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Article Enhanced Doxorubicin Cytotoxicity on Breast Cancer Spheroids by Aptamer Targeted Co-Delivery With Hyaluronidase(Wiley, 2025) Kavruk, Murat; Demirel, Dide Su; Bonyadi, Farzaneh; Guner, Buket Cakmak; Dursun, Ali Dogan; Vakifahmetoglu, Cekdar; Ozalp, Veli CengizBreast cancer is one of the most prevalent solid tumors in women and can be classified into subtypes based on molecular characteristics, such as hormone receptor status and HER2 expression. Aptamers, highly specific affinity molecules, are extensively studied for targeted drug delivery using nanocarriers to enhance anti-cancer efficacy. This study focused on HER2-responsive co-delivery of doxorubicin and hyaluronidase via aptamer-gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles to improve therapeutic outcomes in solid tumors. SK-BR-3 spheroids are employed as a model for resistant tumor environments in solid tumors. Previous research is shown that conjugating cytotoxic drugs with nanoparticles or cells enhances drug penetration into tumor spheroids. In this work, doxorubicin is loaded into mesoporous silica nanoparticles and capped with HER2-specific aptamers, while the particle surface is functionalized with hyaluronidase. This dual-functionalized nanocarrier system achieves an approximate to 8.5-fold increase in cytotoxicity compared to aptamer-targeted delivery lacking hyaluronidase. The enhanced effect is attributed to hyaluronidase-mediated loosening of the spheroid structure, facilitating nanoparticle penetration and localized release of doxorubicin at high concentrations on HER2-positive cells.Article Citation - WoS: 7Citation - Scopus: 7Surface Plasmon Resonance Aptasensor for Soluble Icam-1 Protein in Blood Samples(Royal Soc Chemistry, 2022) Dursun, Ali Dogan; Dogan, Soner; Kavruk, Murat; Tasbasi, B. Busra; Sudagidan, Mert; Yilmaz, M. Deniz; Tuna, Bilge G.Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is considered to be a cancer biomarker in the assessment of metastatic potential in patients and an early indicator of atherosclerosis. A labelless biosensor based on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) signal from the specific affinity interaction of an aptamer and a soluble ICAM-1 protein was developed for blood samples. The developed aptasensor provided real-time information on the concentration of the ICAM-1 protein in blood when integrated to a purification step based on a magnetic pull-down separation. The SPR aptasensor was highly specific with a limit of detection of 1.4/0.2 ng ml(-1), which was achieved through aptamer-functionalized silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles.Article Fluorescent and Electrochemical Detection of Nuclease Activity Associated With Streptococcus Pneumoniae Using Specific Oligonucleotide Probes(Analyst, 2024) Goikoetxea, Garazi; Akhtar, Khadija-tul Kubra; Prysiazhniuk, Alona; Borsa, Barış A.; Aldağ, Mehmet Ersoy; Kavruk, Murat; Özalp, Veli Cengiz; Hernandez, Frank J.Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) represents a significant pathogenic threat, often responsible for community-acquired pneumonia with potentially life-threatening consequences if left untreated. This underscores the pressing clinical need for rapid and accurate detection of this harmful bacteria. In this study, we report the screening and discovery of a novel biomarker for S. pneumoniae detection. We used S. pneumoniae nucleases as biomarker and we have identified a specific oligonucleotide that works as substrate. This biomarker relies on a specific nuclease activity found on the bacterial membrane, forming the basis for the development of both fluorescence and electrochemical biosensors. We observed an exceptionally high sensitivity in the performance of the electrochemical biosensor, detecting as low as 102 CFU mL−1, whereas the fluorescence sensor demonstrated comparatively lower efficiency, with a detection limit of 106 CFU mL−1. Moreover, the specificity studies have demonstrated the biosensors’ remarkable capacity to identify S. pneumoniae from other pathogenic bacteria. Significantly, both biosensors have demonstrated the ability to identify S. pneumoniae cultured from clinical samples, providing compelling evidence of the potential clinical utility of this innovative detection system.Article Citation - WoS: 8Citation - Scopus: 7Fluorescent and Electrochemical Detection of Nuclease Activity Associated With streptococcus Pneumoniae Using Specific Oligonucleotide Probes(Royal Soc Chemistry, 2024) Goikoetxea, Garazi; Akhtar, Khadija-Tul Kubra; Prysiazhniuk, Alona; Borsa, Baris A.; Aldag, Mehmet Ersoy; Kavruk, Murat; Hernandez, Frank J.Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) represents a significant pathogenic threat, often responsible for community-acquired pneumonia with potentially life-threatening consequences if left untreated. This underscores the pressing clinical need for rapid and accurate detection of this harmful bacteria. In this study, we report the screening and discovery of a novel biomarker for S. pneumoniae detection. We used S. pneumoniae nucleases as biomarker and we have identified a specific oligonucleotide that works as substrate. This biomarker relies on a specific nuclease activity found on the bacterial membrane, forming the basis for the development of both fluorescence and electrochemical biosensors. We observed an exceptionally high sensitivity in the performance of the electrochemical biosensor, detecting as low as 10(2) CFU mL(-1), whereas the fluorescence sensor demonstrated comparatively lower efficiency, with a detection limit of 10(6) CFU mL(-1). Moreover, the specificity studies have demonstrated the biosensors' remarkable capacity to identify S. pneumoniae from other pathogenic bacteria. Significantly, both biosensors have demonstrated the ability to identify S. pneumoniae cultured from clinical samples, providing compelling evidence of the potential clinical utility of this innovative detection system.Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 2Global Insights Into Food Fraud From Location-Based Analysis: Food Adulteration in Turkey(Wiley, 2025) Kavruk, Murat; Balci, Tugce Nur; Ozel, Irem Cagla; Ozalp, Veli Cengiz; Aydin, AliBackgroundFood fraud and adulteration pose critical global challenges impacting economic stability and public health. This study examines the prevalence and characteristics of food fraud incidents in Turkey, an international player in the food supply chain. Controls carried out from production to consumption reveal many fraudulent events worldwide.ResultsData collected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of T & uuml;rkiye from 2012 to 2022, covering 4007 incidents and 7180 specific cases of adulteration, form the basis of this analysis. The study categorizes food fraud by region, product group and type of fraud, revealing trends and patterns. Key findings indicate a higher incidence of fraud in milk, meat and vegetable oil products, including the detection of drug-based adulteration having potential for serious health consequences.ConclusionAt most importance, we demonstrated the importance of risk-based food inspections and the development of new detection technologies to enhance food safety. The results are fundamental for more effective food inspections in terms of risk-based conformity assessment approaches or developing new methods, devices and analysis kits in terms of scientific and technological approaches. Still, they can also significantly improve future food safety measures. These insights are aimed at informing global food safety strategies and policymaking, contributing to a safer and more transparent food supply chain. (c) 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

