Thessaloniki: Cell Therapy Centre Inaugurated

On Friday 18 September 2026, Thessaloniki’s “G. Papanikolaou” General Hospital held the opening ceremony of the new Cell and Gene Therapy and Laboratories Centre in the presence of the prime minister. According to an announcement from the Ministry of Health, the investment to establish the centre reached €13.36 million, funded through the Recovery and Resilience Fund. The ministry did not clarify which specific therapies the centre would initially offer, when it is expected to receive the first patients, or which hospital departments would be directly connected to the new facility. The announcement also included no data on the number of scientific staff that would staff the centre.

Cell and gene therapies, such as those internationally known by the acronym CAR-T, are used mainly in the treatment of haematological cancers, such as certain forms of leukaemia and lymphoma, and are based on the modification of immune system cells from the patient themselves. Their production requires specialised facilities in clean rooms, rigorous quality control protocols, and cryopreservation infrastructure for storing cellular and genetic material at very low temperatures. Internationally, the development of such therapies is considered one of the most demanding areas of modern medicine, both scientifically and in terms of infrastructure, as it requires specialised staff, continuous training, and large investments in equipment. Historically, Greek patients who needed access to such therapies relied on a limited number of centres in the country or were forced to seek treatment abroad, with all the attendant costs, travel, and distress for themselves and their families.

The operation of such a centre in Thessaloniki may in future facilitate access for patients from northern Greece to advanced therapies without relocation to another city or country, however the ministry has not announced the expected number of patients to be served annually. For the region, the establishment of specialised health infrastructure is often linked to the retention of scientific staff who would otherwise seek opportunities in larger centres or abroad, an issue that has long been a concern for the public health system. The addition of specialised laboratories to an already functioning hospital is usually a time-consuming process, as it requires certifications, operational tests, and staff training before services can be fully activated for the public.

The Ministry of Health has not set a public timeline for the full activation of the centre, nor has it announced details of its staffing. Funding through the Recovery Fund is part of a broader infrastructure upgrade programme for the National Health System, which includes other interventions in hospitals across the country, with implications for the healthcare economy at national level. Further announcements on the start of operations and the range of therapies provided are expected from the “G. Papanikolaou” General Hospital and the ministry in the coming weeks as the project advances to the next stage of implementation.