Bioengineering / Biyomühendislik
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11147/4529
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Review Citation - WoS: 23Citation - Scopus: 24Microfluidic-Based Technologies for Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Covid-19: Recent Advances and Future Directions(Springer, 2023) Tarım, Ergün Alperay; Anıl İnevi, Müge; Özkan, İlayda; Keçili, Seren; Bilgi, Eyüp; Başlar, Muhammet Semih; Özçivici, Engin; Öksel Karakuş, Ceyda; Tekin, Hüseyin CumhurThe COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to existing healthcare systems around the world. The urgent need for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 has boomed the demand for new technologies that can improve current healthcare approaches, moving towards more advanced, digitalized, personalized, and patient-oriented systems. Microfluidic-based technologies involve the miniaturization of large-scale devices and laboratory-based procedures, enabling complex chemical and biological operations that are conventionally performed at the macro-scale to be carried out on the microscale or less. The advantages microfluidic systems offer such as rapid, low-cost, accurate, and on-site solutions make these tools extremely useful and effective in the fight against COVID-19. In particular, microfluidic-assisted systems are of great interest in different COVID-19-related domains, varying from direct and indirect detection of COVID-19 infections to drug and vaccine discovery and their targeted delivery. Here, we review recent advances in the use of microfluidic platforms to diagnose, treat or prevent COVID-19. We start by summarizing recent microfluidic-based diagnostic solutions applicable to COVID-19. We then highlight the key roles microfluidics play in developing COVID-19 vaccines and testing how vaccine candidates perform, with a focus on RNA-delivery technologies and nano-carriers. Next, microfluidic-based efforts devoted to assessing the efficacy of potential COVID-19 drugs, either repurposed or new, and their targeted delivery to infected sites are summarized. We conclude by providing future perspectives and research directions that are critical to effectively prevent or respond to future pandemics.Article Citation - WoS: 7Citation - Scopus: 7Connexin 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, GülistanConnexins (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: 8Citation - Scopus: 11Cost-Effective and Rapid Prototyping of Pmma Microfluidic Device Via Polymer-Assisted Bonding(Springer, 2021) Sözmen, Alper Baran; Arslan Yıldız, AhuMicrofluidic systems are relatively new technology field with a constant need of novel and practical manufacturing materials and methods. One of the main shortcomings of current methods is the inability to provide rapid bonding, with high bonding strength, and sound microchannel integrity. Herein we propose a novel method of assembly that overcomes the mentioned limitations. Polymer-assisted bonding is a novel, rapid, simple, and inexpensive method where a polymer is solubilized in a solvent and the constituted solution is used as a bonding agent. In this study, we combined this method with utilization of several phase-changing materials (PCMs) as channel-protective agents. Glauber's salt appeared to be more suitable as a channel-protective agent compared to rest of the salts that have been used in this study. Based on the bonding strength, quality analyses, leakage tests, and SEM imaging, the superior assisting bonding solvent was determined to be dichloromethane with a PMMA concentration of 2.5% (W/V). It showed a bonding strength of 23.794 MPa and a nearly non-visible bonding layer formation of 2.83 mu m in width which is proved by SEM imaging. The said combination of PCM, solvent, and polymer concentration also showed success in leakage tests and an application of micro-droplet generator fabrication. The application was carried out to test the applicability of developed prototyping methodology, which resulted in conclusive outcomes as the droplet generator simulation run in COMSOL Multiphysics version 5.1 software. In conclusion, the developed fabrication method promises simple, rapid, and strong bonding with sharp and clear micro-channel engraving.Article Citation - WoS: 5Citation - Scopus: 5Low Magnitude High Frequency Vibrations Expedite the Osteogenesis of Bone Marrow Stem Cells on Paper Based 3d Scaffolds(Springer, 2020) Karadaş, Özge; Meşe, Gülistan; Özçivici, EnginAnabolic effects of low magnitude high frequency (LMHF) vibrations on bone tissue were consistently shown in the literature in vivo, however in vitro efforts to elucidate underlying mechanisms are generally limited to 2D cell culture studies. Three dimensional cell culture platforms better mimic the natural microenvironment and biological processes usually differ in 3D compared to 2D culture. In this study, we used laboratory grade filter paper as a scaffold material for studying the effects of LHMF vibrations on osteogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in a 3D system. LMHF vibrations were applied 15 min/day at 0.1 g acceleration and 90 Hz frequency for 21 days to residing cells under quiescent and osteogenic conditions. mRNA expression analysis was performed for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OCN) genes, Alizarin red S staining was performed for mineral nodule formation and infrared spectroscopy was performed for determination of extracellular matrix composition. The highest osteocalcin expression, mineral nodule formation and the phosphate bands arising from the inorganic phase was observed for the cells incubated in osteogenic induction medium with vibration. Our results showed that filter paper can be used as a model scaffold system for studying the effects of mechanical loads on cells, and LMHF vibrations induced the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells.Book Part Citation - Scopus: 15Stem Cell Culture Under Simulated Microgravity(Springer, 2020) Anıl İnevi, Müge; Sarıgil, Öykü; Kızılkaya, Melike; Meşe, Gülistan; Tekin, Hüseyin Cumhur; Özçivici, EnginChallenging environment of space causes several pivotal alterations in living systems, especially due to microgravity. The possibility of simulating microgravity by ground-based systems provides research opportunities that may lead to the understanding of in vitro biological effects of microgravity by eliminating the challenges inherent to spaceflight experiments. Stem cells are one of the most prominent cell types, due to their self-renewal and differentiation capabilities. Research on stem cells under simulated microgravity has generated many important findings, enlightening the impact of microgravity on molecular and cellular processes of stem cells with varying potencies. Simulation techniques including clinostat, random positioning machine, rotating wall vessel and magnetic levitation-based systems have improved our knowledge on the effects of microgravity on morphology, migration, proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. Clarification of the mechanisms underlying such changes offers exciting potential for various applications such as identification of putative therapeutic targets to modulate stem cell function and stem cell based regenerative medicine. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.