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February 6, 2026 - GTU Office of Press and Public Relations By extracting both genetic damage and gene activity information from a single biological dataset, patient-specific metabolic maps have been developed.
Researchers from the Department of Bioengineering at Gebze Technical University (GTU), Prof. Tunahan Çakır and his PhD student Dilara Uzuner-Odongo, have developed an innovative method that enables the exploration of the complex mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease. With contributions from MSc students Atılay İlgün and F. Betül Bozkurt, the study employed a personalized metabolic modeling–based approach to better elucidate the biological processes of this neurological disease that affects millions of people worldwide.
The study conducted at GTU utilized RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data obtained from the brain tissues of Alzheimer’s patients to evaluate not only gene activity levels (gene expression) but also harmful genetic alterations within these genes (genetic variants) within a single integrated analysis. By combining these two layers of information, personalized metabolic maps were constructed for each of the 643 patients included in the study. This integrated approach enabled the identification of Alzheimer’s disease–specific metabolic pathways with an unprecedented level of precision and scope.
Key Contributions of the Study The innovative approach developed in this study made it possible to construct patient-specific metabolic networks by integrating genetic damage and gene expression data for each individual. The researchers demonstrated that focusing solely on gene activity in RNA sequencing data may overlook certain critical disease mechanisms specific to Alzheimer’s disease, whereas incorporating genetic damage information into the model reveals a much more realistic biological picture.
This pioneering study makes a significant contribution to understanding the mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings provide a strong scientific foundation for future efforts aimed at: the development of early diagnostic methods, the design of personalized treatment strategies, the identification of novel biomarkers. The work carried out by GTU researchers is considered a major step forward in the field of personalized metabolic modeling. The study was published as open access in the prestigious journal Communications Biology in 2025.
📄 Reference: Uzuner-Odongo, D., İlgün, A., Bozkurt, F. B., & Çakır, T. (2025). A personalized metabolic modelling approach through integrated analysis of RNA-Seq-based genomic variants and gene expression levels in Alzheimer’s disease. Communications Biology.
👉 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-07941-z |
