Assoc. Prof. Salih Gencer
[email protected]Dr. Gencer graduated from Inonu University with a B. Sc degree in Biology in 1998 and completed his M. Sc. and Ph. D. Degrees in Molecular Biology at the same university in 2002 and 2009 respectively. Dr. Gencer’s master study contributed to our understanding of the regulation of the synthesis of asparaginase, an oncolytic enzyme with high importance in the health industry. His studies regarding this enzyme have been cited in several patent applications by other groups. His doctoral study further cast some light on the function of matrix metalloproteinases in gastric cancers and his studies have been published in highly respected journals in the field. Upon completing his Ph.D., he moved to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in the USA for his postdoctoral researches in 2010. In his new laboratory, he achieved excellently and produced research that has published in high-profile journals such as Nature Chemical Biology, EMBO Molecular Medicine, Blood, and, Science Signaling. In 2016, he received the “ASIP (American Society for Investigative Pathology) Junior Faculty Award” at Experimental Biology Congress in San Diego, California. In 2017, he received the “AACR Scholar-In-Training Award (American Association for Cancer Research) at the AACR conference. Recently, his researches have funded by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and Fulbright grants.
Currently, he is acting as a faculty member at Istanbul Medipol University, International School of Medicine. His research focuses on defining molecular and biochemical mechanisms by which sphingolipid signaling regulates cancer pathogenesis and therapeutics. He has been working on this field over 10 years, and the research group including him have developed novel molecular, pharmacologic and genetic tools to uncover mechanisms by which sphingolipids regulate cancer growth, metastasis and anti-cancer therapeutics.
Selected Publications;
TGF-ß Receptor I/II Trafficking and Signaling at Primary Cilia is Inhibited by Ceramide to Attenuate Cell Migration and Tumor Metastasis.
Salih Gencer, Natalia Oleinik, Ryan De Palma, Joshua Oaks, Mohammed Dany, Can E. Senkal, Suriyan Ponnusamy, Shaun Olson, Phillip Howe, and Besim Ogretmen, TGF-ß Receptor I/II Trafficking and Signaling at Primary Cilia is Inhibited by Ceramide to Attenuate Cell Migration and Tumor Metastasis, Science Signaling, 2017 Oct 24: 10 (502). pii: eaam7464. doi: 10.1126/scisignal. aam7464.
Ceramide Synthesis Regulates T-Cell Activity and GVHD Development.
M. Hanief Sofi, Jessica Heinrichs, Mohammed Dany, Hung Nguyen, Min Dai, David Bastian, Steven Schutt, Yongxia Wu, Anusara Daenthanasanmak, Salih Gencer, Zivkovic Aleksandra, Zdzislaw Szulc, Holger Stark, Chen Liu, Ying-Jun Chang, Besim Ogretmen, and Xue-Zhong Yu, Ceramide Synthesis Regulates T-Cell Activity and GVHD Development, (2017), JCI insight, 2017 May 18; 2 (10). pii: 91701. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.91701.
Targeting FLT3-ITD Signaling Mediates Ceramide-Dependent Mitophagy and Attenuates Drug Resistance in AML.
Dany M, Gencer S, Nganga R, Thomas RJ, Oleinik N, Baron KD, Szulc ZM, Ruvolo P, Kornblau S, Andreeff M, Ogretmen B. Targeting FLT3-ITD Signaling Mediates Ceramide-Dependent Mitophagy and Attenuates Drug Resistance in AML. (2016), Blood, 13;128(15):1944-1958.
Expression of Ceramide Synthase 6 Transcriptionally Activates Acid Ceramidase in a c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase (JNK)-Dependent Manner.
Tejas S. Tirodkar, Ping Lu, Aiping Bai, Matthew Scheffel, Salih Gencer, Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer, Alicja Bielawska, Besim Ogretmen, Christina Voelkel-Johnson; Expression of Ceramide Synthase 6 Transcriptionally Activates Acid Ceramidase in a c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase (JNK)-Dependent Manner; Journal of Biological Chemistry (2015), 290 (21): 13157-67.
Matrix Metalloproteinase Gene Expressions Might be Oxidative Stress Targets in Gastric Cancer Cell Lines.
Salih Gencer, Anil Cebeci, M.Burcu Irmak-Yazicioglu, "Matrix Metalloproteinase Gene Expressions Might be Oxidative Stress Targets in Gastric Cancer Cell Lines.", Chin J Cancer Res. (2013) 25(3): 322-333.
Sphingolipid Derivative FTY720 Targets I2PP2A/SET for PP2A Activation and Lung Tumor Suppression Via RIPK1-Dependent Necroptosis.
Sahar A. Saddoughi, Salih Gencer, Archana Mukhopadhyay, Yuri K. Peterson, Katie Ward, Joshua Oaks, Jacek Bielawski, Zdzislaw M. Szulc, Raquela Thomas, Shanmugam P. Selvam, Can E. Senkal, Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer, Angen Liu, Amyn Habib, Robert Stahelin, Danillo Perrotti, and Besim Ogretmen, Sphingolipid Derivative FTY720 Targets I2PP2A/SET for PP2A Activation and Lung Tumor Suppression Via RIPK1-Dependent Necroptosis, EMBO Molecular Medicine (2013) 5(1): 105-121.
Ceramide Targets Autophagosomes to Mitochondria and Induces Lethal Mitophagy.
R. David Sentelle Can E. Senkal, Wenghui Jiang, Suriyan Ponnusamy, Salih Gencer, Shanmugam Panneer Selvam, Venkat K. Ramshesh, Yuri Peterson, John J. Lemasters, Zdzislaw Szulc, Jacek Bielawski, Besim Ogretmen, Ceramide Targets Autophagosomes to Mitochondria and Induces Lethal Mitophagy, Nature Chemical Biology (2012) 8(10): 831-8.
Off-Target Function of a Sonic-Hedgehog Inhibitor Cyclopamine in Induction of Neutral Sphingomyelinase-2 and Ceramide-Dependent Apoptosis Via Nitric Oxide Generation.
Marissa Mayers-Needham, Jocelyn Lewis, Salih Gencer, R. David Sentelle, Sahar A. Saddoughi, Chris Clarke,Yusuf A Hannun, Hakan Norell, Telma Martins da Palma, Michael Nishimra, Jacqueline M. Kraveka, Zohreh Khavandgar, Monzur Murshed, M. Ozgur Cevik, and Besim Ogretmen; Off-Target Function of a Sonic-Hedgehog Inhibitor Cyclopamine in Induction of Neutral Sphingomyelinase-2 and Ceramide-Dependent Apoptosis Via Nitric Oxide Generation; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics (2012) 11 (5): 1092-1102.
Concerted Functions of HDAC1 and miRNA-574-5p Repress Alternatively Spliced Ceramide Synthase 1 Expression in Human Cancer Cells.
Meyers-Needham M, Ponnusamy S, Gencer S, Jiang W, Thomas RJ, Senkal CE, Ogretmen Besim, Concerted Functions of HDAC1 and miRNA-574-5p Repress Alternatively Spliced Ceramide Synthase 1 Expression in Human Cancer Cells, EMBO Molecular Medicine (2011) 4 (2): 78-92.
Silencing of the MMP-3 Gene by siRNA Transfection in Gastric Cancer AGS Cells.
Salih Gencer, Anıl Cebeci, M.B Irmak Yazıcıoğlu, Silencing of the MMP-3 Gene by siRNA Transfection in Gastric Cancer AGS Cells, J. Gatsrointestinal and Liver Diseases, (2011) 20 (1): 19-26.
Differential Response of Gastric Carcinoma MKN-45 and 23132/87 Cells to H2O2 Exposure.
Salih Gencer, M.B Irmak Yazıcıoğlu, Differential Response of Gastric Carcinoma MKN-45 and 23132/87 Cells to H2O2 Exposure. Turk J. Gastroenterol, (2011) 22 (2): 145-151.
Effect of Vitreoscilla Hemoglobin on Production of a Chemotherapeutic Enzyme, L-Asparaginase, by Pseudomonas Aeroginosa.
Geckil H, Gencer S, Ates B, Ozer U, Uckun M, and Yilmaz I (2006), Effect of Vitreoscilla Hemoglobin on Production of a Chemotherapeutic Enzyme, L-Asparaginase, by Pseudomonas Aeroginosa. Biotechnology Journal 1: 203-208.
Membrane Permeabilization of Gram-Negative Bacteria with a Potassium Phosphate/Hexane Aqueous Phase System for the Release of L-Asparaginase: an Enzyme Used in Cancer Therapy.
Geckil H, Ates B, Gencer S, Uckun M, and Yilmaz I (2005), Membrane Permeabilization of Gram-Negative Bacteria with a Potassium Phosphate/Hexane Aqueous Phase System for the Release of L-Asparaginase: an Enzyme Used in Cancer Therapy. Process Biochemistry 40 (2): 573-579.
Cloning and Expression of the VitreoscIlla Hemoglobin Gene in Enterobacter Aerogenes: Effect on Cell Growth an Oxygen Uptake.
ErenlerSO, GencerS, Geckil H, Stark BC, and WebsterDA (2004),Cloning and Expression of the VitreoscIlla Hemoglobin Gene İn Enterobacter Aerogenes: Effect on Cell Growth an Oxygen Uptake. Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology 40 (3): 288-295.
Production of L-Asparaginase in Enterobacter Aerogenes Expressing Vitreoscilla Hemoglobin for Efficient Oxygen Uptake.
Geckil H, Gencer S (2004), Production of L-Asparaginase in Enterobacter Aerogenes Expressing Vitreoscilla Hemoglobin for Efficient Oxygen Uptake. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 63 (6): 691-697.