Cellular therapy and regenerative medicine are emerging medical technologies, for which Taichung Veterans General Hospital has unveiled the "Good Tissue Practice (GTP) Laboratory" to develop advanced cellular therapy. President Tsai inaugurated the lab and celebrated the 41st anniversary of the hospital on 28 October, expressing her willingness to contribute collectively to achieving medical excellence.
Tsai congratulated Taichung Veterans General Hospital, under the leadership of Superintendent Shih-Ann Chen, has been selected as one of the world's best smart hospitals for two consecutive years, and has achieved remarkable results in both intelligent medicine and precision medicine. "The inauguration of the GTP Lab and the presence of medical experts from all over the world at medical symposiums organised by the hospital continued deepening of its roots in the region, as well as its strides towards the international arena", said Chen.
In view of the importance of cellular therapy and regenerative medicine, the GTP Lab invited cellular therapy and regenerative medicine experts to join and lead the development of advanced cellular therapy, and to provide cellular therapy-related research, development, production, and clinical application by using the latest technology and fully automated, closed cell culture equipment.
Cellular therapy and regenerative medicine covers tissue and cell repair, stem cell therapy, cancer immunotherapy, etc. Unlike traditional therapeutics, cellular therapy uses the body's own healing ability to treat diseases, and is a popular medical technology worldwide.
Taichung Veterans General Hospital established the Center for Cellular Therapy and Regenerative Medicine in February last year, organising a team of 40 doctors specialising in cancer, autoimmune diseases, neuronal and degenerative joint diseases. In December, the hospital was certified by Novartis Switzerland as a CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T) cell therapy hospital, and is one of the five qualified hospitals in the country to provide blood and lymphoma patients with a one-time, permanent cure.
Chen said that in order to meet the international standards, the hospital has introduced international advanced cellular clinical trials towards the goal of "local production of cells". The establishment of a modern GTP laboratory will bring in resources for industry-academia collaboration and clinical trials, and will be a further leap forward for the hospital to develop innovative and efficient cellular therapies.
The opening ceremony for the GTP Lab was followed by an international symposium, where 56 internationally renowned experts and 294 cross-disciplinary professionals to share the latest medical research findings.
