MD

Senior Investigator of the Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IOR

1991: Degree in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Bologna, with honors

1995: Board in Oncology at the University of Bologna with honors

From 1991, investigator at the Laboratory of Experimental Oncology

Italian: mother tongue
English: scholastic

• In vitro culturing and maintenance of immortalized lines and primary cells
• Establishment of patient-derived xenografts and 3D-culture transfection (overexpression, silencing by RNA and antisense nucleotides)
• Evaluation of cellular malignancy (anchorage-independent growth: soft-agar and polyhema, migration and adhesion assay)
• Analysis of protein expression by immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry
• Confocal microscopy
• Cytofluorometry
• Elisa assays.

Student tutoring

Collaborator in the following scientific projects:

2000-2018 - AIRC: 

• 2000-2003: “Scientific basis for innovative treatment strategies in Ewing’s sarcoma family of tumors”
• 2004-2006: “Targeted therapies in Ewing's sarcoma: providing new clues and tools”
• 2007-2009: “Molecular therapy of bone sarcomas: the targeting of genes required for osteoblastogenesis as a new strategy”
• 2010-2013: “From molecular to differentiation therapy of bone sarcomas: focus on IGF-IR and CD99 to construct the bridge”;
• 2014-2016: “Targeting CD99, a master regulator of bone sarcoma metastasis and malignancy: molecular mechanisms and pharmacological inhibition”
• 2017-2019: "CD99 at the interface between bone sarcoma and the immune microenvironment: an opportunity for therapy"
• 2020-2025: “Accelerating biomarkers and targeted therapy development in metastatic Ewing sarcomas: focus on tumor cell plasticity” (2020-2025).

Italian Ministry of Health:

• 2002-2004: “Biomedical Area Strategic Project” coordinated by Dr. Piero Picci: “Development of Targeted therapies in osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma”;
• 2003-2006: “Biomedical Area Strategic Project” coordinated by Dr. Massimo Serra “Profili genetici e biomolecolari di prognosi e di predittività della risposta ai farmaci nei sarcomi muscoloscheletrici” (“Genetic and biomolecular profiles for prognosis and prediction of reaction to drugs in muscular-skeletal sarcomas”;
• 2008-2010: Project “Alleanza contro il Cancro” (Alliance against Cancer) coordinated by Dr. P. Picci “Development of new therapies in musculoskeletal tumors: immunotherapy and targeted therapies in comparison”;
• 2008-2010: “Biomedical Area Strategic Project” coordinated by Dr. R. De Maria “Validation of targeted therapies and related biomarkers to predict tumor response”;
• 2008-2010: “Biomedical Area Strategic Project” coordinated by Dr. C. Spadafora “Novel therapy design for tumors resistant to conventional chemotherapy and for rare tumors”;
• 2010-2012: “Progetto Ricerca Finalizzata all’Area Ricerca Sanitaria” (Health Research Area Applied Research Project) “Molecular therapy in pediatric sarcomas and leukemia against IGF-IR system: new drugs, best drug-drug interactions, mechanisms of resistance and indicators of efficacy”;
• 2012-2015: Applied Research Project (Sicily Region) coordinated by Dott.ssa R. Malaguarnera “Insulin resistance and cancer: strategies of intervention involving the insulin receptor isoform A”.

E.U.:

• 2005-2007: Operative Unit coordinated by Dr. Katia Scotlandi for the Project PROTHETS, prognosis and  therapeutic targets in the Ewing family of tumors. Scientific Head: Dr. P. Picci
• 2006-2010: Operative Unit coordinated by Dr. Katia for the Project EuroBoNet. Scientific Head: Dr. P. Hoogendoorn (Leiden, NL)
• 2013-2016: Operative Unit coordinated by Dr. Katia Scotlandi for the Project ERANET TRANSCAN “Validation of Biomarkers in Ewing Sarcoma for personalised transalational medicine” Scientific Head Prof. U. Dirksen, University Hospital of Münster
• 2011-2018: EUROSARC project “European clinical trials in rare sarcomas within an integrated translational trial network-eurosarc” FP7-HEALTH.2011.2.4.1-1 278742 (Head: Dr. P. Picci)
• 2016-2018: Operative Unit coordinated by Dr. Katia Scotlandi for the Project TRANSCAN-2 “Targeting Of Resistance in PEDiatric Oncology (TORPEDO)”. Coordinator of the project: Prof. SM. Pfister (Heidelberg, Germania)
• 2013-2018: Project EEC-EURO EWING Consortium – International Clinical Trials to Improve Survival from Ewing Sarcoma FP7-HEALTH.2013-602856 (Head: Dr. P. Picci)
• 2017-2021: Project ITCC-P4- ITCC Pediatric Preclinical POC Platform” 116064 (Head: Prof. SM. Pfister (Heidelberg, Germania) and WP3-ACC Dr. K. Scotlandi)
• Progetto ERA-NET/TRANSCAN: “Harnessing BRCAness as therapeutic target in HR pediatric solid tumors (BRCAddict)(resp. Dr.ssa K. Scotlandi”, (2019-2022).

Co-author of 104 scientific papers; 4 book chapters.

• Preclinical studies on the development of targeted therapies for sarcomas with particular emphasis on the anti-metastatic effects;
• Drug resistance;
• Identification of critical targets in sarcoma with prognostic and therapeutic relevance.