Turkish scientists introduced the results obtained from animal tests to the scientific community by developing a new treatment method for relapsed and refractory ALL cancer. Lecturer Dr. Cihan Taştan, Director of Üsküdar University's Transgenic Cell Technologies Application and Research Center (TRGENMER), stated that they have developed a new treatment method for relapsed and refractory ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) cancer, saying, “We published the results obtained from animal tests in Cancer Gene Therapy, part of the Nature publishing group, one of the most prestigious journals in the scientific world.” Lecturer Dr. Cihan Taştan added: “In the next phase, we aim to proceed to human clinical trials and develop one of our country's indigenous, smart, living drugs. Thanks to the GMP laboratory to be established at our university for this purpose, we will be able to start Phase studies.”
Lecturer Dr. Cihan Taştan, a faculty member of Üsküdar University's Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences (MDBF), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, and Director of the Transgenic Cell Technologies Application and Research Center (TRGENMER), provided information about their work on ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) cancer, a rare disease, and the progress they have made.
Lecturer Dr. Cihan Taştan, providing information about CAR-T cell therapy, a revolutionary step in the fight against cancer today, which is personalized and capable of recognizing and killing cancer, noted that in the initial stage of ‘Reprogramming’ T cells, T cells taken from the patient are genetically modified under laboratory conditions, and at this stage, a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is added, which will give the cells a special recognition ability.
Modified T cells are amplified and strengthened on a large scale
Lecturer Dr. Cihan Taştan stated that in the ‘Amplification of Developed Cells’ stage, modified T cells are also amplified and strengthened on a large scale, explaining that through this, the immune system is supported with strengthened and specialized cells.
Dr. Taştan stated that in the ‘Infusion’ stage, the prepared CAR-T cells are returned to the patient's body, emphasizing that at this step, powerful cells that can now actively participate in the fight against cancer are introduced into the system.
Promises hope in cases resistant to traditional treatments
Lecturer Dr. Cihan Taştan, explained that in the ‘Targeted Attack’ stage, CAR-T cells initiate a specific attack against cancer by specially recognizing and interacting with cancer cells in the body, and continued as follows:
“CAR-T cell therapy offers hope, especially in cases resistant to traditional treatments. CAR-T cell therapy is an FDA-approved treatment method for ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) cancer and yields more effective results compared to traditional therapies. This treatment initiates a specific attack against cancer cells by genetically engineering the patient's own T cells.
Traditional treatments typically involve chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but CAR-T cell therapy differs by strengthening the body's immune system to specifically target cancer cells. In this way, it does not negatively affect healthy cells of the body, but only shows activity against cancer cells. This personalized approach can offer a more effective treatment option in cases of resistant or relapsed ALL.”
Lecturer Dr. Cihan Taştan, expressing the new treatment method they developed for ALL cancer, continued as follows:
“Since 2021, both in our laboratory tests and animal tests, we have proven that CAR-T cells generate an effective response against cancer through the application method we developed, and despite the passage of time, they remain stably in circulation and can generate a response again if the cancer recurs. In this way, we have developed a new treatment method for relapsed and refractory ALL cancer. We published the results obtained from animal tests in Cancer Gene Therapy, part of the Nature publishing group, one of the most prestigious journals in the scientific world.
In the next phase, we aim to proceed to human clinical trials and develop one of our country's indigenous, smart, living drugs. Thanks to the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) laboratory to be established at our university for this purpose, we will be able to start Phase studies. We have completed all our preparations for Phase studies, and work continues in our laboratory to produce treatments not only for ALL but also for other cancer types in the future.”
