This year, one of the three young scientists selected from Boğaziçi University to the TÜBİTAK Scientist Support Programs Presidency 2247-A National Leading Researchers Program was Dr. Lecturer Huriye Erdoğan Dağdaş became its member.
The scientist, who continues his studies in the field of bioinorganic chemistry, will understand the effects of drugs that damage the liver and work on a new test platform to be used in the development of new drugs that better protect this organ, with the project of 750 thousand TL support from TÜBİTAK. In this way, some powerful drugs used in the treatment of diseases such as cancer will be liver-friendly.
Within the scope of TÜBİTAK Scientist Support Programs Presidency 2247-A National Leading Researchers Program, this year, Dr. Lecturer Huriye Erdogan Dagdas, Dr. Lecturer Sema Dumanlı Oktar and Dr. Lecturer Nazan İleri Ercan was elected. In this context, while financial support will be provided to scientists for their studies, scholarships will be given to doctoral students involved in the projects.
Chemistry Department faculty member Dr. Lecturer With the funds provided for three years, Huriye Erdoğan Dağdaş will investigate the mechanism caused by drugs that cause toxins to accumulate in the liver, and will continue her research for a new test platform to be used in the development of new drugs that do not have such effects.
Dr. Lecturer Huriye Erdoğan Dağdaş completed her PhD in chemistry and applied bioscience at ETH Zurich, one of the leading universities in the world, after her undergraduate and graduate studies in chemistry at Middle East Technical University (METU). Vrije University of Brussels in Belgium after their post-doctoral studies in the field of structural biology scientist returning to Turkey, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the three years he worked in the R & D area for biotech drugs. In 2020, he joined Boğaziçi University Chemistry Department faculty member staff.
"THE LIVER CAN PRODUCE HARMFUL SUBSTANCES"
Dr. Lecturer Dağdaş explained the background of the project as follows, stating that her election to the TÜBİTAK 2247-A program will accelerate her research:
“We call the harmful substances we take into our bodies as 'xenobiotics'. For our health, these need to be methodically removed from our system. Much of this happens in our liver. These harmful molecules taken into the body are made soluble in water in our organs and then removed from our system through the kidneys. But there is a point here. Some drugs taken into the system can turn into toxic by-products due to the mechanism of detoxification, that is, toxic effects, or the enzymes in our organs may not be able to metabolize the drugs taken into the body sufficiently. In this first stage, while the liver tries to render harmless molecules that come with drugs from outside, harmless to the body, some toxic by-products may emerge. These products accumulate over time and become much more difficult to remove from the body. This causes disorders that can lead to liver failure. "
"WE WILL LIGHTEN THE DAMAGING MECHANISM"
The scientist states that drugs used in the treatment of many diseases, such as cancer, may cause side-toxic products due to the metobilization of the liver. With liver failure problems in his family, Dr. Lecturer Stating that with the project supported by TÜBİTAK, he will carry out researches to better understand this mechanism and develop new liver-friendly drugs accordingly, “Our project includes both the basic and practical aspects of the work. It is known that some drugs used in treatment methods such as chemotherapy harm the liver and their doses are adjusted accordingly. However, the mechanism underlying this is actually unknown. With our TÜBİTAK project, I aim to enlighten this mechanism and to facilitate toxicological studies by producing high amounts of by-toxic products resulting from the metabolization of drugs. Including drugs and bacterial systems to be used in our study; "The project we aim can be defined first in this respect, with our approach to the problem both mechanically and practically."
"SECTORAL COOPERATION IS POSSIBLE AS THE WORKS PROCEED"
Dr. Lecturer Huriye Erdoğan Dağdaş stated that as the studies progress, academic and sectoral collaborations can be made to develop new drugs that will not harm the liver:
“TUBITAK will speed up our work with 750 thousand TL and the scholarship offered to our students at doctorate level. I think we will take the path we want in three years. In this way, we aim to understand the action mechanisms of these drugs, which are used in the treatment of diseases such as cancer, which cause great damage to the liver with their toxic effects, especially in excessive doses, and cause great damage to organ failure, and to develop an optimal test platform for drugs that are on the market or are still in the research phase. Collaborations can also be established. "
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