According to the public relations report of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Hossein Ghenaati, President of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, said on Saturday at the unveiling ceremony of the first phase of the treatment project for children with leukaemia: Tehran University of Medical Sciences is a symbol of higher education and a place to achieve results. The team that is now established in the university, while improving the education, research and treatment situation, also pays attention to the issue of technology as one of the most key indicators of development.

He pointed to the production of 180 technological products in the university and said: Our productions are more than the set of industrial universities in the field of health, and now many high-tech drugs are ready to be unveiled.

While honouring the memory of Dr. Kabuli, the president of the university called him a leading person in the field of university-industry relations and added: We are definitely looking for useful science in Tehran University of Medical Sciences and we are trying to make the technology of the world serve the people. I believe that technological products should be such that they help the country's economy and treatment.

Dr. Ghenaati then pointed to the launch of Shahid Soleimani scientific  City and said: since last year, a land in YaftAbad is being prepared for the establishment of knowledge-based companies, which, after completion, will have the capacity to accommodate 500 start-up companies. Now many of our canters are occupied and we definitely need space for new companies. This issue is also very affordable from an economic point of view, so help to start this city as soon as possible.

The president of the university called Iran's ability to produce medicinal plants as a unique issue and stated: Iran is also very strong in terms of traditional medicines and medicinal plants, and the faculty of traditional medicine can be a canter for the development of this science, so with proper planning, we can In this field, we should have currency for the country.

He stated that "despite the limitations, the progress of the university has been upward and forward" and pointed out: I think with God's help we can do important scientific work and this issue is only with the presence of people like Dr. Hamidieh in the country.The human resources of the university, from doctors, nurses, researchers to services, are very unique and were able to create great changes in the country. The colleagues of the university are the kings of science.

The president of the university considered the factor of time and speed of action very important in scientific productions and said: despite the pressure, threats and various conspiracies, we are moving forward. Everyone should help to continue the growth of the university. There are definitely problems in the country, but fortunately, people have the sense not to make their protests an achievement for the enemies, and God willing, we will build a prosperous and independent Iran.

Dr. Amir Ali Hamidieh, the head of the stem cell transplant department of the Children's Medical Centre, presented the history of children's stem cell transplant in the country and said: This centre was first established in 1986 in Shariati Hospital with 7 beds. And then he was transferred to the Children's Medical Centre. This method is able to treat more than 70 types of incurable diseases through stem cell transplantation.

Dr. Amir Ali Hamidieh then presented a report on the development  required for stem cell transplantation and said: Considering the deficiencies in the system, in 2007 it was decided to transfer this department to the Children's Medical Centre. The stages of building and equipping the stem cell transplantation department were completed and the charity association was also formed alongside it. The transplant clinic developed and advanced services took place. Also, the first non-relative donor bank in the country and the post-transplant care department were also launched.

Dr. Hamidiyeh added: Gene therapy using the corticell therapy method is the newest method for cancer treatment in the world, which has reached the final stage with the efforts of an Iranian knowledge-based company. A model that was localized and used in our country only 4-5 years after its use in the world.

He stated that "Children's Medical Centre is the only centre that engages in the recruitment and training of transplant fellowships", and pointed out that gene therapy is a kind of intracellular manipulation with the help of knowledge of stem cells. It took nearly seven years to be able to use a gene therapy product for a patient for the first time in the country after passing cell studies and preclinical studies on animals and obtaining a license and code of ethics from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The gene therapy project was launched in this canter and this is the first product that is being used in this field.

Head of Stem Cell Transplantation Department of Children's Medical Centre, referring to the demand of the people for the next several years, said: We thank God that the knowledge has been developed in all Tehran University of Medical Sciences and the first CAR_T cell therapy in the treatment of leukaemia was successfully performed in the blood transplantation department.

Dr. Hamidiyeh went on to present a report on Arman's treatment path, the first patient who was treated in this way, and thanked the colleagues who helped in these departments.

He added: This method has advanced technology and I believe in it very much. I hope God will protect all dear colleagues for the university and the country.

Success in gene therapy using CAR_T cell therapy

Gene therapy using CAR_T cell therapy is the newest method for cancer treatment in the world, which has reached the final stage with the efforts of professors of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and the efforts of researchers of an Iranian knowledge-based company; Only 2 multinational companies in the world offer this treatment method and this knowledge has been localized in Iran with the efforts of domestic scientists.

Iranian scientists recently succeeded in treating blood cancer in a patient for the first time in the country using the "gene therapy" method. The receiving patient was a five-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, who had 3 relapses and did not respond to conventional chemotherapy.

This child was a candidate for gene therapy due to not having a suitable donor for stem cell transplantation and being resistant to chemotherapy, and after more than 2 months of TB CAR_T cell injection, he is in a suitable clinical condition without the presence of malignant cells in the bone marrow blood.

The serious program of the Scientific Vice-Chancellor to support researchers

In this ceremony, Dr. Ruhollah Dehghani Firouzabadi, Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, said: I am proud to be present in this gathering today, and I humbly thank all the researchers, nurses, paramedics and services that are effective in this project.

He added: Once in the country, they used to go to Indian doctors to treat colds, but today the most advanced scientific work is done in the country. Most people believe that Iran is an advanced country in the field of health, and this could not have been achieved except in the shadow of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and other universities of the country. Undoubtedly, Tehran University of Medical Sciences is one of the honours and national capitals, and I hope that God will give you all long life and good health.

Dr. Dehghani Firouzabadi pointed out: Today we were talking about advanced treatment that 10 years ago in the country less than 5 knowledge-based companies were thinking about it, but today 200 companies are active in this field, it is an achievement. it's too important. The introduction of information technology in the field of modern medicine and the discussion of data manipulation has brought mankind to a place where it can cure diseases that were incurable before, and this scientific movement that happened in Tehran University of Medical Sciences is one of the important achievements in the field of new technologies.

Dr. Dehghani Firouz Abadivi added: Cell therapy, gene therapy and tissue engineering are topics that are developing as advanced medicine in the world. Researchers in the Islamic Republic have worked hard in this field in the last 30 years, and perhaps now, with the efforts made in the last seven years, there are more than 1,500 active researchers working in these fields.

The vice president for science, technology and economics of the knowledge-base stated: It is very important and valuable that treatments at this level are being done at the lowest price thanks to mature and creative brains. Gene therapy in the field of children has another advantage and that is life statistics for the future. Considering that the majority of this industry is formed based on science and internal capabilities, it provides a great economic value for us.

He said: These areas are wealth creators; Therefore, the main task of the Vice-Chancellor of Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy is to create a platform and space for investment in addition to the support that is provided.

Dr. Dehghani Firouzabadi considered this field as the first human need that can bring a lot of currency for the country and emphasized: We are talking about a field that is of great interest in the world from the point of view of the consumer market. The Scientific Vice-president has a serious plan for this field and on the other hand, infrastructure plans for the development of this country's exports. Setting up advanced treatments and advanced treatment centres for the development of health tourism is one of the most important programs of the Scientific Vice-president.

He then pointed to Shahid Soleimani's city of science and said: Dr. Ghenaati mentioned the 17-hectare infrastructure issue, and the scientific vice president of the presidency will certainly turn on the light of this complex, but I am talking to the smart benefactors and investors of this country. The economic future will be based on investment in this area. I will personally turn on the first light  of this field and invite donors and investors who are thinking about the future to enter this field.

Introducing the cell and gene therapy research centre

The Children's Cell and Gene Therapy Research Centre (initially called the Children's Cell Therapy Research Centre) was launched in 2018 to advance research and technology in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine. This centre is located in the Medical Centre Hospital, the scientific centre for children of the country, and is one of the research centres affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The main goal of this centre is to work in the field of gene therapy and cell therapy. This centre has been recognized as a full member centre by the European Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Association (EBMT) since 2015.

Seyed Mehdi Fazeli

International Relations Expert