Middle East healthcare sector should focus more on Genomic Medicine and Cellular Therapies

Medicine is changing with two major revolutions: Genomic Medicine and Cellular Therapies. Genomic revolution in Medicine has created greatest possibilities for prevention and cure of chronic diseases.

Our increasing knowledge on the genetic mechanisms reveals that not only the diseases inherited from the parents but all diseases are "genetic" said Prof. Dr. Ender Altiok, Managing Director of Genetika. Prof. Dr. Altiok will participate to speak at the 2nd Inherited Haemolytic Anaemia Update Course and Workshops on 4th of May 2009 in King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah / Saudi Arabia, which is organized by Saudi Haematology Society.

Genetika is Acibadem Healthcare Group's Genetic Diagnosis Center and Treatment Center, the largest genetic center in Turkey and one of the largest genetic laboratories in Europe by 250 different genetic tests done by using modern genetic testing methods including more than 20,000 diagnostic DNA sequencing every year.

Genetika provides well equipped and modern facilities for the diagnosis and prevention of human genetic disorders. Genetika gives genetic service to all around the world including United States, Canada, Denmark, India, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Spain, South Africa, Romania, Azerbaydcan. Some genetic tests in the world are done only by a few laboratories including Acibadem ( for example: griscelli, osteopetrosis, osteoimperfecta genetic tests).

Genetika is member of EMQN (European Molecular Genetics Quality Network) and is listed in official sites of NIH ( National Institutes of Health), EDDNAL, Eurogentest( EU official). Genetika is the first and currently only Cell Processing laboratory in JACIE (Joint Accredidation Committee of International Society Cell Therapy and European Bone Marrow Transplantation Society) accreditation process in the Eastern Europe and Middle East.

The genetic casualty can be one step or in multi steps. The treatment and rehabilitation for these increasing numbers of diseases require high financial and human sources thus imposing enormous burden on the healthcare system.

Molecular medicine lead by molecular genetics could contribute to the prevention of genetic conditions and to reduction of the healthcare costs. Genetic counselling followed by carrier testing and prenatal testing for genetic disorders are effective ways to prevent such disorders. In recent years pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is also possible.

With PGD, before any pregnancy, the embryos are obtained from the couples and selected against disease in the family and transferred to the candidate mother. If pregnancy occurs, the baby has the maximum chance to be normal. In this way termination of the pregnancy can be avoided.

Medicine is also heading for the age of cellular therapies. Cellular therapies offer the chance of transplanting a living source for regeneration of organs. The diseases that could not be prevented may be treated by transplantation of normal cells. A genetic condition can be treated with normal cells from a donor.

For example thalassemias and more than 40 conditions have been treated with stem cells for more than 35 years. The stringent requirements for stem cell therapies are stem cell sources like bone marrow and cord blood. Because of this reason stem cell banking is crucial. In recent years cellular therapies have been being developed for conditions like Multiple sclerosis, urea cycle defects and even for anti aging therapy.

Embryonic stem cell banking and embryonic stem cell based therapies may carry therapeutic achievements further ahead if technical, ethical and legal regulations can be done.

Genetika incubates a Cell Processing Laboratory and Stem Cell Banking Units at cGMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards. The laboratory process and stores stem cells from a variety of sources including cord blood, peripheral blood and bone marrow from transplantation purposes as well as for other cell therapies.

The laboratory has processed close to 5000 units of cord blood and hundreds of units of PBSC ( peripheral blood stem cells) for both autologous and allogenic transplantation purposes.