligence and opportunity meet, Prof. Tarhan stated that "There is a psychological dynamic of the emergence of productive thinking. This is a feature seen in those who make discoveries in science, where the person's imagination skills must be developed first."
Stating that abstract thinking skills are related to the level of development of the human brain, Prof. Tarhan said: "They dream, but not unconfined dreams, but purposeful ones... The person incubates about dreams. During the incubation period, people experience mental rumination. When a person does other things, they think about what they dream about."
3 apples that changed the history of mankind
Explaining the process of Newton's discovery of gravity, which revolutionized science, Prof. Tarhan stated that the process of the emergence of discoveries started with a dream and continued with mental labor. Prof. Tarhan said: “Three apples changed the history of mankind. Adam's apple, Newton's apple and the Apple's apple,” and explained that discoveries emerge with mental focus.
The sound of discoveries comes later in science...
Giving advice to the students participating in the competition, Prof. Tarhan said: "In science, the sound of discoveries comes later, and it is enough to just contribute to the literature."
Noting that gene therapies are a field that waits for new discoveries, Prof. Tarhan pointed out that new drugs cannot be found in their fields.
Referring to the matter of epigenetics, Prof. Tarhan said that the science of genetics will change the treatment parameters in the future.
TRGENMER Coordinator Asst. Prof. Cihan Taştan presented a plaque to Prof. Nevzat Tarhan after Prof. Tarhan’s speech.
This is the definition of the ideal university student...
In the opening program, Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör said: "I am proud of our university. Important things are happening here. You are not only students, and you are not ordinary students, but you are also in the aims to contribute and serve humanity and the world we live in. This is exactly what it means to be an ideal university student."
Stating that universities are not institutions that provide education in general, and that they must always be supported by scientific production, Prof. Güngör stated that "Because universities are important centers of science. We are trying to create an understanding with this awareness."
32 teams participated in RaDiChal 2023 and 19 teams made it to the finals
Üsküdar University TRGENMER Coordinator Asst. Prof. Cihan Taştan reminded that the name of the competition RaDiChal was related to their work on very rare diseases.
Stating that "diseases that occur in 2 thousand people one or that are seen much rarer are called rare diseases", Taştan said that they have been encouraging students to carry out projects for treatment by selecting 3 different rare diseases every year since 2020 in the RaDiChal competition.
Pointing out that 19 teams made it to the finals in the competition in which 32 teams participated this year, Asst. Prof. Cihan Taştan said: "This year, we chose Beta Teassemia (Mediterranean anemia), Huntington's disease and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) diseases among rare diseases."
Many of the projects will become products and treatments
Reminding that the RaDiChal competition started in 2020, Taştan thanked Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, who contributed to the transformation of RaDiChal from a theoretical competition into a practice that transitioned from a theoretical competition to a laboratory environment.
Taştan noted the following remarks:
"When we establish our infrastructure that can take it to the clinic in the next years, RaDiChal will continue to turn into a clinic, a product, no longer in a competition. Different teams were formed from different universities. These projects will not stop here with this competition. With projects turning into experiments, many of these will now become products and treatments. The fact that these genetic treatment designs can be developed by our teams, produced in our laboratories and made to the clinic gives us hope in terms of making treatments that are out of reach for most people much more accessible."
RaDiChal Laboratory was opened
In the meantime, the opening of the RaDiChal Laboratory was held with the participation of TÜBİTAK President Prof. Hasan Mandal, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan and Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör within the scope of the program.
After the opening speeches, the opening presentations were made by Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Muhsin Konuk, TRGENMER Director Assist. Prof. Cihan Taştan, President of the Turkey Huntington Association Naim Özdemir, General Manager of Can Sağlık Foundation Perihan Kılınç, SB Girişim Yatırımları Banu Korgül.
RaDiChal presented the 2022 Champion presentation it the program in which team presentations were also made. The program ended with an Honors Lecture followed by an Award Ceremony.
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)