Speaker:  Özlem KUTLU

Title: Inherited Rare Diseases and Their Nanoparticle-based Therapeutic Approaches

Date/Time: March 20, 2019 / 13:40 - 14:30

Place: FENS G035

Abstract: Rare Diseases are defined as one that affects fewer than 200,000 people. Currently, six to seven thousand rare diseases have been known and new diseases are regularly described in medical literature.  The majority of them have a genetic component and can be caused by changes in a single gene, multiple genes or changes at the chromosomal level.  About 80% of rare diseases are genetic conditions that result in metabolism problems. Gene mutations lead to defective hydrolysis, which results in accumulation of metabolic substrates in the liver, spleen, bone marrow or central nervous system. The medical challenges of these diseases are still exist due to poorly understood pathology and limited therapy options. In recent years, biodegradable nanoparticles are considered an attractive way of clinical therapy because of their non-toxic nature and ability to internalize into mammalian cells. The aim of the talk will be to summarize about recent advances for diagnosis and therapy in inherited rare diseases and to discuss research efforts for their nanoparticle-based treatment.

Bio: Ozlem Kutlu received the B.S. degree from Department of Biology, Ege University, Izmir, in 2002, and the MSc. and Ph.D. degree from the Department of Material and Life Science, Kumamoto University, Japan, in 2008. During 2009–2015, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Sabanci University, Istanbul. She is currently an Associate Professor and Research Team Leader at Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM).

Contact: Öznur Taştan & Emre Erdem