Bioengineering / Biyomühendislik

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11147/4529

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  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 7
    Citation - Scopus: 7
    Connexin 32 Overexpression Increases Proliferation, Reduces Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication, Motility and Epithelial-To Transition in Hs578t Breast Cancer Cells
    (Springer, 2022) Uğur, Deniz; Güngül, Taha Buğra; Yücel, Simge; Özçivici, Engin; Yalçın Özuysal, Özden; Meşe Özçivici, Gülistan
    Connexins (Cx) are primary components of gap junctions that selectively allow molecules to be exchanged between adjacent cells, regulating multiple cellular functions. Along with their channel forming functions, connexins play a variety of roles in different stages of tumorigenesis and their roles in tumor initiation and progression is isoform- and tissue-specific. While Cx26 and Cx43 were downregulated during breast tumorigenesis, Cx32 was accumulated in the cytoplasm of the cells in lymph node metastasis of breast cancers and Cx32 was further upregulated in metastasis. Cx32's effect on cell proliferation, gap junctional communication, hemichannel activity, cellular motility and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were investigated by overexpressing Cx32 in Hs578T and MCF7 breast cancer cells. Additionally, the expression and localization of Cx26 and Cx43 upon Cx32 overexpression were examined by Western blot and immunostaining experiments, respectively. We observed that MCF7 cells had endogenous Cx32 while Hs578T cells did not and when Cx32 was overexpressed in these cells, it caused a significant increase in the percentages of Hs578T cells at the S phase in addition to increasing their proliferation. Further, while Cx32 overexpression did not induce hemichannel activity in either cell, it decreased gap junctional communication between Hs578T cells. Additionally, Cx32 was mainly observed in the cytoplasm in both cells, where it did not form gap junction plaques but Cx32 overexpression reduced Cx43 levels without affecting Cx26. Moreover, migration and invasion potentials of Hs578T and migration in MCF7 were reduced upon Cx32 overexpression. Finally, the protein level of mesenchymal marker N-cadherin decreased while epithelial marker ZO-1 and E-cadherin increased in Hs578T cells. We observed that Cx32 overexpression altered cell proliferation, communication, migration and EMT in Hs578T, suggesting a tumor suppressor role in these cells while it had minor effects on MCF7 cells.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 4
    Citation - Scopus: 3
    Is Telomerase a Hidden Player? Therapeutic Potential of Natural Telomerase Activators Against Age-Related Diseases
    (Springer, 2022) Kuru, Gülten; Üner, Göklem; Bedir, Erdal
    There is a huge demand for novel treatment and/or prevention approaches for age-related diseases, which reduce life quality and one of the main reasons for death worldwide. Many age-related diseases were found to be associated with dysfunctional telomeres, which accelerate aging process due to the decrease in repair potential of tissues. An enzyme called telomerase is mainly responsible for keeping telomeres healthful. In the last two decades, the progress in the field, including in vitro studies, preclinical data, and human trials, demonstrated that telomerase and related genes might be powerful targets for the treatment of those diseases. Considering telomerase reactivation as a treatment strategy in age-related degenerative diseases, telomerase activators obtained from natural products stand out as promising agents. Although various research showed that those activators have protective/therapeutic activity against age-related diseases, the role of telomerase activation is often neglected in studies. In this context, we focused on the natural products as telomerase activator and their activities on age-related diseases, specifically neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, and osteodegenerative disorders, in which telomere dysfunction plays a causal role. Thus, this review aims to draw attention to the possibility of telomerase activation in therapy, in which some well-known natural products such as telomerase activators might play a role.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 3
    Citation - Scopus: 4
    Frequency-Specific Sensitivity of 3t3-L1 Preadipocytes To Low-Intensity Vibratory Stimulus During Adipogenesis
    (Springer, 2022) Baskan, Öznur; Sarıgil, Öykü; Meşe Özçivici, Gülistan; Özçivici, Engin
    Adipocyte accumulation in the bone marrow is a severe complication leading to bone defects and reduced regenerative capacity. Application of external mechanical signals to bone marrow cellular niche is a non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical methodology to improve osteogenesis and suppress adipogenesis. However, in the literature, the specific parameters related to the nature of low-intensity vibratory (LIV) signals appear to be arbitrarily selected for amplitude, bouts, and applied frequency. In this study, we performed a LIV frequency sweep ranging from 30 to 120 Hz with increments of 15 Hz applied onto preadipocytes during adipogenesis for 10 d. We addressed the effect of LIV with different frequencies on single-cell density, adipogenic gene expression, lipid morphology, and triglycerides content. Results showed that LIV signals with 75-Hz frequency had the most significant suppressive effect during adipogenesis. Our results support the premise that mechanical-based interventions for suppressing adipogenesis may benefit from optimizing input parameters.