Published 
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remains a serious public health concern in Thailand. The study reported a high number of CCA in the North East of Thailand and posed the highest number in the world – 135 men and 48 women per 100,000 population. The disease killed 14,000 population every year because of having uncooked freshwater fish and the evidence implicated the carcinogenic liver fluke in the patients.
The Thesis on “IMPROVEMENT OF DENDRITIC CELL FUNCTIONS ON THE ACTIVATION OF EFFECTOR IMMUNE CELLS AGAINST CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA CELL LINES BY INHIBITION OF IL-10 AND TGF-β RECEPTORS” by Dr. Chutamas Thepmalee, a Ph.D. student from Immunology Program (INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM), Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University was counted as the first time in Thailand to use the activation of effector immune cells to combat CCA cell in the laboratory. The contribution of her thesis is remarkably beneficial as it is going to become an option for CCA treatment which is effective and safe when combined with the regular treatment e.g. surgery, radiology, chemotherapy, and precision medicine those posed a high risk of side effect.
Dr. Pa–thai Yenchitsomanus, Professor and Director, Consultant to the Deputy Dean for Postgraduate Education, Ex-President, and Consultant to the President of Genetics Society of Thailand, Head of Molecular Medicine Division, and Chutamas’s Thesis Advisory Committee explained that the principle of using the effector immune cells of the patient itself becomes a living drug to cure CCA. The way of treatment is safe for the patient because the immune cells were brought from the patient body and develop by using Molecular and Cellular Biology methods. The modified immune cells will be transferred into the patients’ bodies and act as a living drug to fight Cholangiocarcinoma cells.
Dr. Chutamas presented her thesis in the Outstanding Thesis Competition hosted by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Mahidol University in the first group of Biological Sciences on July 14th, 2020, and received the Distinguished Thesis Award 2020.
Special thanks to M2F https://www.m2fnews.com/lifestyle/work-and-life/62448
Faculty of Postgraduate Studies, Mahidol University
