Okan Gultekin

Research description

My research is focused on tumor microenvironment in gynecological cancers such as uterine sarcomas, ovarian and cervical cancers to understand the tissue responses such as  wound healing or inflammation created by the surgery. Furthermore, I use  3D ex vivo models by using cancer cells, tissue and immune cells to mimic tumor immune microenvironment to investigate the mechanisms behind the tissue responses which affects cancer invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance. I also focus on Bio-imaging and analysis by using several different software in manual or automated manners. 

Teaching portfolio

2019-22   Lecturer for tumor image analysis, PhD/MSc course “Tumor microenvironment communication” Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE

2020- 22  Supervisor to 4 biomedical students for Bachelor thesis, 4 biomedical student Master thesis

 

Education

2012-2017 - B.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, Ankara, TURKEY

2017-2019 - M.Md.Sc in Biomedicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SWEDEN

 

 

Academic honours, awards and prizes

FOXP3+ T cells in uterine sarcomas are associated with favorable prognosis, low extracellular matrix expression and reduced YAP activation. Gultekin O, Gonzalez-Molina J, Hardell E, Moyano-Galceran L, Mitsios N, Mulder J, Kokaraki G, Isaksson A, Sarhan D, Lehti K, Carlson JW NPJ Precis Oncol 2021 Nov;5(1):97

Co-evolution of matrisome and adaptive adhesion dynamics drives ovarian cancer chemoresistance. Pietilä EA, Gonzalez-Molina J, Moyano-Galceran L, Jamalzadeh S, Zhang K, Lehtinen L, Turunen SP, Martins TA, Gultekin O, Lamminen T, Kaipio K, Joneborg U, Hynninen J, Hietanen S, Grénman S, Lehtonen R, Hautaniemi S, Carpén O, Carlson JW, Lehti K Nat Commun 2021 06;12(1):3904

Mesothelin-Specific CAR T Cells Target Ovarian Cancer. Schoutrop E, El-Serafi I, Poiret T, Zhao Y, Gultekin O, He R, Moyano-Galceran L, Carlson JW, Lehti K, Hassan M, Magalhaes I, Mattsson J Cancer Res 2021 06;81(11):3022-3035

CD11c-CD8 Spatial Cross Presentation: A Novel Approach to Link Immune Surveillance and Patient Survival in Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Su Y, Tsagkozis P, Papakonstantinou A, Tobin NP, Gultekin O, Malmerfelt A, Ingelshed K, Neo SY, Lundquist J, Chaabane W, Nisancioglu MH, Leiss LW, Östman A, Bergh J, Sedimbi S, Lehti K, Lundqvist A, Stragliotto CL, Haglund F, Ehnman M Cancers (Basel) 2021 Mar;13(5):

Chemotherapy as a regulator of extracellular matrix-cell communication: Implications in therapy resistance. Gonzalez-Molina J, Moyano-Galceran L, Single A, Gultekin O, Alsalhi S, Lehti K Semin Cancer Biol 2022 Mar;():  

MMP14 expression and collagen remodelling support uterine leiomyosarcoma aggressiveness. Gonzalez-Molina J, Hahn P, Falcão RM, Gultekin O, Kokaraki G, Zanfagnin V, Braz Petta T, Lehti K, Carlson JW Mol Oncol 2023 Apr;():