Professor Elisabetta Ferretti
Components
Teachers: Prof. Elisabetta Ferretti
PhD students: Martina Chiacchiarini, Luana Abballe.
Post-doc: Giuseppina Catanzaro.
Students: Matteo Cafforio, Rebecca Gariazzo.
Research Activities (Abstract)
The research activity of the Oncogenomics laboratory is characterized by genetic and molecular biology studies, in vitro and in vivo, with particular attention to solid tumors of the central nervous system and the neuroendocrine system.
The research group has been working for years on:
- the role of non-coding RNAs lncRNA and microRNA in tumor and endocrine-metabolic diseases.
- the characterization of the Hedgehog and Notch signaling pathways, fundamental in developmental processes and tumorigenesis, and the search for potential therapeutic targets. Through genetic, epigenetic and expression analysis approaches, the molecular mechanisms of regulation of tumor stemness through the GLI and Nanog and Notch genes are studied.
- development of primary cell culture techniques and neuronal and tumor stem cells for in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo studies.
Publications (max 10)
1. D'Amico D, Antonucci L, Di Magno L, Coni S, Sdruscia G, Macone A, Miele E, Infante P, Di Marcotullio L, De Smaele E, Ferretti E, et al Non-canonical Hedgehog/AMPK-Mediated Control of Polyamine Metabolism Supports Neuronal and Medulloblastoma Cell Growth. Dev Cell. 2015
2. Miele E, Buttarelli FR, Arcella A, Begalli F, Garg N, Silvano M, Po A, Baldi C, Carissimo G, Antonelli M, Spinelli GP, Capalbo C, Donofrio V, Morra I, Nozza P, Gulino A, Giangaspero F, Ferretti E. High-throughput microRNA profiling of pediatric high-grade gliomas. Neuro Oncol. 2014
3. Garg N, Po A, Miele E, Campese AF, Begalli F, Silvano M, Infante P, Capalbo C, De Smaele E, Canettieri G, Di Marcotullio L, Screpanti I, Ferretti E*, Gulino A*(*Equal contributors). microRNA-17-92 cluster is a direct Nanog target and controls neural stem cell through Trp53inp1. EMBO J. 2013.
4. Canettieri G, Di Marcotullio L, Greco A, Coni S, Antonucci L, Infante P, Pietrosanti L, De Smaele E, Ferretti E. et al. Histone Deacetylase And Cullin3-Ren Ubiquitin Ligase Interplay Regulates Hedgehog Signaling Through Acetylation. Nature Cell Biology 2010
5. Po A, Ferretti E, (equal contributors) et al. Hedgehog controls neural stem cells through p53-independent regulation of Nanog. EMBO J. 2010.
6. De Smaele E, Ferretti E, Gulino A. MicroRNAs as biomarkers for CNS cancer and other disorders. Brain Res. 2010.
7. Ferretti E., De Smaele E, et al. Microrna Profiling In Human Medulloblastoma. International Journal Of Cancer 2009.
8. Ferretti E., De Smaele E, et al. (2008). Concerted MicroRNA Control Of Hedgehog Signaling In CGP and Tumor Cells. Embo J, 2008.
9. Di Marcotullio L., Ferretti E., (equal contributors) Greco A, De Smaele E, et al. Numb Is A Suppressor Of Hedgehog Signaling And Targets Gli1 For Itch-Dependent Ubiquitination. Nature Cell Biology, 2006.
10. Ferretti E, De Smaele E et al. Hedgehog checkpoints in medulloblastoma: the chromosome 17p-deletion paradigm. Trends Mol Med. 2005.
Grants
Ministry of Education, University and Research, FIRB. Title: Development of new antitumor therapeutic strategies based on proteomic investigations of relevant signal transduction pathways in tumor stem cells.
Ministry of Education, University and Research, PRIN. Title: Integrated computational and experimental approach for the study of human pathologies.
Italian Association for Cancer Research Special Program Molecular Clinical Oncology 5 per thousand 2010 (AIRC5XMille). Title: Development of effective cancer therapy based on functional proteomics and cancer stem cell targeting.
University - Equipment acquisition: Title Brain tumors: in vivo study of tumor stem cells and the efficacy of new molecular drugs.
University Federated Research: Titles 1) Role of Hedgehog signaling and microRNAs in neural stem cells; 2) Identification of novel transcriptional targets of Sonic Hedgehog signaling in murine and human models of medulloblastoma; 3) Identification and characterization of KCTD21, a novel regulator of the Hedgehog pathway in the cerebellum and medulloblastoma.
Italian Space Agency (ASI). Title: Gravity mechanoreceptors and their signaling.
Rome Foundation. Title: Non-communicable diseases in the elderly: Circulating microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs as novel biomarkers of response to therapy in metabolic diseases