Trial phase launched at cell therapy center for cancer treatment

ANTALYA  

The clinical trial phase for CAR-T cell therapy, a revolutionary treatment used in cancer care, has officially launched at Akdeniz University, with blood samples collected from nine selected patients at the center.

In March, the university in the southern province of Antalya announced a new research center dedicated to producing advanced cell therapies for cancer treatment, marking a significant step toward domestic production of cutting-edge medical technologies.

With this development, Akdeniz University has become the eighth facility worldwide to adopt and integrate the globally recognized CAR-T cell method.

Rector Professor Dr. Özlenen Özkan declared that both the domestic production and clinical application phases have been initiated for CAR-T cell therapy, which is predominantly used to treat leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

The center aims to engineer and enhance a patient’s own immune cells in a laboratory environment, empowering them to effectively target and combat cancer cells.

While clinical operations are ongoing, 678 patients have already applied for the treatment method.

From this pool, nine patients whose medical conditions were deemed suitable for the initial stage were selected and their exploratory blood samples were collected. The comprehensive treatment process at the center is scheduled to begin in June.