Publications by authors named "Genc Sermin"

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid plaques, phosphorylated tau tangles and microglia toxicity, resulting in neuronal death and cognitive decline. Since microglia are recognized as one of the key players in the disease, it is crucial to understand how microglia operate in disease conditions and incorporate them into models. The studies on human microglia functions are thought to reflect the post-symptomatic stage of the disease.

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Oxygen support plays a critical role in the management of preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units. On the other hand, the possible effects of oxygen supplementation on cellular functions, specifically glucose metabolism, have been less understood. PURPOSE: of the study is to investigate whether supplemental oxygen alters glucose metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) activity in the brain tissue and its relevance with silent information regulator proteins (SIRT) pathway.

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The cytoprotective transcription factor NRF2 regulates the expression of several hundred genes in mammalian cells and is a promising therapeutic target in a number of diseases associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. Hence, an ability to monitor basal and inducible NRF2 signalling is vital for mechanistic understanding in translational studies. Due to some caveats related to the direct measurement of NRF2 levels, the modulation of NRF2 activity is typically determined by measuring changes in the expression of one or more of its target genes and/or the associated protein products.

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Microglia are the tissue-resident immune cells of the central nervous system. As a part of the innate immune response, NLR Family Pyrin Domain Containing Protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation leads to cleavage of caspase-1 and triggers secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and may also result in pyroptotic cell death. Inflammasome activation plays a crucial role in inflammatory conditions; aberrant activation of inflammasome contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.

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Background: Mood disorders are common disabling psychiatric disorders caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) modifications and epigenetics are promising areas of research in depression since mitochondrial dysfunction has been associated with depression. In this study we aimed to investigate the mtDNA changes in depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD).

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Neurodegenerative diseases impact the structure and operation of the nervous system, causing progressive and irreparable harm. Efforts for distinguishing neurodegenerative diseases in their early stages are continuing. Despite several biomarkers being identified, there is always search for more accurate and abundant ones.

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Objectives: In this study, we investigated the relationship between infantile colic, migraine, and biorhythm regulation, by evaluating biochemical and molecular parameters.

Study Design: Healthy infants with and without infantile colic were eligible for this prospective cohort study. A questionnaire was applied.

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Despite current advancements in neonatal care, hyperbilirubinemia resulting in bilirubin-induced neurological dysfunction (BIND) continues to be one of the major reasons of mortality or lifelong disability. Although the exact mechanisms underlying brain injury upon bilirubin exposure remains unelucidated, inflammation is considered to be one of the major contributors to BIND. This study investigates the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in bilirubin-induced injury using in vitro and in vivo models.

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The development of the CNS is a complex and well-regulated process, where stem cells differentiate into committed cells depending on the stimuli from the microenvironment. Alterations of oxygen levels were stated to be significant in terms of brain development and neurogenesis during embryonic development, as well as the adult neurogenesis. As a product of oxygen processing, hydrogen peroxide (HO) has been established as a key regulator, acting as a secondary messenger, of signal transduction and cellular biological functions.

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with an important inflammatory component accompanied by deregulated redox-dependent signaling pathways that are feeding back into inflammation. In this context, we bring into focus the transcription factor NRF2, a master redox regulator that exerts exquisite antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The review does not intend to be exhaustive, but to point out arguments sustaining the rationale for applying an NRF2-directed co-treatment in RA as well as its potential limitations.

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Systemic inflammation can have devastating effects on the central nervous system via its resident immune cells, the microglia. One of the primary mediators of this inflammation is inflammasomes, multiprotein complexes that trigger a release of inflammatory proteins when activated. Melatonin, a hormone with anti-inflammatory effects, is an attractive candidate for suppressing such inflammation.

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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most severe neurodegenerative diseases observed in the elderly population. Although the hallmarks of AD have been identified, the methods for its definitive diagnosis and treatment are still lacking. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become a promising source for biomarkers since the identification of their content.

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The NLRP3 inflammasome is an intracellular multiprotein complex that plays an essential role in the innate immune system by identifying and eliminating a plethora of endogenous and exogenous threats to the host. Upon activation of the NLRP3 complex, pro-inflammatory cytokines are processed and released. Furthermore, activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome complex can induce pyroptotic cell death, thereby propagating the inflammatory response.

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NLRP3 inflammasome activation contributes to several pathogenic conditions, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sickness behavior characterized by reduced mobility and depressive behaviors. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an immunomodulatory and anti-oxidative molecule commonly used for the symptomatic treatment of multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. In this study, we investigated the potential use of DMF against microglial NLRP3 inflammasome activation both and .

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Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic compound with a wide range of biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-obesity, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory properties. Accumulating evidence suggests that resveratrol has pharmacological benefits in life-threatening diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. Resveratrol is widely known for its anti-inflammatory properties; however, signaling mechanisms of anti-inflammatory action are still elusive.

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SFN, a dietary phytochemical, is a significant member of isothiocyanates present in cruciferous vegetables at high levels in broccoli. It is a well-known activator of the Nrf2/ARE antioxidant pathway. Long since, the therapeutic effects of SFN have been widely studied in several different diseases.

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Exosomes, a type of extracellular vesicle, are small vesicles (30-100 nm) secreted into extracellular space from almost all types of cells. Exosomes mediate cell-to-cell communication carrying various biologically active molecules including microRNAs. Studies have shown that exosomal microRNAs play fundamental roles in healthy and pathological conditions such as immunity, cancer, and inflammation.

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Since their first discovery more than 20 years ago, miRNAs have been subject to deliberate research and analysis for revealing their physiological or pathological involvement. Regulatory roles of miRNAs in signal transduction, gene expression, and cellular processes in development, differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and homeostasis also imply their critical role in disease pathogenesis. Their roles in cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and other systemic diseases have been studied broadly.

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NLRP3 inflammasome is a part of the innate immune system and responsible for the rapid identification and eradication of pathogenic microbes, metabolic stress products, reactive oxygen species, and other exogenous agents. NLRP3 inflammasome is overactivated in several neurodegenerative, cardiac, pulmonary, and metabolic diseases. Therefore, suppression of inflammasome activation is of utmost clinical importance.

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Ethyl pyruvate is a molecule with anti-inflammatory and pro-metabolic effects. Ethyl pyruvate has been shown to ameliorate the clinical and pathological findings of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases in rodents. Its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects are widely investigated in animal and cellular models.

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Neuronal senescence, triggered by telomere shortening, oncogene activation, DNA damage, or oxidative stress, has been associated with neurodegenerative diseases' pathogenesis. Therefore, preventing neuronal senescence could be a novel treatment strategy for neurodegenerative diseases. Lithium (Li), the first-line treatment against bipolar disorder, has been shown to have neuroprotective effects in clinical, pre-clinical, and in vitro studies.

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Alzheimer's disease is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which is the most common cause of dementia worldwide. Although amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are identified as the hallmarks of the disease, the only valid diagnostic method yet is post-mortem imaging of these molecules in brain sections. Exosome is a type of extracellular vesicles secreted into extracellular space and plays fundamental roles in healthy and pathological conditions, including cell-to-cell communication.

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The NLRP3 inflammasome is a multiprotein complex that activates caspase-1 and triggers the release of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 in response to diverse signals. Although inflammasome activation plays critical roles against various pathogens in host defense, overactivation of inflammasome contributes to the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, including acute CNS injuries and chronic neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. In the current study, we demonstrated that Sulforaphane (SFN), a dietary natural product, inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome mediated IL-1β and IL-18 secretion and pyroptosis in murine microglial cells.

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Despite widely known detrimental effects on the developing brain, supplemental oxygen is still irreplaceable in the management of newborn infants with respiratory distress. Identifying downstream mechanisms underlying oxygen toxicity is a key step for development of new neuroprotective strategies. Main purpose of this study is to investigate whether NLRP3 inflammasome activation has a role in the pathogenesis of hyperoxia-induced preterm brain injury.

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Background: The NLRP3 inflammasome formation and following cytokine secretion is a crucial step in innate immune responses. Internal and external factors may trigger inflammasome activation and result in inflammatory cytokine secretion. Inflammasome formation and activity play critical roles in several disease pathologies such as cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, digestive, and CNS diseases.

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