ID :
10381
Fri, 06/20/2008 - 10:12
Auther :

TURKISH SCIENTISTS TO BRIDLE CANCER AND PARALYSIS

GAZIANTEP (A.A) - June 20 - A group formed by seven Turkish scientists at Japan's Okayama University Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, have been working to bridle cancer, paralysis and rheumatism since 2000.

Prof. Dr. Kadir Demircan, one of members of the group, was presented by Japan with
the "Young Scientist of the Year Award" in 2005 for discovering the gene which
causes the rheumatism.

36-year-old scientist, who will unveil results of his new research on treatment of
paralysis at a prominent congress in the United States in July, came to the
southeastern Turkish province of Gaziantep with a 10-strong Japanese delegation led
by Prof. Dr. Yoshiaki Sasaki under "Turkey-Asia Pacific: Foreign Trade Bridge-2"
hosted by the Confederation of Businessmen & Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON) in
Istanbul.

In an interview with the A.A in Gaziantep, Prof. Dr. Demircan said, "we discovered
that the gene of rheumatism could obviate both tumors and paralysis. Upon this
discovery, we were given a financial support of 200 thousand USD. Now, we have been
working on treatment of paralysis for the last three years. We observed in the
laboratory that rats which do not have that gene, recovers more slowly and in a
longer period of time."

"Another member of our group found the gene that bridles cancer. In cancer, there
are some genes suppressing tumor like the brake of an automobile. When this gene is
absent, cancer prevails. Our friend has discovered such a gene preventing tumor in
human body for the first time in the world. His work was published in prominent
scientific magazines," he said.

Prof. Dr. Demircan called on Turkish businessmen to extend more support to
scientific researches.

"I grew up in a small town in the western Turkish city of Kutahya. I did not leave
the town till I graduated from high school. Now, I live in Japan where there are 600
universities. Japan extends great support to science and scientists while Turkey
does not invest in research & development works," Prof. Dr. Demircan lamented.


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