Turkish-Italian collaboration receives TÜBİTAK approval for rare disease research
Turkish-Italian collaboration receives TÜBİTAK approval for rare disease research
The research proposal titled "Exploring Therapeutic Strategies for cblC Disease: Italy-Turkey Collaboration" (EXIT) has been officially accepted by TÜBİTAK. This collaboration brings together the expertise of the Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG) in Turkey and the Institute of Biophysics (IBF) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) to address the challenges posed by cblC disease, a rare genetic disorder.
This two-year initiative, which started in November 2024, highlights the power of international cooperation in scientific advancement. The Turkish team, led by Prof. Ş. Esra Erdal Bağrıyanık of IBG, will focus on generating disease-specific cellular models, including iPSC-derived brain and liver organoids, to evaluate potential treatments. Meanwhile, the Italian team, directed by Dr. Silvia Vilasi of CNR-IBF, will lead efforts to identify and characterize small molecules capable of restoring protein function or inducing readthrough of genetic mutations.
The project promises significant breakthroughs, from identifying potential drug candidates to advancing the understanding of rare disease mechanisms.