Bahri Karacay, PhD
Research Profile

Education:
1990-1992— The Ohio State University, Molecular Genetics, MSc
1992-1996— The Ohio State University, Molecular Genetics, PhD
1996-2001— Columbus Children's Hospital, The University of Iowa, Postdoctoral Fellowship, (Hematology/Oncology)

Research Interests:

Dr. Karacay's research focuses on the abnormalities of developing nervous system caused by two neuroteratogenic agents; alcohol, (fetal alcohol syndrome) and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (congenital LCMV infection). His research program also includes development of gene therapy for neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer of the nervous system and Alexander Disease, a disease of cerebral white matter that affects children.

Lab Members:

• Daniel J. Bonthius, MD, PhD
• Jo Mahoney, BS, Research Assistant
• Shenglan Li, MSc, Research Assistant
• Glenda Rabe, MD, Fellow, Neonatology
• Hannah Klein de Licona, Graduate Student, Neuroscience Program

Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology

Model System:
We utilize animal model systems (transgenic and knock-out mice) and tissue culture systems.

Recent Publications:

1. Bonthius D. J., Karacay, B., Dai D., and Pantazis N. J. (2003). FGF-2, NGF and IGF-1, but not BDNF, utilize a nitric oxide pathway to signal neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects against alcohol toxicity in cerebellar granule cell cultures Brain Res Dev Brain Res. 140:15-28.
2. Karacay, B., M.S. O'Dorisio, M. Summers, M. Robinson, and D.J. Bonthius. (2003). VIP Receptor 1 (VPAC1) Promoter Targets the Expression of a Reporter Gene to Cerebellum and Adrenal Medulla in Transgenic Mice. Regulatory Peptides 116:1-12.
3. Sanlioglu, A.D., Koksal, T., Baykara, M., Luleci G., Karacay, B., and Sanlioglu S. (2003). Current progress in adenovirus mediated gene therapy for patients with prostate carcinoma. Gene Ther Mol Biol 7:113-133. Review.
4. Bonthius, DJ, Karacay, B., Dai D, Hutton A, Pantazis NJ. (2004) The NO-cGMP-PKG pathway plays an essential role in the acquisition of ethanol resistance by cerebellar granule neurons. Neurotoxicology and Teratology 26 :47-57.
5. Sanlioglu S., Karacay, B., Benson PK and Engelhardt JF. (2004). Novel approaches to augment adeno-associated virus type-2 endocytosis and transduction. Virus Research 104: 51-59.
6. Karacay, B., Sanlioglu S., Griffith T., Sandler, A. and Bonthius DJ. (2004) Inhibition of the NF-kB pathway enhances TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells. Cancer Gene Therapy 11:681-90.
7. Bonthius DJ, McKim R., Koele L, Harb H, Karacay, B., Mahoney J and Pantazis NJ (2004). Use of frozen sections to determine neuronal number in the murine hippocampus and neocortex using the optical disector and optical fractionator. Brain Res Brain Res Protoc. 14:45-57.
8. Miller, M. A., Karacay, B., Breslow, N.E., Li, S., O'Dorisio M.S., Grundy, P.E. and Sandler, A.D. (2005). Prognostic Value of Quantifying Apoptosis Factor Expression in Favorable Histology Wilms Tumors. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 27:11-14.
9. VanOsten, R.L., Moore, M.L., Vermeson, C.P., Karacay, B., and Griffith T.S. (2005). The Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Sodium Butyrate and Trichostatin A Modulate Renal Cell Carcinoma Sensitivity to TRAIL-InducedApoptosis by Enhancing TAIL-R2 Expression. Cancer Biology and Therapy, 4 (10):1104-12.
10. Ahter D. Sanlioglu, Turker Koksal, Mehmet Baykara, Guven Luleci, Bahri Karacay and Salih Sanlioglu. (2006). IKKβ Dominant Negative Mutant Expression Inhibited NF-kB Signaling and Sensitized Advanced Prostate Carcinoma Cells to TRAIL-Induced Apoptosis Cancer Gene Therap, 13(1):21-31.
11. Miller, M. A., Karacay, B., Zhu, X., O'Dorisio M.S., and Sandler, A.D. 2005. Caspase 8L, a Novel Inhibitory Isoform of Caspase 8, is Associated with Undifferentiated Neuroblastoma. Apoptosis 2005 Dec 20; [Epub ahead of print]
12. Bonthius DJ, McKim R., Koele L,., Harb H., Kehrberg, AH., Mahoney J., Karacay, B., and Pantazis NJ 2006. Severe alcohol-induced neuronal deficits in the hippocampus and neocortex of neonatal mice genetically deficient for neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). J Comp Neurol. 2006 Nov 10;499(2):290-305.