Prof. Dr. Erdal Karaöz
Prof. Dr. Erdal Karaöz is a professor of histology and embryology and one of Türkiye's most-cited stem cell scientists. He leads the scientific direction of the mesenchymal stem cell and exosome programmes coordinated by StemCell Longevita and is the named medical reviewer for the clinical content on this site.
Identity and qualifications
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Prof. Dr. Erdal Karaöz (Erdal Karaoz) |
| Primary specialty | Histology and embryology; regenerative medicine and stem cell biology |
| Medical degree | Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, 1986 |
| PhD | Histology & Embryology, Gazi University, 1994 |
| Professorship | Professor of Histology and Embryology |
| Research fellowship | Visiting researcher, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston (2005) |
| Founding role | Founder of the Center for Stem Cell and Gene Therapies Research and Application (SCGTR), Kocaeli University, 2006 |
| Languages | Turkish, English |
Institutional affiliations
Prof. Karaöz's clinical and laboratory work sits across three linked entities: the treating hospital, the university faculty and the GMP cell-manufacturing laboratory.
- Liv Hospital Ulus, Istanbul — Head of the Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research & Therapy Center, and the setting in which coordinated procedures are performed.
- Istinye University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul — professor and researcher.
- ONKIM Stem Cell Technologies GMP laboratory — scientific leadership of cell processing, characterisation and release testing.
- StemCell Longevita — Medical Director and Chief Stem Cell Scientist for the coordinated treatment programmes.
Research identifiers and independent records
Every claim on this page can be checked against third-party databases. We link only to profiles that are actively maintained; where an identifier is not publicly published we say so rather than inventing one.
| Record | Link | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Google Scholar | scholar.google.com profile | Maintained — 190+ indexed publications |
| PubMed | PubMed author search: Karaoz E | Independent NIH index |
| ResearchGate | researchgate.net/profile/Erdal-Karaoz | Professionally maintained |
| linkedin.com/in/erdalkaraoz | Professionally maintained | |
| Hospital profile | Liv Hospital physician profile | Employer-published |
| ORCID | Not publicly published at the time of writing | We will list the iD here once it is registered and public |
Selected peer-reviewed publications
The following are representative of the mesenchymal stem cell, Wharton's jelly, spinal cord injury and immunomodulation work that underpins the protocols described on this site. The complete list is on Google Scholar.
- Comparative analyses of immunosuppressive characteristics of bone-marrow, Wharton's jelly and adipose tissue-derived human mesenchymal stem cells — Turkish Journal of Haematology, 2017
- Human dental pulp stem cells demonstrate better neural and epithelial stem cell properties than bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells — Histochemistry and Cell Biology, 2011
- Characterization of mesenchymal stem cells from rat bone marrow: ultrastructural properties, differentiation potential and immunophenotypic markers — Histochemistry and Cell Biology, 2009
- Protection of rat pancreatic islet function and viability by coculture with rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells — Cell Death & Disease, 2010
- The systematic effect of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in critical COVID-19 patients: a prospective double controlled trial — Cell Transplantation, 2021
- Reduction of lesion in injured rat spinal cord and partial functional recovery of motility after bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation — Turkish Neurosurgery, 2012
- Efficacy of stem cell therapy in ambulatory and nonambulatory children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy — Phase I–II — Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease, 2018
- Olfactory ensheathing cells: unique glial cells promising for treatments of spinal cord injury — Journal of Neuroscience Research, 2021
Role in treatment planning
Prof. Karaöz's role is scientific and supervisory rather than administrative. In practice this means:
- Defining the cell source, dose range and delivery route used for each indication — for example Wharton's jelly MSCs for autoimmune and neurological programmes.
- Setting the laboratory release criteria (viability, sterility, endotoxin, phenotype) that a batch must meet before it can be released for a patient.
- Reviewing candidacy on complex cases where imaging, disease stage or previous therapy affect whether treatment is appropriate at all.
- Signing off the protocol documents behind the treatment pages and the evidence summaries.
Medical review role
Prof. Karaöz is the named medical reviewer for the clinical pages of this site. Reviewed pages carry a "Medically reviewed by Prof. Dr. Erdal Karaöz Team" byline linking back to this profile, with the review date shown. Our review process, correction policy and sourcing rules are documented in the editorial standards.
Pages that are administrative rather than clinical — pricing logistics, travel information, policies — are not medically reviewed and do not carry the byline.
Institutional affiliations
Each affiliation below is listed with the role held and the period it covers, so a reader can check the claim against the institution rather than against this page.
| Institution | Role | Period | Verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liv Hospital Ulus, Istanbul | Medical Director, Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Therapy | 2016 – present | Verify |
| Istinye University, Istanbul | Professor of Histology and Embryology; Director, Center for Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research (ISUKOK) | 2016 – present | Verify |
| ONKIM Stem Cell Technologies | Founder and scientific lead, GMP cell manufacturing | 2014 – present | Verify |
| Kocaeli University, Faculty of Medicine | Professor of Histology and Embryology; founding director of the Stem Cell and Gene Therapies Research and Application Centre | 2004 – 2016 | Verify |
Publication record
Every title links to a PubMed title search rather than to a copy hosted here, so you always see the current record, including any correction or retraction notice. The complete list is on Google Scholar and ResearchGate.
Turkish Journal of Haematology, 2017 — Underpins why Wharton's jelly is the default cell source described on this site.
Cell Transplantation, 2021 — Controlled human data on systemic MSC infusion and safety monitoring.
Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease, 2018 — Early-phase human evidence referenced on our neuromuscular pages.
Histochemistry and Cell Biology, 2011 — Cell-source characterisation work behind our laboratory identity panels.
Histochemistry and Cell Biology, 2009 — Preclinical characterisation; cited as laboratory, not clinical, evidence.
Cell Death & Disease, 2010 — Mechanistic (animal) evidence referenced on metabolic pages.
Turkish Neurosurgery, 2012 — Preclinical basis for the spinal cord injury discussion pages.
Olfactory ensheathing cells: unique glial cells promising for treatments of spinal cord injury
Journal of Neuroscience Research, 2021 — Review of neural repair strategies beyond MSCs.
How these papers are weighted when we write clinical pages is set out in How we evaluate evidence.
Conferences and scientific meetings
Prof. Karaöz presents and teaches regularly in the following scientific settings. We list the societies and the subject matter rather than a promotional talk count; a dated presentation list with slides can be requested for due-diligence purposes.
International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT)
Cell-source comparison and potency assays for clinical-grade MSC products
Turkish Society for Stem Cell and Cellular Therapies / national congresses
GMP manufacturing, release criteria and regulatory framework in Türkiye
TERMIS (Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society)
Wharton's jelly MSC characterisation and tissue-engineering applications
University and hospital scientific meetings (Istinye University, Liv Hospital)
Clinical governance of cell therapy: candidacy, dosing and follow-up
Expert video explanations
Recorded explanations are published here as they are produced, each with a written summary so the content is readable without playing the video.
Inside the GMP laboratory and treatment pathway
Summary of what is explained in this video: Walkthrough of the laboratory and clinical pathway described on this profile: how a Wharton's jelly cell line is characterised, which release tests a batch must pass before it can be used, and where the medical reviewer sits in that chain.
Frequently asked questions
Is Prof. Dr. Erdal Karaöz a medical doctor?
Yes. He graduated in medicine from Dicle University in 1986 and went on to complete a PhD and professorship in histology and embryology, the discipline underpinning cell therapy.
Does Prof. Karaöz personally perform every procedure?
No. He leads the scientific and laboratory side and reviews protocols and complex candidacy decisions. Procedures are performed by the treating clinical team at Liv Hospital Ulus.
How can I independently verify his publications?
Search "Karaoz E" on PubMed, which is maintained by the US National Library of Medicine and is not controlled by this clinic.
Ask for the documentation
Our coordination team can share laboratory certificates, licence references and hospital accreditation details during your consultation, alongside a medical review of your own records.
Request a free medical review