A5059371502- RNA modifications and cancer
- HER2/EGFR in Cancer Research
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- RNA Research and Splicing
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
- Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- Biochemical and Structural Characterization
- Adenosine and Purinergic Signaling
- Light effects on plants
- Neuroblastoma Research and Treatments
- Circular RNAs in diseases
- MicroRNA in disease regulation
- Lung Cancer Treatments and Mutations
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research
- Glioma Diagnosis and Treatment
- Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
- Genetic Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Ion channel regulation and function
- Cell death mechanisms and regulation
- Angiogenesis and VEGF in Cancer
Sapienza University of Rome
2013-2025
VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology
2020-2024
Heidelberg University
2021
University of Pennsylvania
1995
National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development
1993
Many individuals with cancer are resistant to immunotherapies. Here, we identify the gene encoding pyrimidine salvage pathway enzyme cytidine deaminase (CDA) among top upregulated metabolic genes in several immunotherapy-resistant tumors. We show that CDA cells contributes uridine diphosphate (UDP) pool. Extracellular UDP hijacks immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) through its receptor P2Y
In the present study we evaluated expression of intermediate conductance calcium-activated potassium (KCa3.1) channel in human glioblastoma stem-like cells (CSCs) and investigated its role cell motility. While KCa3.1 is not expressed neuronal- glial-derived tissues healthy individuals, both mRNA protein are tumor population, significantly enhanced CSCs derived from established line U87MG a primary line, FCN9. Consistent with these data, voltage-independent TRAM-34 sensitive currents...
Abstract Muscarinic receptors, expressed in several primary and metastatic tumours, appear to be implicated their growth propagation. In this work we have demonstrated that M2 muscarinic receptors are glioblastoma human specimens cell lines. Moreover, characterized the effects of agonist arecaidine on survival both two different lines (U251 MG U87 ) cultures obtained from biopsies. Cell analysis has strongly decreased proliferation glioma cultures. This effect was dose time dependent. FACS...
Rationale: How endothelial cells (ECs) migrate and form an immature vascular plexus has been extensively studied. Yet, mechanisms underlying remodeling remain poorly established. A better understanding of these processes may lead to the design novel therapeutic strategies complementary current angiogenesis inhibitors. Objective: Starting from our previous observations that PP2A (protein phosphatase 2) regulates HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor)/PHD-2 (prolyl hydroxylase 2)-constituted oxygen...
The sequence of a gene from Bombina orientalis was determined which codes for antibacterial peptides. comprises two exons separated by large intron. Exon 1 the signal peptide, while exon 2 contains genetic information identical bombinins and one bombinin H. promoter region putative recognition sites nuclear factors, such as NFκB NF‐IL6. In vivo experiments on B. have shown that short contact with bacteria is sufficient to induce marked increase in amount peptides skin secretion frogs. This...
Inside the cell, HIV Tat protein is mainly found in nucleus and nucleolus. The nucleolus, site of ribosome biogenesis, a highly organized, non-membrane-bound sub-compartment where proteins with high affinity for nucleolar components are found. While it well known that accumulates nucleolus via specific targeting sequence, its function this compartment still unknown. To clarify significance localization, we induced expression during oogenesis Drosophila melanogaster strain transgenic HIV-tat...
The role of muscarinic receptors in several diseases including cancer has recently emerged. To evaluate the hypothesis that acetylcholine may play a bladder as well other tumor types, we investigated their expression specimens. All examined samples expressed M1, M2 and M3 receptor subtypes. We also found level transcripts, but not those M1 or M3, significantly increased with histologic grade. In view these results, proceeded to investigate whether agonist Arecaidine had any effect on vitro...
The nucleolus is the most prominent nuclear domain in eukaryotic cells, primarily responsible for ribosome biogenesis. It synthesizes and processes precursor ribosomal RNA (rRNA) into mature rRNAs, assembling 40S 60S subunits, which later form 80S ribosome—the essential molecular machine protein synthesis. Beyond production, lacks a delimiting membrane, allowing it to rapidly regulate cellular homeostasis by sequestering key stress-response factors. This adaptability enables...
Esculentin‐1 is a potent anti‐microbial peptide present in minute amounts skin secretions of Rana esculenta . It contains 46 amino‐acid residues and C‐terminal disulfide bridge. We have explored the possibility producing analogues this by recombinant expression Escherichia coli fusion protein which sequestered inclusion bodies. The interest has been inserted at N‐terminus protein, from it can be released cyanogen bromide cleavage. activities as well that mutant linear form devoid bridge are...
Esculentin-1 is a 46-residue antimicrobial peptide present in skin secretions of Rana esculenta. It effective against wide variety micro-organisms, including plant pathogens with negligible effects on eukaryotic cells. As possible approach to enhance resistance, DNA coding for esculentin-1, the substitution Met-28Leu, was fused at C-terminal end leader sequence endopolygalacturonase-inhibiting protein, under control cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter region, and introduced into Nicotiana...
The nucleolus is a subnuclear, non-membrane bound domain that the hub of ribosome biogenesis and critical regulator cell homeostasis. Rapid growth division cells in tumors are correlated with intensive nucleolar metabolism as response to oncogenic factors overexpression. Several members Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) family, have been identified nucleus many cancer cells, but their function these compartments remains unexplored.We focused our research on specific member EGFR ErbB3...
Abstract Transcriptional and cellular-stress surveillance deficits are hallmarks of Huntington’s disease (HD), a fatal autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by pathological expansion CAG repeats in the Huntingtin ( HTT) gene. The nucleolus, dynamic nuclear biomolecular condensate site ribosomal RNA (rRNA) transcription, is implicated cellular stress response protein quality control. While exact pathomechanisms HD still unclear, impact nucleolar dysfunction on pathophysiology...
Three cDNA clones encoding isoforms of casein kinase I (CKI) were isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana. One full-length clone, designated CKI1, contained an open reading frame 1371 bp a protein 51,949 D with isoelectric point 9.7. In addition to the highly conserved catalytic domain (of about 300 amino acids), CKI contain 150 180 acid carboxyl-terminal extensions, which show among themselves lower level sequence conservation. These extensions do not any similarity nonplant isoforms, such as...
Human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) are considered eligible candidates for cardiovascular cell therapy applications due to their cardiac transdifferentiation potential and immunotolerance. Over the years, in vitro culture of ADMSCs by platelet lysate (PL), a hemoderivate containing numerous growth factors cytokines derived from pools, has allowed achieving safe reproducible methodology obtain high yield prior clinical administration. Nevertheless, biological...
EGR1 is an immediate early gene with a wide range of activities as transcription factor, spanning from regulation cell growth to differentiation. Numerous studies show that either promotes the proliferation stimulated cells or suppresses tumorigenic transformed cells. Upon interaction ARF, sumoylated and acquires ability bind specific targets such PTEN in turn regulate growth. ARF mainly localized periphery nucleolus where able negatively ribosome biogenesis. Since colocalizes under IGF-1...
Early growth response-1 one gene (Egr-1), of the immediate early response genes, plays an important role in adaptive myocardium to hypertrophic stimuli. We aimed investigate effects Egr-1 deletion on cardiac function. knock-out (Egr-1 −/− ) homozygous mice were employed evaluate electrophysiological and molecular properties left ventricular cardiomyocytes (VCM) by using patch-clamp technique, intracellular calcium measurements, real-time PCR, Western blot. Action potential was prolonged...
Less than 30% of malignant gliomas respond to adjuvant chemotherapy. Here, we have asked whether variations in the constitutive expression early-growth response factor 1 (EGR-1) predicted acute cytotoxicity and clonogenic cell death vitro, induced by six different chemotherapics. Cytotoxicity assays were performed on cells derived from fresh tumor explants 18 human cases glioma. In addition EGR-1, cultures investigated for genetic alterations cancer regulating factors, related p53 pathway....
The nucleolus is a multi-domain enriched with proteins involved in ribosome biogenesis, cell cycle and apoptosis control, viral replication differentiation of stem cells. Several authors have suggested role for the also malignant transformation. We recently demonstrated that under specific circumstances transcriptional factor EGR1 shuttled to where it functions as negative regulator RNA polymerase I. Since this activity hampered ARF -/- cells, transcription regulated by while turnover...
Abstract TLR agonists are effective at treating superficial cancerous lesions, but their use internally for other types of tumors remains challenging because toxicity. In this article, we report that murine and human naive CD4+ T cells sequester Pam3Cys4 (CD4+ TPam3) become primed Th1 differentiation. TPam3 encoding the OVA-specific TCR OT2, when transferred into mice bearing established TGF-β–OVA–expressing thymomas, produce high amounts IFN-γ sensitize to PD-1/programmed cell death ligand...
The development of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons requires a fine temporal and spatial regulation very specific gene expression program. Here, we report that during mouse brain development, the microRNA (miR-) 204/211 is present at high level in subset DA precursors expressing transcription factor Lmx1a, an early determinant for DA-commitment, but not more mature Th or Pitx3. By combining different vitro model systems differentiation, show levels Lmx1a influence miR-204/211. Using...
Abstract To analyze the effects of HIV‐Tat‐tubulin interaction, we microinjected HIV‐Tat purified protein into Drosophila syncytial embryos. Following Tat injection, altered timing cortical nuclear cycles was observed; specifically, period between envelope breakdown and anaphase initiation lengthened as formation next envelope. These two periods correspond to kinetochore alignment at metaphase mitosis exit, respectively. We also demonstrated that these delays are consequence damage...