MEDİBİYO to Conduct Cancer Drug Research TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Centre (MAM) Medical Biotechnology Research Centre (MEDİBİYO), established for pilot-scale production of biotechnological pharmaceutical and vaccine products, will also conduct research on cancer drugs. According to information received from TÜBİTAK, the Institution's MAM Life Sciences unit plays a critical role in transferring accumulated knowledge in fundamental areas such as biochemistry and molecular biology to numerous application areas including vaccines, pharmaceuticals, disease diagnosis and treatment. In line with Turkey's needs in this field, TÜBİTAK has led the establishment of research infrastructure and development of product-oriented projects, creating significant momentum from 2014 to the present. In particular, in biotechnological drug development and production, under the leadership of TÜBİTAK and MAM, the first biosimilar drug project was completed last year in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry, from cell to drug. Within this scope, an area was prepared for acquisition of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) facilities that would serve as a model in Turkey and primarily support small-scale production. At TÜBİTAK MAM Gebze Campus, the MEDİBİYO facility was brought to operational readiness with pilot-scale production capacity for biotechnological pharmaceutical and vaccine products capable of supporting many industrial enterprises in Turkey and compliant with GMP conditions. Currently operating as a leading infrastructure facility, the centre plans to serve the sector for biotechnological drug production. Production at the facility will commence in line with industry and pharmaceutical company demands. The centre, established to create a high-technology facility where pilot-scale biotechnological drug and vaccine development, production, testing, quality control and preclinical research can be conducted entirely using domestic resources in Turkey, aims to serve as a bridge between biopharmaceutical research and industrial production processes.

Cancer treatment research continues

MEDİBİYO will also conduct research on cancer treatment drugs. TÜBİTAK MAM Life Sciences carries out research in medical biotechnology across various units. Within this scope, work continues on personalized wound dressing production using three-dimensional bioprinting technology, development of theranostic molecules for diagnosis and treatment in solid tumours, development of Covid-19 and CD19-targeted CAR-T cell therapy systems. Additionally, development of three-dimensional lung cancer models is targeted for biomarker-based early lung cancer diagnosis and screening with drug screening studies. Projects are also underway in many areas at the intersection of molecular biology, chemistry and materials, including cell-based therapy strategies for bone repair using modified tissue engineering approaches, nanoparticle-based molecularly targeted colon and lung cancer treatment, development of new dendritic nanostructures as targeted gene and drug carriers for colon cancer treatment, and development of haemostatic products and tissue adhesive products.

International agreement in biotechnology

On the other hand, TÜBİTAK has completed necessary agreements with the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), a consortium formed by more than 60 countries in South Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia, for the establishment of a new International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology that will contribute to Turkey's international visibility in the biotechnology field, and has begun preliminary work. The centre will conduct its activities within TÜBİTAK MAM. Following Italy, South Africa, India and China, this centre aims to become a leading centre for critical research topics such as vaccines and pharmaceuticals for the biotechnology ecosystem in the Eastern Europe and Middle East region. Source