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Article Citation - WoS: 8Citation - Scopus: 9Expanding the Role of Exosomes in Drug, Biomolecule, and Nanoparticle Delivery(Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, 2025) Saka, Ongun Mehmet; Dora, Devrim Demir; Kibar, Gunes; Tevlek, AtakanExosomes are nanoscale extracellular vesicles released by diverse cell types, serving essential functions in intercellular communication and physiological processes. These vesicles have garnered considerable interest in recent years for their potential as drug delivery systems, attributed to their natural origin, minimal immunogenicity, high biocompatibility, and capacity to traverse biological barriers, including the blood-brain barrier. Exosomes can be obtained from diverse biological fluids, rendering them accessible and versatile vehicles for therapeutic medicines. This study emphasizes the burgeoning significance of exosomes in drug administration, concentrating on their benefits, including improved stability, target selectivity, and the capacity to encapsulate various biomolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules. Notwithstanding their potential applications, other problems remain, including as effective drug loading, industrial scalability, and the standardization of isolation methodologies. Overcoming these hurdles via new research is essential for fully harnessing the promise of exosomes in therapeutic applications, especially in the treatment of intricate diseases like cancer and neurological disorders.Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 2Assessment of Anticancer Effects of Aloe Vera on 3D Liver Tumor Spheroids in a Microfluidic Platform(Wiley, 2025) Tevlek, Atakan; Kibar, Gunes; Cetin, BarbarosThe search for effective anticancer therapies has increasingly focused on natural compounds like Aloe vera, renowned for its therapeutic properties. This study investigates the anticancer properties of Aloe vera on 3D liver tumor spheroids via a PDMS-based microfluidic device, providing a more physiologically realistic model compared to traditional 2D cultures. HepG2 cells were cultivated to generate 3D spheroids on-chip, thereafter subjected to different concentrations of Aloe vera and the chemotherapeutic drug Doxorubicin to evaluate cytotoxic effects. The microfluidic system, validated by COMSOL simulations, facilitated continuous perfusion and real-time assessment of cell viability over a duration of 10 days. The results indicated that Aloe vera markedly diminished cell viability by triggering apoptosis at concentrations over 12.5 mg/mL. IC50 values were determined at 72 h: 25 +/- 0.10 mg/mL for Aloe vera and 5.47 +/- 0.03 mu g/mL for Doxorubicin in 2D cultures, but in 3D cultures, the IC50 values were 31.25 +/- 0.14 mg/mL for Aloe vera and 8.33 +/- 0.05 mu g/mL for Doxorubicin. This study underscores the promise of Aloe vera as a natural anticancer agent and illustrates the efficacy of microfluidic platforms for enhanced drug screening and customized medicine applications.Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 3Microfluidic Rapid Isolation and Electrochemical Detection of S. Pneumonia Via Aptamer-Decorated Surfaces(Elsevier, 2025) Babaie, Zahra; Kibar, Gunes; Yesilkaya, Hasan; Amrani, Yassine; Dogan, Soner; Tuna, Bilge G.; Cetin, Barbaros; Özalp, Veli CengizBackground: S. pneumoniae is widely recognized as a leading cause of respiratory infections worldwide, often resulting in high mortality rates. However, the advent of microfluidic technologies has brought significant advancements, including the simplified, sensitive, cost-effective, and rapid approach to pneumococcal bacteremia detection. In this study, a microfluidic magnetic platform is presented for rapid isolation, and an electrode array is utilized for the electrochemical detection of S. pneumoniae. Aptamer-decorated surfaces were employed for both isolation and detection. For isolation, silica magnetic microparticles were synthesized and decorated with aptamer. Results: Isolation performance was assessed for phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and blood samples for different concentrations of S. pneumoniae. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with fabricated gold interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) decorated with aptamer was implemented for the detection of S. pneumoniae at different bacteria concentrations. The microfluidic platform performed bacteria isolation at comparable isolation efficiency with batch systems but at a much faster rate (isolation took about a minute, and the aptamer-decorated electrode array exhibited a limit of detection (LOD) at 962 CFU/mL and linear range between 104 and 107CFU/mL. Significance: Our method represents a significant advancement compared to previous reports. Our microfluidic platform can efficiently isolate 60 mu L of the bacteria sample within about one minute. The entire process takes about two minutes including the detection step. Furthermore, our method achieves a notable improvement in the detection limit for S. pneumoniae compared to conventional ELISA and magnetic microfluidics ELISA.
