Second Place Award for Faculty of Medicine

The project titled “Evaluation of CUL2, one of the members of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, in the HIF-1 pathway in gastric cancer cases and its LINC01342-mediated regulation in the tumor and tumor microenvironment” was presented at the SPARK2026 9th National Medical Student Congress.

The project was supported by TÜBİTAK and carried out under the supervision of the Head of the Department of Medical Biochemistry, Assoc. Prof. Cem Horozoğlu, with Faculty of Medicine student Ezgi Karataş serving as co-investigator.

At the congress, Ezgi Karataş presented the preliminary findings as a poster presentation. Following the evaluation of the scientific committee, the study was awarded second place.

Assoc. Prof. Cem Horozoğlu stated that the main aim of the project is to contribute to the future rational use of HIF1A inhibitors, which are currently progressing through phase studies.

He also explained that the effects of CUL2, a key regulator of HIF1A stabilization, were examined through LINC01342, one of its potential molecular targets. He noted that the preliminary results suggest a possible new phenotype characterized by CUL2-high and HIF1A-low expression regulated by LINC01342, particularly in signet-ring cell adenocarcinomas and other histopathological subtypes.

Assoc. Prof. Horozoğlu added that student Ezgi Karataş actively contributed to the experimental process and successfully managed the study’s progression. He stated that although the research has not yet reached its final stage, the preliminary results provided strong motivation for presenting the findings at the congress. He also emphasized that her presentation and active participation attracted the attention of the scientific jury and expressed his belief that this success will serve as a source of motivation for other students.

We congratulate our faculty member and student and wish them continued success.