- RNA regulation and disease
- RNA Research and Splicing
- RNA modifications and cancer
- Renal and related cancers
- Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- interferon and immune responses
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Reproductive Biology and Fertility
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Testicular diseases and treatments
- Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
- Calcium signaling and nucleotide metabolism
- Ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment
- MicroRNA in disease regulation
- Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Folate and B Vitamins Research
- RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
- Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- Cancer Cells and Metastasis
- Fibroblast Growth Factor Research
- Sperm and Testicular Function
- Genetic Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Carcinogens and Genotoxicity Assessment
- Melanoma and MAPK Pathways
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
University of Rome Tor Vergata
2015-2025
Sapienza University of Rome
2019-2024
Istituto Pasteur
2022-2024
Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital
2017-2022
Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico
2017-2021
Institute of Molecular Medicine
2020
Istituto Superiore di Sanità
2010
Recent studies have reported the emerging role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in human cancers. We systematically characterized miRNA expression and editing brain, which displays highest number A-to-I RNA sites among tissues, de novo glioblastoma brain cancer. identified 299 miRNAs altered their 24 differently edited compared to tissues. focused on site within miR-589-3p seed. MiR-589-3p is a unique almost fully (∼100%) normal with consistent decrease glioblastoma. The version inhibits cell...
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing are two of the most abundant modification events affecting adenosines in mammals. Both these modifications determine mRNA fate play a pivotal role tumor development progression.Here, we show that METTL3, upregulated glioblastoma, methylates ADAR1 increases its protein level leading to pro-tumorigenic mechanism connecting YTHDF1, ADAR1. We plays cancer-promoting independently deaminase activity by binding CDK2 mRNA,...
In recent years, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have gained considerable attention in numerous research fields ranging from gene therapy to cancer immunotherapy and DNA vaccination. While some RNA-encapsulating LNP formulations passed clinical trials, DNA-loaded LNPs been only marginally explored so far. To fulfil this gap, herein we investigated the effect of several factors influencing microfluidic formulation transfection behavior such as PEGylation, total flow rate (TFR), concentration...
ABSTRACT Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are rare that can develop in both sexes, peaking adolescents. To understand the mechanisms underlie germ transformation, we established a GCT mouse model carrying germ-cell-specific BRafV600E mutation with or without heterozygous Pten deletion. Both male and female mice developed monolateral teratocarcinomas containing embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells showed an aggressive phenotype metastatic ability. transformation started fetal gonads progressed after birth...
Endometriosis (E) is an oestrogen-dependent, multifactorial, inflammatory disease causing pelvic pain and infertility. Several concerns have been raised about the role of food contaminants, in particular Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), potentially involved onset propagation E. Conventional therapies- which considerable side effects - focus on reducing levels oestrogens counteracting inflammation. The potential preventive/protective plant extracts (PEs) (PH) -induced E studied by a...
Abstract Both fibroblast growth factor 9 (Fgf9) and Kit Ligand (Kl) signal through tyrosine kinase receptors, yet they exert opposite effects on meiotic differentiation in postnatal spermatogonia, Fgf9 acting as a meiosis-inhibiting substance Kl promoter of the process. To understand molecular mechanisms that might underlie this difference, we tried to dissect intracellular signaling elicited by these two factors. We found both stimulate Erk1/2 activation Kit+ (differentiating) even though...
SAMHD1 is a host restriction factor that functions to restrict both retroviruses and DNA viruses, based on its nuclear deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) hydrolase activity limits availability of intracellular dNTP pools. In the present study, we demonstrate expression was increased following human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, with only modest effect infectious virus production. rapidly phosphorylated at residue T592 after infection by cellular cyclin-dependent kinases, especially...
Abstract Although the activation of innate immunity to treat a wide variety cancers is gaining increasing attention, it has been poorly investigated in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated malignancies. Because these tumors harbor severely impaired cGAS-STING axis, but they still retain largely functional RIG-I pathway, another critical mediator adaptive and immune responses, we asked whether by 5’ppp-RNA agonist M8 would represent therapeutically viable option HPV + cancers. Here, show...
Ataxia Telangiectasia is a rare, multi system disease caused by ATM kinase deficiency. Atm knockout mice recapitulate premature aging, immunodeficiency, cancer predisposition, growth retardation and motor defects but not cerebellar neurodegeneration ataxia. We explored if loss responsible of skeletal muscle investigating myofiber morphology, oxidative/glycolytic activity, myocyte ultrastructural architecture neuromuscular junctions. showed reduced fiber size. Atrophy, protein synthesis...
Epitranscriptomic mechanisms, such as A-to-I RNA editing mediated by ADAR deaminases, contribute to cancer heterogeneity and patients' stratification. enzymes can change the sequence, structure, expression of several RNAs, affecting cell behavior. In glioblastoma, an overall decrease in ADAR2 level/activity has been reported. However, no data on protein levels GBM patient tissues are available; most based ADARs overexpression experiments.We performed IHC analysis correlated survival. We...
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) represent the most common solid malignancy affecting males between ages of 15 and 35, while ovarian tumours (OGCT) are a type neoplasm principally young women. Germ (GCTs) account for about 95 % testicular cancer cases only 2-3% (Siegel et al., 2011). Most TGCT potentially curable, however approximately 5% patients with develop chemoresistance die from disease. PTEN deletion mutational activation BRAF frequent genetic alterations found in human TGCTs,...
Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) produced by the somatic cells of testis acts directly on germ to inhibit meiosis upregulating levels RNA binding protein Nanos2, both in fetal and postnatal gonad [1]. Several studies have recently demonstrated that anti-meiotic effect FGF9 is mediated Nodal, a member TGF-Beta morphogen family. In male upregulates Cripto, which Nodal co-receptor, making these unable enter [2]. However it currently unknown how postnatally entry into mitotic cells. We first...
Abstract Cancer is driven by alterations of the genomic information, which carries mutations in key genes providing selective advantage for clonal multiplication cancer cells. However, within DNA are not only source cell alteration. RNA molecules targets a series post-transcriptional modifications, such as splicing and editing, that can affect sequence, structure stability. The most common type editing humans converts Adenosine into Inosine (A-to-I) catalyzed two adenosine deaminases act on...