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Principal Investigator  

Research Topics

Bertacchini Jessika

 

MUSCLE-BONE CROSS TALK

- Design and Simulation of microfluidic devices capable of recreating the tissue-tissue interface to mimic the microarchitecture of an organ, focused on the muscle-bone interface
- Study of the biomolecular mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle cross talk under pathophysiological conditions. 
- Analysis of signaling events mediated by Androgen receptor alterations in primary osteoblast cultures from SBMA mice

Bianchi Elisa MECHANISMS UNDERLYING NORMAL AND LEUKEMIC HEMATOPOIESIS
 
- Identification of novel molecular players supporting chronic inflammation and fibrosis in myelofibrosis.
-Transcriptional control of normal and neoplastic hematopoiesis.

Bicciato Silvio

 

 

 

BIOINFORMATICS

Ongoing research projects:

– Integrative analysis of multi-omics data from bulk and single cell high-throughput technologies;

– Reconstruction of gene regulatory networks in physiological and pathological cell states;

– Identification of of cell–cell interactions and communication from single cell gene expression data;

– Development of computational methods to model the cellular ecosystem of normal and cancer tissues.

Bortolotti Carlo Augusto

 

 

 

 

DEVELOPMENT OF BIO-(IN)ORGANIC INTERFACES FOR NANOBIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS; ORGANIC BIOELECTRONIC DEVICES FOR HEALTH (SENSORS) AND INVESTIGATION OF BIOLOGIC PROCESSES

Design, fabrication and characterization of bio(in)organic interfaces, with a focus on organic electronic devices, for health and life science applications.
Demonstration of organic electronics biosensor for detection of small compounds, antigens and for monitoring biological processes. structure/function relationship in health-relevant (metallo)proteins

Carnevale Gianluca

 

DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF NEURAL CREST-MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS

– Immunomodulatory properties of dental pulp stem cells;
– Differentiation ability of dental pulp stem cells.

Chiarini Francesca – Nuclear envelope dynamics in epigenetic regulation, chromatin organization and gene regulation
– Role of nuclear lamins and their interplay with cell structure, function and localization in bone sarcomas
– Identification of the genetic and biochemical alterations responsible for the pathogenesis and progression of sarcomas and hematological diseases

De Luca Michele

 

 

 

 

 

MOLECULAR MECHANISMS REGULATING EPITHELIAL STEM CELL RENEWAL AND PROLIFERATION AND EPIDERMAL STEM CELL-MEDIATED CELL AND GENE THERAPY

– Molecular and functional characterization of human epidermal stem cells;
– studies of molecular mechanisms regulating self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation of squamous epithelial stem cells by conventional methods integrated with genomic (genotyping and next generation sequencing), epigenomic and transcriptomic technologies;
– Definition of experimental and clinical protocols for ex-vivo combined cell and gene therapy of Epidermolysis Bullosa and other genodematoses.

Enzo Elena SINGLE-CELLS MOLECULAR PROFILING OF EPIDERMAL STEM CELL FOR REGENRATIVE APPLICATIONS

Fanelli Francesca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMPUTATIONAL STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY

Ongoing projects:
- structural characterization of rhodopsin mutants associated with the Autosomal Dominant form of Retinitis Pigmentosa (ADRP); 
- structure-based discovery/development of pharmacological chaperones with therapeutic potential against ADRP caused by rhodopsin mutations; 
- structure-based discovery/development of inhibitors of Lbc-RhoA interaction with therapeutic potential as anticancer agents; 
- structural characterization of vasopressin 2 receptor (V2R) mutants linked to the Nephrogenic Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuresis (NSIAD) and structure-based discovery of V2R ligands as potential therapeutic agents against NSIAD and cancer;
- structure-based discovery of small ligands of the KDEL receptor;  
unveiling the functional dynamics of RhoA and RhoGEFs of the Dbl family; 
- development and application of the Protein Structure Network (PSN) analysis tool and Web server to unveil the structural communication in biomolecular systems; 
- maintenance and development of the Wordom software for the analysis of molecular structures, trajectories, and free energy surfaces.

Imbriano Carol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRANSCRIPTIONAL AND POST-TRANSCRIPTIONAL CONTROL OF TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS IN CELL TRANSFORMATION AND CANCER PROGRESSION

The activity of the laboratory is focused on NF-Y,  a heterotrimeric transcription factor with a  “pioneering” role in the establishment of transcriptional programs. NF-Y is one of the transcription factors orchestrating oncogenic transcriptional changes, as a result of its activity in the transcription of several genes fundamental in the balance between cell proliferation, diffeentiation and cell death.

The research is directed towards investigating the transcriptional activity of NF-Y in cancer cells, in particular the function of NF-Y splice variants generated by alternative splicing events. Through in vitro and in vivo genetic, molecular and cellular biology approaches, the team is shedding light on the role of NF-Y isoforms in cancer phenotype and their possible use as novel biomarkers in patients stratification. Current investigation is focused on splice-switching strategies based on antisense oligonucleotides as therapeutic approach to alter NF-Y splicing and, consequently, inhibit the metastatic potential of cancer cells.

Losi Lorena

 

 

 

IDENTIFICATION OF GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC ALTERATIONS TO SEARCH BIOMOLECULAR MARKERS FOR DIAGNOSIS, PROGNOSIS AND SELECTIVE THERAPIES IN NEOPLASIAS

Identification of genetic and epigenetic alterations to search biomolecular markers for diagnosis, prognosis and selective therapies in several neoplasias, particularly colorectal and ovarian tumours.

Luppi Mario

 

 

 

 

 

 

GENETIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC PATHOGENESIS OF HEMATOLOGIC DISEASES

Special areas of research activity: 
– The study of genetic and immunologic risk factors for viral and fungal infections in bone marrow/stem cell and solid organ transplantation; 
– The development and validation of new immunologic tests for the diagnosis and monitoring of infectious agents in at risk immunocompromised patient groups; 
– The study of anti-tumor immune responses in acute leukemia patients undergoing targeted therapy and in monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance/multiple myeloma patients and in monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance/multiple myeloma patients; 
– The investigation of new  immuno-therapeutic approaches for virus-related tumors. 

Manfredini Rossella

 

 

 

 

 

MOLECULAR AND FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NORMAL AND CANCER STEM CELLS

– Identification of the deranged regulatory non coding RNA in Leukemic Stem Cells (LSC) of blood neoplasms (Acute leukemias and myeloproliferative diseases);
– Identification of novel therapeutic targets in Leukemic Stem Cells (LSC) of blood neoplasms;
– Molecular and functional characterization of the hematopoietic stem cell niche;
– Genomic and trascriptomic characterizaztion at single cell level of normal and Leukemic Stem Cells (LSC) of blood neoplasms.

 

Marasca Roberto

 

 

 

 

GENETIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC PATHOGENESIS OF HEMATOLOGIC DISEASES

 Special areas of research activity:
– Role of microenvironment in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia;
– Acquired or inherited resistance to new agent in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia;
– The immunologic assessment of CLL and the role of new drugs as immunomodulator agents;
– Role of B-Cell Receptor Pathway in pathogenesis of lymphoproliferative disorders

Marigo Valeria

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF RETINAL DEGENERATION

The focus of the laboratory is basic and preclinical research on rare diseases affecting vision: retinal degeneration and albinism. Retinal degenerations, specifically Retinitis Pigmentosa and Leber Congenital Amaurosis, are the major cause of incurable blindness during early adulthood and working age. They are neurodegenerative diseases caused by cell death in photoreceptor cells. Retinal degeneration is characterirised by high genetic heterogeneity with more than 100 genes identified and this feature hampers the development of a treatment. The genetic defect has been identified for some of them, however the pathogenetic mechanism causing photoreceptor cell death is still poorly understood and the dieseas represents an unmet medical need.
We are currently studying the molecular mechanisms underlying cell death during retinal degeneration and developing molecular and pharmacological approaches to delay or inhibit photoreceptor cell death in the retina. These studies are based on in vitro molecular analyses either on retinal stem cells derived from murine models of the disease or on genetically modified photoreceptor cell lines. We defined in vitro the neuroprotective activity of a cGMP inhibitory analogue, of a chaperone and of PEDF and we are now developing delivery systems for these molecules in vivo and testing them on murine models of the disease.

Mattioli Anna Vittoria

 

CARDIOVASCULAR APPLICATION OF REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

– Cardiac, muscolar and vascular regeneration: trigger and mecanism

Norfo Ruggiero

MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR MECHANISMS REGULATING HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL BIOLOGY IN MYELOID MALIGNANCIES

– Identification of the mechanisms of tumorigenesis in haematopoietic stem cells in leukaemia and myeloproliferative neoplasms
– Characterization of the immune landscape in haematopoietic cancers
– Tracing the clonal evolution in myeloid malignancies during disease progression and treatment

Palumbo Carla

 

 

 

 

MUSCLE-BONE CROSS TALK

– Muscle-bone cross talk and related signaling during bone regeneration.

– Peripheral neurodegeneration and correlated alterations of the bone-muscle cross-talk

– Interactions between biophysical energy and biological tissues: use of Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Fields (PEMFs) in neurodegenerative recovery after peripheral lesions

HISTO-PHYSIO-PATHOLOGY OF SKELETAL TISSUES AND REGENERATIVE STRATEGIES FOR THE RECOVERY OF OSTEOCHONDRAL LESIONS

– CAM assay: ethical in ovo model in alternative to animal experimentation/tests

– PAL-OS® - Scleral Ossicles (SO): development of “naturally decellularized new biomaterials” in defining novel strategies for regenerative medicine – Engineered 3D constructs

– Interaction between skeletal tissues and biomaterials, for the recovery of locomotor apparatus defects


– PLC family: up/down-regulation in bone cells involved in bone turnover during physiological/pathological conditions

Pellegrini Graziella

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOLECULAR MECHANISMS REGULATING EPITHELIAL STEM CELL RENEWAL AND PROLIFERATION AND EPITHELIAL STEM CELL-MEDIATED CELL THERAPY

– Molecular and functional characterization of human epithelial stem cells (epidermis, cornea, conjunctiva, urethra, oral mucosa and airway epithelia);
– Studies of molecular mechanisms regulating self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation of squamous epithelial stem cells by conventional methods integrated with genomic (genotyping and next generation sequencing), epigenomic and transcriptomic technologies;
– Definition of experimental and clinical protocols aimed at clinical application of: limbal stem cells in different pathologies of the ocular surface; stem cells of conjunctival, urethral and buccal epithelia in traumatic destruction of the conjunctival epithelium, dry-eye Syndrome, posterior hypospadias, recurring urethral stenosis, reconstructive surgery of oral cavity; stem cells of respiratory epithelia for the reconstruction of upper respiratory tract. 

Pietrangelo Antonello

 

 

 

GENETIC AND MOLECULAR BASIS OF IRON DISORDERS

Ongoing research projects: 
– Transcriptional studies on hepcidin regulation in physiology and pathophysiology ;
– The pathogenic basis for hereditary hemochromatosis and the ferroportin disease;
– The role of iron in the metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases; 
– Pre-clinical and phase 1 clinical studies with small molecules to cure hereditary metal transporter diseases.
– Next-generation sequencing in iron-related disorders

Quaglino Daniela

 

 

 

BIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY OF THE EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX

Ongoing research projects: 
- Pathogenesis of ectopic calcification in aging and in disease
- Modifier genes in Pseudoxanthoma elasticumV
- Elastin assembly and degradation in aging and diseases
- Mesenchymal cells and biomaterials
- Study of the Matrisome in different experimental models

 

Recchia Alessandra

 

 

 

GENE TRANSFER AND GENE EDITING

Recchia’s lab is focused on the design, development and validation of gene editing systems for in vitro or in vivo gene correction/engineering. Non viral (plasmid, RNA , ribonucleoparticles transfection/electroporation) or viral (Adeonviral, AAV or lentiviral) delivery of gene editing tools have been approached. Gene editing systems and viral vectors aim to correct rare genetic diseases or to engineer T cells for cancer immunotherapy.