Research and development related to healthy aging is yielding results. A variety of technologies are emerging, from regenerative medicine that restores damaged or lost tissues and organs to mental health treatments and cancer vaccines.
On the 20th, experts from Korea and Switzerland shared the latest research findings related to aging at the 12th Korea-Switzerland Biotechnology Symposium held at the Westin Chosun Seoul Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. They unanimously emphasized that close cooperation between Korea and Switzerland is essential for healthy aging in an aging society.
Professor Lee Joo-ho from Bundang CHA Medical Center emphasized regenerative medicine as a key tool to address diseases caused by aging. Noteworthy examples include stem cell therapy and cell immunotherapy. It not only revives damaged tissues but also shows potential in cancer treatment. Professor Lee noted that customized treatments, such as 'CAR-NK cell therapy,' which combines natural killer (NK) cells with 'CAR (chimeric antigen receptor)' to recognize cancer cells, could be accelerated through international collaborative research.
Aging also affects mental health. Professor Birgit Kleim from the University of Zurich in Switzerland introduced sleep-based therapies and tools that integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR) to treat stress and trauma experienced throughout life. She mentioned that such technologies could advance further when combined with Korea's strengths in information technology (IT).
Global pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland also introduced technological innovations for healthy aging. Hailey Jung, head of clinical operations at Roche Korea, stated, 'Through innovations in cancer vaccines, we can extend human lifespan,' adding that cancer vaccines targeting the unique immune systems of patients will become a new personalized treatment method. She noted that there could be more synergy when currently used anti-cancer immunotherapy is combined with cancer vaccines.
The experts gathered that day emphasized that international cooperation is essential in research aimed at delaying aging. Alessandro Mazzetti, head of innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Basel, stated, 'Just as Samsung Electronics and the Swiss startup Bottneuro AG are collaborating on research for Alzheimer's diagnostic solutions, cooperation between Korea and Switzerland is ongoing,' adding that they can jointly respond to global healthcare issues as complementary partners with strengths.
Cristina Baek, head of innovation and global business development at Novartis Korea, also noted, 'The collaborative ecosystem through open innovation is greatly facilitating technology development,' and emphasized the importance of global cooperation linked to academia, industry, and research.