Translational Cancer Research

Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Neşe ATABEY

Our laboratory, part of the Translational Cancer Research group at IBG, conducts research aimed at unraveling the signaling pathways that contribute to tumor metastasis development and identifying new signaling molecules and biomarker candidates for antimetastatic therapy targets. We primarily investigate the basis of organ-specific metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) using 3D co-cultures to model the tumor microenvironment. The molecular pathways identified in these models through multi-omics analyses are validated by in silico tools, as well as in vitro and in vivo models. Druggable target molecules are identified using in silico and analytical methods, and their in vitro efficacy and cytotoxicity are subsequently tested. Our current research focuses on understanding the role of metabolism-related steatotic liver disease (MASLD) mediated microenvironmental changes in the development of liver metastasis of HCC and CRC cells.

Publications

- Öztemur Islakoğlu Y, Korhan P, Binokay L, Keleş B, Bağırsakçı E, Uludağ Taşçıoğlu M, Şamdancı E, Karakülah G, Atabey N. Fusion transcripts landscape in hepatocellular carcinoma and potential impact on the expression of fusion partners. RNA Biol. 2025 Dec;22(1):1-16. doi: 10.1080/15476286.2025.2529036. Epub 2025 Jul 9. PMID: 40613496.

- Korhan P, Bağırsakçı E, Islakoğlu YÖ, Atabey N. 3D Cell Culture Models as a Platform for Studying Tumor Progression, Testing Treatment Responses, and Discovering Biomarkers. Methods Mol Biol. 2025 Jan 9. doi:10.1007/7651_2024_595. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39776071.

- Korhan P, Bağırsakçı E, Öztemur IslakoğluY, Solmaz G, Sarıkaya B, Nart D, Yılmaz F, Atabey N. MASLD-mimicking microenvironment drives an aggressive phenotype and represses IDH2 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatoma Res. 2024;10:22. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2394-5079.2023.140.

- Bagci G, Comez D, Topel H, Yilmaz Y, Bagirsakci E, Gunes A, Batı Ayaz G, Tahmaz I, Bilgen M, Solmaz G, Pesen Okvur D, Atabey N. c-Met activation promotes extravasation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells into 3D-cultured hepatocyte cells in lab-on-a-chip device. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Res. 2023 Dec;1870(8):119557. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2023.119557. Epub 2023 Aug 5. PMID: 37549739.

- Topel H, Bağırsakçı E, Yılmaz Y, Güneş A, Bağcı G, Çömez D, Kahraman E, Korhan P, Atabey N. High glucose induced c-Met activation promotes aggressive phenotype and regulates expression of glucose metabolism genes in HCC cells. Sci Rep. 2021 May 31;11(1):11376. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-89765-5. PMID: 34059694.

Projects

- TRANSCAN-3 Joint Transnational Call: 125N685, METRICs: Metabolism/ Metagenomics-based strategies for sensitization to Radio- and Immuno- therapy Combinations, Accepted.

- TUBITAK – Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization of Romania (MCID) Bilateral Cooperation: 124N765, Biomarker-guided drug-repurposing for management of liver metastasis in MASLD-induced colorectal cancer, Ongoing.

- TUBITAK – 1001: 122S547, Investigating the Role of Olfactory Receptors in the Development of Liver Metastasis in Colon Adenocarcinomas, Ongoing.

- TUBITAK – French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bilateral Cooperation Bosphorus Programme: 119N226, Interaction of specific insulin receptor isoforms with c-Met: Mechanisms and contributing roles in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma, Completed.

- TUSEB 2020-Yİ-02: 6860, A Novel Strategy for the Treatment of Liver Cancer: Inhibition of Neddylation Dysregulation in c-Met Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Protein Using Small Molecules, Completed.

- TUBITAK – 1001: 119S698, Investigation of the role of HGF/c-Met Pathway in tumor microenvironment during the progression of liver metastasis, Completed.

- TUBITAK – 1001: 118Z156, The Role of Caveolin-1 on Sorafenib Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Completed.

- TUBITAK – 1003: 115E056, A Novel Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) Device for Early Diagnosis of Metastasis, Completed.

- TUBITAK – 1001: 114S359, Molecular Mechanism of High Glucose-Mediated Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression: c-Met Activation and Novel Candidates Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein, Sestrin2, and lncRNA HOTAIR, Completed.

Patents

- N. Atabey, P. Korhan, E. Bağırsakçı, Y. Öztemur Islakoğu, G. Solmaz, B. Sarıkaya Berber, D. Nart, F. Yılmaz, 3D Co-Culture System Mimicking MASLD for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research (Pending).

- Durdağı S, Sezgin O, Atabey SN, Yilmaz Y. New c-Met ECM Domain Inhibitors (Pending).

- Bottaro, D. P., Giubellino A., Atabey S. N., Soriano J. V., Breckenridge D. E.ve Burke T. R. (2011). Inhibition of cell motility, angiogenesis, and metastasis, Pub No: US7871981.

- Bottaro, D. P., Giubellino A., Atabey S. N., Soriano J. V., Breckenridge D. E.ve Burke T. R. (2008). Tripeptides for treating cancer metastasis, prostate cancer and melanoma, Pub No: WO2008036565 A1.

- Bottaro D. P., Atabey, S. N., Breckenridge D. E., Gao Y., Soriano J. V.ve Yao Z. J. (2006). Inhibition of cell motility and angiogenesis by inhibitors of the Grb2 SH2-domain, Pub No:US1733392.

- Demirci T, Oflaz H, Atabey N, et al.(2008). In vitro Mechanical Stress System, Pub No:TR200801036a2.

Staff

Active Members

Barış Keleş
Esra Katkat (PhD)
Ezgi Bağırsakçı Tepe (PhD)
Fatma Rabia Çakıcı
Gülhas Solmaz (PhD)
Rachel Helena Jantjies
Peyda Korhan (PhD)
Tutku Güler

Former Members

Afsoon Sadeghi Azadi (PhD)
Ayşim Güneş (PhD)
Dehan Çömez (PhD)
Erkan Kahraman (PhD)
Evin İşcan (PhD)
Gizem Batı Ayaz (PhD)
Gülsün Bağcı (MSc)
Hande Topel (PhD)
Işıl Kılıçgün (MSc)
Yeliz Yılmaz (PhD)