The "3rd Symposium on Genetics and Personalized Treatment" was held
Prof. Tarhan: "Our goal is to become a global reference point in personalized treatment"
Üsküdar University held the "3rd Symposium on Genetics and Personalized Treatment" in memory of two esteemed professors, Prof. Salih Tuncel Özden and Prof. Uğur Atik, who passed away three years apart.
Emphasizing that the future lies in genetics and that genetics is the future of medicine, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that “As clinicians, we realize and observe how genetics guides us to the right treatment when we are at an impasse. Our goal is to become the go-to address for personalized treatment in Türkiye and a global reference point in this field."
Prof. Korkut Ulucan, Director of Üsküdar University's Personalized Treatment Application and Research Center (KİMER), expressed his belief that KİMER is among the world's leading centers. Ulucan stated that "I believe that, with our pioneering efforts in healthcare, we will become a research university within 20-25 years. This will enable us to conduct even higher-level operations."
Üsküdar University organized the "3rd Symposium on Genetics and Personalized Treatment" in memory of Prof. Salih Tuncel Özden, Director of the Advanced Toxicology Analysis Laboratory, who passed away on February 5, 2017, and Prof. Uğur Atik, Director of the Medical Biochemistry Laboratory and Biochemistry Specialist, who passed away on August 18, 2020. The symposium was held at the NP Health Campus Ibn Sina Auditorium.
The symposium, which was also broadcast live on ÜÜTV and Üsküdar Academy YouTube channels, began with speeches by President of Üsküdar University and Honorary Symposium President Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, and KİMER Director Prof. Korkut Ulucan.
Prof. Tarhan: "We also conduct studies on the genetics of diseases in psychiatry"
Addressing students, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "I hope that you will reap the rewards of participating in such scientific meetings over time. Investments in science do not yield immediate results, but they are never in vain; the fruits of effort are realized later."
Recalling that they established a therapeutic drug monitoring system and a pharmacogenetics laboratory in 1999, Prof. Tarhan expressed that "In 2006, our university’s laboratory had not yet been established; we made it operational in 2009. We acquired an MS device and started monitoring drug blood levels. That system was a risky investment, but as we saw its benefits for patients, our colleagues began to adopt it routinely. We are now progressing in pharmacogenetic evaluations, even moving beyond this. Currently, we are conducting studies not only on drug efficacy but also on the genetics of diseases, focusing on serotonin, dopamine, and enzyme activity in conditions such as bipolar disorder and OCD."
Prof. Tarhan: "Personalized treatment may seem expensive, but the most expensive treatment is the one not given"
Sharing that the brain technology project began in 2015, Prof. Tarhan explained that "This project was announced as the greatest project of the future after the genome project. Initially translated as 'precision medicine,' it is now referred to as 'personalized treatment.' Some viewed it critically, thinking it was a treatment method for wealthy individuals. However, it is not about wealth. Everyone wants the best and most effective treatment for their child or loved one.
There is minimum treatment, which is the first-line approach; optimum treatment, conducted in research hospitals; and maximum treatment, which is personalized treatment. In resistant cases, personalized treatment methods are needed to avoid leaving the patient untreated. Weak or insufficient treatment can make the disease chronic. Personalized treatment may seem expensive, but as I always say, the most expensive treatment is the one not given. As a disease progresses and becomes more complex, treatment costs increase."
Prof. Tarhan: "In resistant cases, we will be able to perform advanced screenings without delay"
Highlighting that personalized treatment is not solely about genotype, Prof. Tarhan said that "When a patient arrives, a multi-stage system is activated. First, there is the medical records stage, which involves software. Artificial intelligence is integrated into the software, digital measurements are made, and patients are evaluated. This constitutes the neurotechnology phase. Another phase is genetic analysis. The final stage involves monitoring the patient's drug blood levels. After these stages, we see improvements in patients once thought to be untreatable."
Explaining efforts to develop software programs for neuropsychological screening as patients enter the clinic, Prof. Tarhan stated that "We apply a standard check-up to patients, incorporating genotype into the protocol during preparation. We will be able to conduct advanced screenings without delay, especially for children at risk of autism."
Prof. Tarhan: "The future lies in genetics..."
Speaking about treatment approaches, Prof. Tarhan expressed that "I always try to chase needs. When we put ourselves in the shoes of a parent or loved one of a patient, we discover what needs to be done. By pursuing needs in line with scientific ethics and standards, even if it is initially challenging, acceptance follows over time."
Prof. Ulucan: "We have great plans for KİMER"
In his speech, KİMER Director Prof. Korkut Ulucan commemorated Prof. Salih Tuncel Özden and Prof. Uğur Atik, describing them as valuable scientists who contributed immensely and from whom they learned a great deal.
Sharing that he was appointed KİMER Director eight months ago, Prof. Ulucan said they have great plans for KİMER’s work. Ulucan also added that "Our first desire was to organize such a symposium. I hope that we will carry out even more remarkable activities with our student friends from now on.”
The symposium included presentations by academics from various universities and concluded with a session where students presented their projects.
Prof. Ulucan: "With our leadership in healthcare, we will become a research university"
Addressing the students in his speech, Prof. Korkut Ulucan stated that “There is a very classic saying, ‘The future of systems or institutions is determined by their leaders,’ is not that right? We are very fortunate in this regard because our President truly supports us, especially the students, in every way. I want to explain this support with an example: A few years ago, I received a call from the President's private office. I was invited to a meeting, where our President expressed his desire to conduct genetic analyses under the university’s roof. I said, ‘It is possible,’ and outlined what we would need, but deep down, I did not think it would materialize because I knew how expensive the necessary equipment was. Yet, shortly afterward, the relevant company came for installation. At that time, we made perhaps the most significant investment at this institution with a very high-budget allocation.”
Prof. Ulucan: "We will become a research university within 20–25 years"
“Right now, I believe we are among the world’s leading centers. I am not just talking about Türkiy because I do not like making overly ambitious claims; however, I do not think there is another institution that has conducted close to 100 analyses. We are now a Center of Excellence. People are asking us, ‘How are you doing this? What is your approach?’ This stems from the trust our President has in us, the dedication of our colleagues, and their vision. I firmly believe that with our pioneering role in healthcare, we will, God willing, become a research university within 20–25 years. You will see this institution making its mark among research universities in a very short time, through its patents, implementations, and integration with students. Thanks to this, we will be able to operate at much higher levels.”
Prof. Cemal Onur Noyan explained how genetic information is used in addiction
In the first session moderated by Prof. Korkut Ulucan, Prof. Cemal Onur Noyan from NPİSTANBUL Hospital gave a presentation titled “Individualized Treatments in Addiction: Deciphering Genetic Codes.”
Sharing an example from the case of a schizophrenia patient he had treated in the past, Noyan stated that “The patient had been undergoing treatment for years, with partial psychotic symptoms persisting. He would come with his mother, but his psychosis was always severe and never subsided. We would adjust and add medications. His mother claimed, ‘I give him his medications regularly.’ Thus, we never felt the need to check his drug levels. One day, he was hospitalized with a very severe condition. We then discovered that he had not been taking his medications at all, and his drug levels were zero. His mother gave him the medications, but he always spit them out afterward. At that time, we had no clinical practices involving drug level measurements or other genetic studies. Inevitably, we had certain prejudices, but as we began to explore, we realized how invaluable the data was and how much it facilitated our work.”
In his presentation, Prof. Cemal Onur Noyan explored in detail how genetic information is utilized in addiction treatment.
Students Presented Their Projects
As part of the symposium, Prof. Deniz Kıraç from Yeditepe University gave a presentation titled “Personalized Treatment in Cardiovascular Diseases,” Prof. Gühan Dergin from Marmara University presented “Personalized Treatment in Jaw Deformities,” and Dr. Beste Tacal Aslan from Marmara University delivered a talk on “The Impact of Gene Variants on Human Health.”
The program concluded with the ‘Student Presentations’ segment, where students shared their 22.09 projects.
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)