2 December 2025

Prof. Dr. Furkan Ayaz Has Developed a Promising Therapeutic Drug for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Agenda

Prof. Dr. Furkan Ayaz Honored with Visiting Professorship and Honorary Doctorate by Odesa National Medical University

Prof. Dr. Furkan Ayaz, a faculty member at Istinye University, was awarded the titles of Visiting Professor and Honorary Doctorate by Odesa National Medical University following his presentation on the immune system and biotechnological products. Prof. Dr. Ayaz, whose research on a drug aimed at preventing Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has attracted international attention, was also invited to teach courses and participate in joint academic projects at the university in the coming year, subject to conditions related to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Expressing his gratitude, Prof. Dr. Ayaz stated that he was deeply honored by these distinctions and emphasized his commitment to continuing academic collaboration.

Prof. Dr. Ayaz received these honors after delivering a presentation on recent advances in immunology, his primary field of research. University officials announced their intention to host him in Ukraine within the next year to contribute to teaching activities, collaborative research projects, and sustained academic exchange, depending on developments related to the conflict in the region.

A Promising Therapeutic Approach for Multiple Sclerosis

Currently, approximately 3 million people worldwide and 75,000 individuals in Türkiye are affected by Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a disease resulting from physical damage to the myelin sheath of the spinal cord, which plays a crucial role in communication between the central nervous system and other organs. Prof. Dr. Furkan Ayaz is widely recognized for developing a drug candidate aimed at preventing MS. He notes that this novel therapeutic approach has the potential to improve the quality of life of individuals living with MS and may also be administered prophylactically to individuals with a genetic predisposition to the disease in order to prevent its onset.

“I Was Truly Surprised and Honored”

Reflecting on the recognition he received, Prof. Dr. Ayaz stated:

“I did not anticipate such an outcome. I delivered an online presentation to the university on developments in immunology and biotechnological products. The interest shown by both faculty members and students was remarkable. Following the presentation, they informed me that I would be awarded the Visiting Professorship and an Honorary Doctorate. I was truly surprised and deeply honored.”

He further emphasized that he intends to continue academic research and collaborative projects with Odesa National Medical University.

Development of a Drug to Prevent MS

Prof. Dr. Ayaz, a faculty member in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Istinye University, explained that his work on an MS-preventive drug began after observing that exopolysaccharides derived from a bacterium found in the human gut were able to completely inhibit MS in experimental settings. He initiated this research in 2019 and, after two years of laboratory studies, observed that the disease was effectively prevented in experimental models.

Prof. Dr. Ayaz noted that the development of the drug has been ongoing in the United States for the past six years and explained the underlying mechanism as follows:

“The drug is derived from regulatory bacteria present in the human body, which also play a role in preventing intestinal inflammation. Based on this observation, we began working on its application in the treatment of MS. Naturally, the bacterium itself cannot be directly administered to humans. After discovering that a specific sugar molecule on the bacterial surface had a therapeutic effect on MS, I focused my research on this component. In essence, the drug is derived from this bacterium. Following positive results in MS models, it was also tested in rheumatic diseases, where beneficial effects were likewise observed. After two years of research, we obtained positive outcomes in animal experiments and observed that the progression of MS was effectively halted.”

“Our Goal Is to Prevent Disease Relapse”

Prof. Dr. Ayaz emphasized that inflammation affecting the central nervous system plays a critical role in the worsening of MS:

“In MS patients, inflammation fluctuates, increasing and decreasing over time. When inflammation subsides, administering this drug aims to prevent disease relapse. The patented drug received financial support of 500,000 USD from an international pharmaceutical company based in the United States. To continue development, a company was established in the U.S., which has been working on the drug for six years. Efforts are currently underway to reach agreements with larger pharmaceutical companies for clinical trials. Once these studies are completed, the drug will proceed to clinical trials and, following successful outcomes, may be made available for clinical use.”