Turkish Scientists Develop 'Artificial Tendon'

Dr. Burçak Alp, an Associate Professor at İzmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi, shifted her scientific focus to tendon research following a tendon injury sustained during her doctoral studies in England. Over the next 2 years, she aims to develop an "artificial tendon." A graduate of Hacettepe University's Food Engineering Department, Dr. Alp moved to England in 1998 to pursue her doctorate. Beginning work as a research assistant in the Tissue Engineering Department at University College London, Alp decided to focus on this field following her tendon injury. Concentrating her efforts with a team of scientists, Dr. Alp produced collagen using ostrich legs. The research team obtained a patent for this collagen in England at that time. Returning to Turkey from England in 2014 and beginning work in the Biomedical Engineering Department at İzmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi, Dr. Alp aims to develop an artificial tendon within 2 years in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Murat Bengisu and Associate Professor Işınay Ebru Yüzay. Alp stated: "When treating tendon injuries, a piece of healthy tendon tissue is taken from another site and transferred to the injured area. This causes the patient additional surgery, repeated surgical stress and pain. There is no guarantee that the harvested tissue will produce healthy results. For this reason, we aim to develop an artificial tendon in a laboratory setting within 2 years." Source: AA