by
Zeynep Kalaycıoğlu | Tem 05, 2025
Prof. Dr. Gizem Dinler Doğanay was recently invited as a featured speaker at two prominent national scientific gatherings, where she shared her latest research on cancer biology and molecular therapeutics. At Bioinfocongress VII, one of Turkey’s largest online congresses in bioinformatics and life sciences, she delivered a lecture titled “Targeting Protein-Protein Interfaces for Cancer Therapy,” highlighting innovative approaches to disrupting oncogenic signaling. She was also invited to the CELL-EBRITY SCIENTISTS Congress, organized by İstinye University, where she presented “Protein-Protein Interactions in Cancer Signaling Pathways,” providing in-depth insights into molecular mechanisms of cancer progression. Her participation in these well-regarded national events reflects the high esteem in which her work is held within the Turkish scientific community.
Prof. Dr. Gizem Dinler Doğanay was recently invited as a featured speaker at two prominent national scientific gatherings, where she shared her latest research on cancer biology and molecular therapeutics. At Bioinfocongress VII, one of Turkey’s largest online congresses in bioinformatics and life sciences, she delivered a lecture titled “Targeting Protein-Protein Interfaces for Cancer Therapy,” highlighting innovative approaches to disrupting oncogenic signaling. She was also invited to the CELL-EBRITY SCIENTISTS Congress, organized by İstinye University, where she presented “Protein-Protein Interactions in Cancer Signaling Pathways,” providing in-depth insights into molecular mechanisms of cancer progression. Her participation in these well-regarded national events reflects the high esteem in which her work is held within the Turkish scientific community.
1. Prof. Dr. Gizem Dinler Doğanay, “Targeting Protein-Protein Interfaces for Cancer Therapy,” Invited Speaker at Bioinfocongress VII
At Bioinfocongress VII, Prof. Dr. Gizem Dinler Doğanay presented on targeting protein-protein interactions (PPIs) as a novel approach in cancer therapy. Unlike traditional treatments that focus on enzymes or receptors, targeting PPIs addresses critical communication points between proteins that regulate cancer cell growth and survival. Disrupting these interactions offers a promising strategy to overcome drug resistance and improve therapeutic efficacy.
Prof. Dinler Doğanay discussed the structural challenges of designing molecules that can effectively interfere with PPIs, which often involve large and flat surfaces. She highlighted recent advances using small molecules, peptides, and computational tools to develop selective inhibitors. These approaches have demonstrated potential in preclinical models by modulating key signaling pathways involved in tumor progression.
The talk emphasized the importance of integrating multidisciplinary methods—including structural biology and bioinformatics—to identify and optimize PPI inhibitors. By targeting protein interaction networks rather than single proteins, this strategy aims to increase treatment specificity while minimizing side effects.
Finally, Prof. Dinler Doğanay touched on future directions, such as combining PPI inhibitors with existing therapies and exploring personalized medicine applications. Her presentation provided a concise yet comprehensive overview of the potential for PPI-targeted therapies to revolutionize cancer treatment.
2. Prof. Dr. Gizem Dinler Doğanay, "Protein-Protein Interactions in Cancer Signaling Pathways," Invited Speaker at CELL-EBRITY SCIENTISTS Congress
At the CELL-EBRITY SCIENTISTS Congress organized by İstinye University in 2025, Prof. Dr. Gizem Dinler Doğanay delivered a compelling presentation on the significance of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in cancer signaling pathways. PPIs are fundamental molecular events that regulate numerous cellular processes, including those driving cancer cell survival, proliferation, and metastasis.
Prof. Dinler Doğanay emphasized that cancer progression often relies on complex networks of interacting proteins that transmit signals within and between cells. Disrupting these interactions offers a novel therapeutic avenue that can complement or overcome limitations of traditional treatments targeting individual proteins or enzymes.
During her talk, she outlined the challenges associated with targeting PPIs, such as their typically large and flat interaction surfaces, which make drug design difficult. Nevertheless, recent technological advances have enabled the development of small molecules, peptides, and biologics that can selectively inhibit key PPIs involved in oncogenic signaling.
She also highlighted examples where targeting PPIs has shown promising results in preclinical cancer models, underscoring the potential of this approach to improve treatment specificity and reduce side effects. Additionally, Prof. Dinler Doğanay discussed the integration of structural biology, computational modeling, and medicinal chemistry in accelerating the discovery of effective PPI inhibitors.
The presentation concluded with a perspective on future directions, including combining PPI-targeted therapies with conventional treatments and exploring personalized medicine approaches based on individual protein interaction profiles.
Overall, Prof. Dinler Doğanay’s talk offered valuable insights into how understanding and manipulating protein interaction networks can open new horizons in cancer therapy development.