Skip to Content

'
Suhendan Ekmekcioglu, PhD

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Associate Professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology - Research, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Associate Member, The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX

Bio Statement

 

The major focus on my research is to recognize the regulation mechanisms of innovative prognostic factors in melanoma progression. My research interest on molecular signaling pathways of melanoma explores two major translational areas; (1) prognostic significance of iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) expression in melanoma and its significance on the targeted therapeutic approaches and (2) to study novel drugs’ efficiency in melanoma with a specific focus on potential nutraceuticals development, using in-vitro system tools.

One of my current approaches to regulate iNOS expression in melanoma is the tumor suppressor and a cytokine, IL-24’s role in melanoma progression. We are now hypothesizing that iNOS and IL-24 predict the prognosis of disease and the production of NO is responsible for features of tumor growth and progression. We further hypothesize that NO can be regulated by local IL-24 in melanoma cells to define either tumor progression or tumor suppression.

 

Office Address

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd
Unit Number: 362
Houston, TX 77030
Room Number: Y8.5357
Phone: (713) 563 0605
Fax: (713) 563 3531
Email: sekmekcioglu@mdanderson.org

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1993 University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey, PHD, Tumor Biology and Immunology
1988 University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey, MS, Tumor Biology and Immunology
1986 University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey, BS, Biology

Experience/Service

Academic Appointments

Associate Professor, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 9/2009-12/2010

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Yoon JK, Feun L, Frankel AE, Savaraj N, Ekmekcioglu S, Kim KB. Arginine-Deprivation Therapy for Malignant Melanom. ClinicalPharmacology: Advances and Applications. In Press.
2. Qin Y, Deng W, Ekmekcioglu S, Grimm EA. Identification of unique sensitizing targets for anti-inflammatory CDDO-Me in metastatic melanoma by a large-scale synthetic lethal RNAi screening. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. e-Pub 10/2012. PMID: 23020131.
3. Khalili JS, Liu S, Rodríguez-Cruz TG, Whittington M, Wardell S, Liu C, Zhang M, Cooper ZA, Frederick DT, Li Y, Zhang M, Joseph RW, Bernatchez C, Ekmekcioglu S, Grimm E, Radvanyi LG, Davis RE, Davies MA, Wargo JA, Hwu P, Lizée G. Oncogenic BRAF(V600E) Promotes Stromal Cell-Mediated Immunosuppression Via Induction of Interleukin-1 in Melanoma. Clin Cancer Res. e-Pub 8/2012. PMID: 22850568.
4. Tanese K, Grimm EA, Ekmekcioglu S. The role of melanoma tumor-derived nitric oxide in the tumor inflammatory microenvironment: Its impact on the chemokine expression profile, including suppression of CXCL10. Int J Cancer 131(4):891-901, 8/2012. e-Pub 10/2011. PMCID: PMC3269542.
5. Chattopadhyay C, Ellerhorst JA, Ekmekcioglu S, Greene VR, Davies MA, Grimm EA. Association of Activated c-Met with NRAS-Mutated Human Melanomas: A Possible Avenue for Targeting. Int J Cancer 131(2):56-65, 7/2012. e-Pub 1/2012. PMCID: PMC3337366.
6. Qin Y, Ekmekcioglu S, Liu P, Duncan LM, Lizée G, Poindexter N, Grimm EA. Constitutive Aberrant Endogenous Interleukin-1 Facilitates Inflammation and Growth in Human Melanoma. Mol Cancer Res 9(11):1537-50, 11/2011. e-Pub 9/2011. PMID: 21954434.
7. Ekmekcioglu S, Chattopadhyay C, Akar U, Gabisi A, Newman RA, Grimm EA. Zyflamend Mediates Therapeutic Induction of Autophagy to Apoptosis in Melanoma Cells. Nutr Cancer 63(6):940-9, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2011.586488, 8/2011. e-Pub 7/2011. PMID: 21745040.
8. Ellerhorst JA, Greene VR, Ekmekcioglu S, Warneke CL, Johnson MM, Cooke CP, Wang LE, Prieto VG, Gershenwald JE, Wei Q, Grimm EA. Clinical Correlates of NRAS and BRAF Mutations in Primary Human Melanoma. Clin Cancer Res 17(2):229-35, 1/2011. e-Pub 10/2010. PMCID: PMC3022950.
9. Huerta-Yepez S, Ekmekcioglu S, Rivera-Pazos CM, Antonio-Andres G, Vega MI, Baay-Guzman G, Grimm EA. Braf Mutations Are Associated With High Levels of Phosphorylated RKIP in Melanoma Cell Lines: Potential Prognostic Significance. Forum on Immunopathological Diseases and Therapeutics 2(2):189-194, 2011.
10. Deng WG, Kwon J, Ekmekcioglu S, Poindexter NJ, Grimm EA. IL-24 gene transfer sensitizes melanoma cells to erlotinib through modulation of the Apaf-1 and Akt signaling pathways. Melanoma Res. e-Pub 3/2010. PMCID: PMC2945428.
11. Sikora AG, Gelbard A, Davies MA, Sano D, Ekmekcioglu S, Kwon J, Hailemichael Y, Jayaraman P, Myers JN, Grimm EA, Overwijk WW. Targeted inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibits growth of human melanoma in vivo and synergizes with chemotherapy. Clin Cancer Res 16(6):1834-44, 3/2010. e-Pub 3/2010. PMCID: PMC2858983.
12. Ekmekcioglu S, Mumm JB, Udtha M, Chada S, Grimm EA. Killing of human melanoma cells induced by activation of class I interferon-regulated signaling pathways via MDA-7/IL-24. Cytokine 43(1):34-44, 2008, 6/2008. e-Pub 7/2008. PMID: 18511292.
13. Grimm EA, Ellerhorst J, Tang CH, Ekmekcioglu S. Constitutive Intracellular Production of iNOS and NO in Human Melanoma: Possible Role in Regulation of Growth and Resistance to Apoptosis. Nitric Oxide 19(2):133-37, 2008, 2008. PMID: 18472017.
14. Zheng M, Bocangel D, Doneske B, Mhashilkar A, Ramesh R, Hunt KK, Ekmekcioglu S, Sutton RB, Poindexter N, Grimm EA, Chada S. Human interleukin 24 (MDA-7/IL-24) protein kills breast cancer cells via the IL-20 receptor and is antagonized by IL-10. Cancer Immunol Immunother 56(2):205-15, 2/2007. e-Pub 5/19/2006. PMID: 16710719.
15. Mumm JB, Ekmekcioglu S, Poindexter NJ, Chada S, Grimm EA. Soluble human MDA-7/IL-24: characterization of the molecular form(s) inhibiting tumor growth and stimulating monocytes. J Interferon Cytokine Res 26(12):877-86, 12/2006. PMID: 17238830.
16. Ekmekcioglu S, Ellerhorst JA, Prieto VG, Johnson MM, Broemeling LD, Grimm EA. Tumor iNOS predicts poor survival for stage III melanoma patients. Int J Cancer 119(4):861-6, 8/15/2006. PMID: 16557582.
17. Fok JY, Ekmekcioglu S, Mehta K. Implications of tissue transglutaminase expression in malignant melanoma. Mol Cancer Ther 5:1493-503, 6/2006. PMID: 16818508.
18. Ellerhorst JA, Ekmekcioglu S, Johnson MK, Cooke CP, Johnson MM, Grimm EA. Regulation of iNOS by the p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in human melanoma. Oncogene 25(28):3956-62, 6/2006. e-Pub 2/2006. PMID: 16474847.
19. Tong AW, Nemunaitis J, Su D, Zhang Y, Cunningham C, Senzer N, Netto G, Rich D, Mhashilkar A, Parker K, Coffee K, Ramesh R, Ekmekcioglu S, Grimm EA, van Wart Hood J, Merritt J, Chada S. Intratumoral injection of INGN 241, a nonreplicating adenovector expressing the melanoma-differentiation associated gene-7 (mda-7/IL24): biologic outcome in advanced cancer patients. Mol Ther 11(1):160-72, 1/2005. PMID: 15585417.
20. Chada S, Mhashilkar AM, Ramesh R, Mumm JB, Sutton RB, Bocangel D, Zheng M, Grimm EA, Ekmekcioglu S. Bystander activity of Ad-mda7: human MDA-7 protein kills melanoma cells via an IL-20 receptor-dependent but STAT3-independent mechanism. Mol Ther 10(6):1085-95, 12/2004. PMID: 15564140.
21. Zheng M, Ekmekcioglu S, Walch ET, Tang CH, Grimm EA. Inhibition of nuclear factor-kappaB and nitric oxide by curcumin induces G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human melanoma cells. Melanoma Res 14(3):165-71, 6/2004. PMID: 15179184.
22. Ekmekcioglu S, Ellerhorst JA, Mumm JB, Zheng M, Broemeling L, Prieto VG, Stewart AL, Mhashilkar AM, Chada S, Grimm EA. Negative association of melanoma differentiation-associated gene (mda-7) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in human melanoma: MDA-7 regulates iNOS expression in melanoma cells. Mol Cancer Ther 2(1):9-17, 1/2003. PMID: 12533668.
23. Simeone AM, Ekmekcioglu S, Broemeling LD, Grimm EA, Tari AM. A novel mechanism by which N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide inhibits breast cancer cell growth: the production of nitric oxide. Mol Cancer Ther 1(12):1009-17, 10/2002. PMID: 12481423.
24. Caudell EG, Mumm JB, Poindexter N, Ekmekcioglu S, Mhashilkar AM, Yang XH, Retter MW, Hill P, Chada S, Grimm EA. The protein product of the tumor suppressor gene, melanoma differentiation-associated gene 7, exhibits immunostimulatory activity and is designated IL-24. J Immunol 168(12):6041-6, 6/2002. PMID: 12055212.
25. Ellerhorst JA, Prieto VG, Ekmekcioglu S, Broemeling L, Yekell S, Chada S, Grimm EA. Loss of MDA-7 expression with progression of melanoma. J Clin Oncol 20(4):1069-74, 2/2002. PMID: 11844832.
26. Ekmekcioglu S, Ellerhorst J, Mhashilkar AM, Sahin AA, Read CM, Prieto VG, Chada S, Grimm EA. Down-regulated melanoma differentiation associated gene (mda-7) expression in human melanomas. Int J Cancer 94(1):54-9, 10/2001. PMID: 11668478.
27. Ekmekcioglu S, Ellerhorst J, Smid CM, Prieto VG, Munsell M, Buzaid AC, Grimm EA. Inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitrotyrosine in human metastatic melanoma tumors correlate with poor survival. Clin Cancer Res 6(12):4768-75, 12/2000. PMID: 11156233.
28. Ekmekcioglu S, Okcu MF, Colome-Grimmer MI, Owen-Schaub L, Buzaid AC, Grimm EA. Differential increase of Fas ligand expression on metastatic and thin or thick primary melanoma cells compared with interleukin-10. Melanoma Res 9(3):261-72, 6/1999. PMID: 10465582.

Invited Articles
1. Ekmekcioglu S, Tang CH, Grimm EA. NO news is not necessarily good news in cancer. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 5(2):103-15, 3/2005. PMID: 15810875.
2. Chada S, Sutton RB, Ekmekcioglu S, Ellerhorst J, Mumm JB, Leitner WW, Yang HY, Sahin AA, Hunt KK, Fuson KL, Poindexter N, Roth JA, Ramesh R, Grimm EA, Mhashilkar AM. MDA-7/IL-24 is a unique cytokine--tumor suppressor in the IL-10 family. Int Immunopharmacol 4(5):649-67, 5/2004. PMID: 15120650.

Book Chapters
1. Ekmekcioglu, S., Kurzrock R, and Grimm, E.A. Cytokines and Growth Factors. In: Cancer Medicine, 8. Ed(s) W.K. Hong, R.J. Bast, W.N. Hait, D.W. Kufe, R.E. Pollock, R.R. Weichselbaum, J.F. Holland, and E. Frei III. B.C.Decker Inc. Hamilton, Ontario, 686-709, 2010.
2. Ekmekcioglu S, Kurzrock R and Grimm EA. Hematopoietic Growth Factors and Cytokines. In: The Molecular Basis of Cancer, 3. Ed(s) J. Mendelsohn, P. M. Howley, M. A. Israel, J. Gray, and C. B. Thompson. Elsevier: Philadelphia, PA, 605-619, 2008.
3. Ekmekcioglu S, Grimm EA, Kurzrock R. Cytokines and Growth Factors. In: Cancer Medicine, 7. B.C. Decker Inc. Hamilton, Ontario, 744-769, 2006.
4. Ekmekcioglu, S., and Grimm, E.A. Cytokines: Biology and Application. In: Cancer Medicine, 6. D.W. Kufe, R.E. Pollock, R.R. Weichselbaum, R.J. Bast, R. Gansler, J.F. Holland, and E. Frei III (eds), Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine e.6. B.C. Decker Inc. Hamilton, Ontario, 843-853, 2003.
5. Ekmekcioglu, S., Grimm, E.A. Nitric Oxide (NO) in Cancer: Potential Prognostic Factor? In: Recent Research Developments in Cancer. Ed(s) S.G. Pandalai. Transworld Research Network: Kerala, India, 177-187, 2002.

Grant & Contract Support

Title: Development of Neutraceutical Therapies in Melanoma
Funding Source: NIH/NCI
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 3/21/2012 - 3/20/2013

Last updated: 12/31/2012