Autophagy and diseases

Role of autophagy in cancer, neurodegenerative and muscular diseases and infectious diseases.

Regulation of autophagy mediated by cytokines, lysophosphatidic acid, microRNA and Long Non Coding RNA.

Epigenetic regulation of autophagy by natural bioactive substances.

Chemoresistance and cytotoxicity studies of anti-tumor drugs.

Mechanisms regulating dormancy, death, cell migration and proliferation and glucose metabolism.

Study of metabolic cross-talk in the tumor microenvironment between cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor cells.

Biogenesis and function of lysosomes

Biogenesis of lysosomal cathepsins, targeting, molecular mechanisms, signal transduction and interorganellar trafficking, receptor-dependent and receptor-independent transport.

Genomic and proteomic-functional approach for the identification of cathepsin D substrates and molecules that regulate autophagic-lysosomal function.

Nanoteranostics

Use of functionalized nanoparticles for imaging and therapy in tumor pathologies (nanoteranostics).

Biocompatibility and cytotoxicity testing of nanoparticles.

Endocytosis, exocytosis, intracellular trafficking and degradation of nanoparticles.

1. Fawaz A, Ferraresi A, Isidoro C. Systems Biology in Cancer Diagnosis Integrating Omics Technologies and Artificial Intelligence to Support Physician Decision Making. J Pers Med. 2023 Nov 10;13(11):1590. doi: 10.3390/jpm13111590. PMID: 38003905.

2. Amreen Salwa, Alessandra Ferraresi, Eleonora Secomandi, Letizia Vallino, Riccardo Moia, Andrea Patriarca, Beatrice Garavaglia, Gianluca Gaidano, Ciro Isidoro. High BECN1 Expression Negatively Correlates with BCL2 Expression and Predicts Better Prognosis in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Role of Autophagy. Cells 2023, 12(15), 1924; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12151924

3. Rubio K, Hernández-Cruz EY, Rogel-Ayala DG, Sarvari P, Isidoro C, Barreto G, Pedraza-Chaverri J. Nutriepigenomics in Environmental-Associated Oxidative Stress. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Mar 21;12(3):771. doi: 10.3390/antiox12030771.

4. Chiara Vidoni, Alessandra Ferraresi, Letizia Vallino, Amreen Salwa, Ji Hee Ha, Christian Seca, Beatrice Garavaglia, Danny N. Dhanasekaran, Ciro Isidoro Glycolysis Inhibition of Autophagy Drives Malignancy in Ovarian Cancer: Exacerbation by IL-6 and Attenuation by Resveratrol. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(2), 1723; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021723 (https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/2/1723 )

5. Ferraresi A., Isidoro C. Will Omics Biotechnologies Save Us from Future Pandemics? Lessons from COVID-19 for Vaccinomics and Adversomics. Biomedicines 2023, 11(1), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11010052.

6. Maheshwari C, Vidoni C, Titone R, Castiglioni A, Lora C, Follo C, Isidoro C. Isolation, Characterization, and Autophagy Function of BECN1-Splicing Isoforms in Cancer Cells. Biomolecules 2022, 12,1069. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12081069

7. Savio M, Ferraresi A, Corpina C, Vandenberghe S, Scarlata C, Sottile V, Morini L, Garavaglia B, Isidoro C*, Stivala LA. Resveratrol and Its Analogue 4,4'-Dihydroxy-trans-stilbene Inhibit Lewis Lung Carcinoma Growth In Vivo through Apoptosis, Autophagy and Modulation of the Tumour Microenvironment in a Murine Model. Biomedicines. 2022 Jul 25;10(8):1784. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10081784.

8. Garavaglia B, Vallino L, Ferraresi A, Esposito A, Salwa A, Vidoni C, Gentilli S, Isidoro C. Butyrate Inhibits Colorectal Cancer Cell Proliferation through Autophagy Degradation of β-Catenin Regardless of APC and β-Catenin Mutational Status. Biomedicines. 2022 May 13;10(5):1131. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10051131.

9. Esposito A, Ferraresi A, Salwa A, Vidoni C, Dhanasekaran DN, Isidoro C. Resveratrol Contrasts IL-6 Pro-Growth Effects and Promotes Autophagy-Mediated Cancer Cell Dormancy in 3D Ovarian Cancer: Role of miR-1305 and of Its Target ARH-I. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Apr 25;14(9):2142. doi: 10.3390/cancers14092142.

10. Ferraresi A, Esposito A, Girone C, Vallino L, Salwa A, Ghezzi I, Thongchot S, Vidoni C, Dhanasekaran DN, Isidoro C. Resveratrol Contrasts LPA-Induced Ovarian Cancer Cell Migration and Platinum Resistance by Rescuing Hedgehog-Mediated Autophagy. Cells. 2021 Nov 17;10(11):3213. doi: 10.3390/cells10113213. PMID: 34831435

1. Danny Dhanasekaran: Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City (OK 73104, US) (Long Non Coding RNA e regolazione epigenetica dell’autofagia nel cancro ovarico)
2. Chanitra Tuwajit and Peti Tuwajit: Siriraj Hospital Medical School, Mahidol University (Bangkok, TH), (autofagia e fibroblasti associate al cancro nel tumore all’ovaio)
3. Nisana Namwat: Khon Kaen Center of Excellence for Cholangiocarcinoma (Khon Kaen, TH), (autofagia e colangiocarcinoma)
4. Denis A. Baranenko: International research centre "Biotechnologies of the Third Millennium", ITMO University (Saint-Petersburg, Russia) (chimica analitica, biotecnologie e scienze degli alimenti)
5. Vincenzo Mollace: Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università Magna Graecia (Catanzaro, Italy) (farmacologia e farmacoterapia)​​​​​​

1. Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute (fondi Ricerca di Ateneo), Università del Piemonte Orientale. Euro 30.000 per progetto biennale 2019-2020 (dal 1° Luglio 2019) “In vitro 3D organoid modeling of the coloncarcinoma microenvironment for testing the beneficial effects of nutraceutical Resveratrol and probiotic metabolite butyrate”.
2. Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute (fondi Ricerca di Ateneo), Università del Piemonte Orientale. Euro 45.000 per progetto biennale 2017-2018 (dal 1° Giugno 2017) “Rigenerazione tissutale ossea da cellule staminali gengivali indotta dal Resveratrolo: Ruolo dell’autofagia nel rimodellamento cellulare”.
3. Comoli, Ferrari & SpA (Novara, Italia). Euro 75.000 per borsa di dottorato 2021-2024 (dal 1° Novembre 2021).
4. Associazione per la Ricerca Medica Ippocrate-Rhazi (ARM-IR, Novara, Italia). Euro 35.000 per borsa di dottorato 2019-2022 (dal 1° Novembre 2019).
5. Associazione per la Ricerca Medica Ippocrate-Rhazi (ARM-IR, Novara, Italia). Euro 35.000 per borsa di dottorato 2020-2023 (dal 1° Novembre 2020).
6. Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC, Milano, Italy). Euro 50.000 per assegno di ricerca post-dottorato “Paolina Troiano” (id. 24094) 2020-2022 (Febbraio 2020-2022).
7. Probiotical SpA (Novara, Italy). Euro 50.000 (Novembre 2020-2021).
8. Probiotical Spa (Novara, Italia). Euro 40.000 (Febbraio 2023-Ottobre 2023).
9. Consorzio Interuniversitario per le Biotecnologie (CIB, Trieste, Italia). Euro 10.000 per il progetto “Nutriepigenomica e probiotici nella patologie infiammatorie e tumorali: studio dei pathways molecolari”.
10. Fondazione Umberto Veronesi (FUV, Milano, Italia). Euro 30.000 per assegno di ricerca post-dottorato 2023 (Febbraio 2023-2024).
11. Fondazione Umberto Veronesi (FUV, Milano, Italia). Euro 33.000 per assegno di ricerca post-dottorato 2024 (Febbraio 2024-2025).

Pro. Ciro Isidoro, Responsabile del gruppo di ricerca

Post Doc: Alessandra Ferraresi, Letizia Vallino

PhD: Andrea Esposito, Beatrice Garavaglia, Chiara Lualdi, Chinmay Maheshwari, Amreen Salwa