Onur Cil, MD, PhD

Dr. Onur Cil is a pediatric nephrologist and physician-scientist. Cil Lab’s research focus is small molecule drug discovery and drug repurposing for treatment of renal, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases. Ultimate goal of our research is advancing our discoveries to clinical trials and establishing better and safer treatments. Our research is focused on membrane proteins including calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), SLC26A3 (DRA), SLC26A4 (Pendrin), SLC26A6 (PAT1), CFTR, TMEM16A and urea transporters.
Education
M.D., - Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University
Residency, - Pediatrics, Hacettepe University
Ph.D., - Pharmacology, Hacettepe University
Fellowship, - Pediatric nephrology, University of California, San Francisco
Honors and Awards
  • Stephanie Watts Career Development Award, American Heart Association, 2020
Websites
  1. Touhara KK, Rossen ND, Deng F, Castro J, Harrington AM, Chu T, Garcia-Caraballo S, Brizuela M, O'Donnell T, Xu J, Cil O, Brierley SM, Li Y, Julius D. Topological segregation of stress sensors along the gut crypt-villus axis. Nature 2025. PMID: 39939779


  2. Master RJ, Karmakar J, Haggie PM, Anthony-Tan J, Chu T, Verkman AS, Anderson MO, Cil O. High potency 3-carboxy-2-methylbenzofuran pendrin inhibitors as novel diuretics. European journal of medicinal chemistry 2024. PMID: 39642691




  3. Sarthi JB, Trumbull AM, Abazari SM, van Unen V, Chan JE, Jiang Y, Gammons J, Anderson MO, Cil O, Kuo CJ, Sellers ZM. DRA involvement in linaclotide stimulated bicarbonate secretion during loss of CFTR function. JCI insight 2024. PMID: 38869953


  4. Pasricha ND, Lindgren ES, Yan R, Kuo YM, Chan M, Verkman AS, Chu T, Yottasan P, de Souza Goncalves L, Cil O. Calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) modulates ocular surface chloride transport and its inhibition promotes ocular surface hydration. The ocular surface 2024. PMID: 38871216



  5. Touhara KK, Rossen ND, Deng F, Chu T, Cil O, Li Y, Julius D. Crypt and Villus Enterochromaffin Cells are Distinct Stress Sensors in the Gut. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2024. PMID: 38370814


  6. Sarthi JB, Trumbull AM, Abazari SM, van Unen V, Chan JE, Jiang Y, Gammons J, Anderson MO, Cil O, Kuo CJ, Sellers ZM. Key role of down-regulated in adenoma (SLC26A3) chloride/bicarbonate exchanger in linaclotide-stimulated intestinal bicarbonate secretion upon loss of CFTR function. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2024. PMID: 37205513


  7. Ahmadi M, de Souza Goncalves L, Verkman AS, Cil O, Anderson MO. Substituted 4-methylcoumarin inhibitors of SLC26A3 (DRA) for treatment of constipation and hyperoxaluria. RSC Medicinal Chemistry 2024. PMID: 38784456


  8. Lindgren ES, Yan R, Cil O, Verkman AS, Chan MF, Seitzman GD, Farooq AV, Huppert LA, Rugo HS, Pohlmann PR, Lu J, Esserman LJ, Pasricha ND. Incidence and Mitigation of Corneal Pseudomicrocysts Induced by Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs). Current Ophthalmology Reports 2024. PMID: 38756824




  9. Pattareeya Yottasan, Tifany Chu, Parth D. Chhetri, Onur Cil. Repurposing calcium-sensing receptor activator drug cinacalcet for ADPKD treatment. Translational Research 2023. PMID:


  10. Chu T, Karmakar J, Haggie PM, Tan JA, Master R, Ramaswamy K, Verkman AS, Anderson MO, Cil O. Selective isoxazolopyrimidine PAT1 (SLC26A6) inhibitors for therapy of intestinal disorders. RSC Medicinal Chemistry 2023. PMID: 37974969






  11. Gefen AM, Sethna CB, Cil O, Perwad F, Schoettler M, Michael M, Angelo JR, Safdar A, Amlie-Wolf L, Hunley TE, Ellison JS, Feig D, Zaritsky J. Genetic testing in children with nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis. Pediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany) 2023. PMID: 36688940


  12. Tifany Chu, Joy Karmakar, Peter M. Haggie, Joseph-Anthony Tan, Riya Master, Keerthana Ramaswamy, Alan S. Verkman, Marc O. Anderson, Onur Cil. Selective isoxazolopyrimidine PAT1 (SLC26A6) inhibitors for therapy of intestinal disorders. RSC Medicinal Chemistry 2023. PMID:



  13. Lindgren ES, Cil O, Verkman AS, Pasricha ND. Ocular Surface Ion Transport and Dry Eye Disease. Current Ophthalmology Reports 2022. PMID: 38213468






  14. Cil O, Chen X, Askew Page HR, Baldwin SN, Jordan MC, Myat Thwe P, Anderson MO, Haggie PM, Greenwood IA, Roos KP, Verkman AS. A small molecule inhibitor of the chloride channel TMEM16A blocks vascular smooth muscle contraction and lowers blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Kidney international 2021. PMID: 33836171



  15. Onur Cil, Xiaolan Chen, Henry Askew Page, Maria C. Jordan, Pyone Myat Thwe, Samuel N. Baldwin, Marc O. Anderson, Iain A. Greenwood, Kenneth P. Roos, Alan S. Verkman. Small Molecule Inhibitor of TMEM16A Chloride Channel Blocks Vascular Smooth Muscle Contraction and Lowers Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 2020. PMID:







  16. Haggie PM, Cil O, Lee S, Tan JA, Rivera AA, Phuan PW, Verkman AS. SLC26A3 inhibitor identified in small molecule screen blocks colonic fluid absorption and reduces constipation. JCI insight 2018. PMID: 30046015




  17. Truong EC, Phuan PW, Reggi AL, Ferrera L, Galietta LJV, Levy SE, Moises AC, Cil O, Diez-Cecilia E, Lee S, Verkman AS, Anderson MO. Substituted 2-Acylaminocycloalkylthiophene-3-carboxylic Acid Arylamides as Inhibitors of the Calcium-Activated Chloride Channel Transmembrane Protein 16A (TMEM16A). Journal of medicinal chemistry 2017. PMID: 28493701


  18. Son JH, Zhu JS, Phuan PW, Cil O, Teuthorn AP, Ku CK, Lee S, Verkman AS, Kurth MJ. High-Potency Phenylquinoxalinone Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) Activators. Journal of medicinal chemistry 2017. PMID: 28230981



  19. Cil O, Phuan PW, Son JH, Zhu JS, Ku CK, Tabib NA, Teuthorn AP, Ferrera L, Zachos NC, Lin R, Galietta LJV, Donowitz M, Kurth MJ, Verkman AS. Phenylquinoxalinone CFTR activator as potential prosecretory therapy for constipation. Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine 2016. PMID: 27815136



  20. Cil O, Phuan PW, Lee S, Tan J, Haggie PM, Levin MH, Sun L, Thiagarajah JR, Ma T, Verkman AS. CFTR activator increases intestinal fluid secretion and normalizes stool output in a mouse model of constipation. Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology 2016. PMID: 27127798


  21. Serdaroglu E, Takci S, Kotarsky H, Çil O, Utine E, Yigit S, Fellman V. A Turkish BCS1L mutation causes GRACILE-like disorder. The Turkish journal of pediatrics 2016. PMID: 29090881


  22. Besbas N, Kalyoncu M, Cil O, Ozgul RK, Bakkaloglu A, Ozaltin F. MCP1 2518 A/G polymorphism affects progression of childhood focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Renal failure 2015. PMID: 26335292


  23. Cil O, Esteva-Font C, Tas ST, Su T, Lee S, Anderson MO, Ertunc M, Verkman AS. Salt-sparing diuretic action of a water-soluble urea analog inhibitor of urea transporters UT-A and UT-B in rats. Kidney international 2015. PMID: 25993324


  24. Cil O, Besbas N, Duzova A, Topaloglu R, Peco-Antic A, Korkmaz E, Ozaltin F. Genetic abnormalities and prognosis in patients with congenital and infantile nephrotic syndrome. Pediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany) 2015. PMID: 25720465



  25. Verkman AS, Esteva-Font C, Cil O, Anderson MO, Li F, Li M, Lei T, Ren H, Yang B. Small-molecule inhibitors of urea transporters. Sub-cellular biochemistry 2014. PMID: 25298345


  26. Unal S, Gumruk F, Yigit S, Tuncer M, Tavil B, Cil O, Takci S, Urata M, Hotta T, Kang D, Cetin M. A novel mutation in protein C gene (PROC) causing severe phenotype in neonatal period. Pediatric blood & cancer 2013. PMID: 24115609



  27. Ozaltin F, Besbas N, Iskit AB, Cil O, Akcoren Z, Kale G, Bakkaloglu A. Role of CXCR1 (CKR-1) in inflammation of experimental mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis. Renal failure 2013. PMID: 23336303




  28. Barua M, Cil O, Paterson AD, Wang K, He N, Dicks E, Parfrey P, Pei Y. Family history of renal disease severity predicts the mutated gene in ADPKD. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN 2009. PMID: 19443633