CRISPR-Engineered Immune Cells Show Promise in Cancer Treatment: Turkish Research Center Reveals Novel Immunotherapy Approach
Key Insights
Researchers at Üsküdar University's TRGENMER are using CRISPR (search) genetic engineering to modify immune cells, enabling them to recognize and destroy previously evasive cancer (search) cells.
The approach involves extracting a patient's "soldier cells," altering their genetics in the laboratory, and returning them to the body where the immune system can then target cancer (search).
The research center is also integrating robotics and artificial intelligence to conduct cell experiments and genetic modifications without human intervention.
Researchers at Üsküdar University's Transgenic and Genome Editing Research Center (TRGENMER) in Turkey are advancing a novel cancer (search) immunotherapy strategy that leverages CRISPR (search)-based genetic engineering to reprogram a patient's own immune cells, enabling them to recognize and eliminate malignant cells that would otherwise evade detection.
The approach was detailed by TRGENMER Director Asst. Prof. Cihan Taştan during a Science Cafe event held at Sancaktepe Nurettin Topçu Anatolian High School, where academics met with 11th and 12th-grade students to discuss future professions, biotechnology, and ongoing scientific research.
Reprogramming the Body's "Soldier Cells"
Taştan described the fundamental challenge in cancer (search) immunology that his team is addressing. "Cells that can multiply on their own, move, and move in your body we call cancer cells. However, these cancer cells are still cells that your body once recognized," Taştan explained. "Your body's immune system cells, i.e., your soldier cells, cannot attack the 'zombified' cancer cells in your body."
The TRGENMER team's solution involves extracting those immune cells from the patient's body and modifying them in a laboratory environment. "We change their genetics using genetic engineering methods like CRISPR (search), and the eyes of those soldier cells are opened," Taştan said. "Suddenly, we have developed a method that can recognize and kill cancer (search) cells that disobey orders in your body, thus being able to treat cancer."
Once the genetically engineered cells are returned to the patient, Taştan noted, "their immune system can easily recognize and kill cancer (search)."
Robotics and AI Integration in Biological Research
Beyond the immunotherapy work, TRGENMER is embedding robotics and artificial intelligence into its laboratory workflows. Taştan revealed that the center houses robots and AI systems capable of conducting experiments on cells and altering their genetics "without any human touch."
"We believe that robotics and artificial intelligence will particularly change biology," Taştan stated, underscoring the center's commitment to automating and enhancing precision in genetic research.
A Multi-Disciplinary Research Portfolio
The cancer (search) immunotherapy program is one of several research tracks underway at TRGENMER. Taştan highlighted additional projects, including genetic modification of cotton to produce burgundy or red colored fibers, and a Space Biology initiative that he described as moving "beyond the limits of the laboratory."
The center's integrated approach—running cancer (search) treatment experiments, plant genetics studies, and AI-driven robotic systems in adjacent laboratories—reflects a broader vision of cross-disciplinary innovation.
Fostering Scientific Curiosity
Throughout the event, Taştan emphasized that scientific progress depends on asking the right questions. "We try to turn a problem in the world into a question; that question into a solution; and that solution into a product, a treatment, or a remedy," he said. "People who ask the right questions and develop the right ideas can achieve great things."
The Science Cafe event, organized by Üsküdar University's Science Communication Office, aimed to bring science to the public, increase young people's scientific awareness, and contribute to career planning in fields ranging from molecular biology and genetics to health technologies and artificial intelligence.