A TEAM UNITED
TO ADVANCE
& PROGRESS

BIO

After a Master degree in Molecular Biology, I obtained the PhD in Biosciences from the University of Padua in 2009. I then changed my research field and conducted my postdoc studying how a mitochondrial potassium channel could be used as a target to counteract the development of various types of tumors. During my postdoc, I was able to conduct research abroad in Germany as well at the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of Duisburg-Essen and at the Department of Molecular Oncology at the University of Kiel. In 2016, I became a researcher at the Department of Biology at the University of Padua, where in 2019 I became associate professor.

RESEARCH

My laboratory studies how it is possible to modulate the metabolism and the contact sites between the organelles in cancer cells, in order to counteract their ability to proliferate and invade other tissues, thereby preventing the formation of metastases. Additionally, we study how diet can help make cancer cells more sensitive to treatment, thereby maximizing the effects of chemotherapy. Among the cancers we study is PDAC, one of the most severe and grim in terms of patient prognosis.

HOBBIES / EXTRAS

In my free time, I enjoy gardening and running. In general, I like following sports, especially soccer, which is my passion since I have been part of this world for a long time as a referee.

BIO

Loretta L. del Mercato graduated in 2004 in Biotechnology at University “Federico II” of Naples (IT) and obtained her PhD in 2007 in “Innovative Materials and Technologies” at Institute of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (ISUFI), University of Salento, Lecce (IT). From 2008 to 2010, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the Phillips University of Marburg (DE), in the group of Prof. W. J. Parak. In May 2010, she moved as Junior Researcher to the Nanoscience Institute of CNR in Lecce (IT), hosted by the group of Prof. R. Rinaldi. In 2015, she joined the Institute of Nanotechnology of CNR, founded and directed by Prof. G. Gigli, as Principal Investigator. In 2017, she received a 5-years ERC-starting grant “INTERCELLMED” aiming at creating novel 3D cell culture systems to study cell-cell interaction heterogeneity in vitro pancreatic tumor models. In 2019, she was granted a 5-years My FIRST AIRC grant to apply lactate and oxygen particles-based optical sensors for quantifying metabolic changes in mediated drug resistance of metastatic melanoma. Since 2018 she is senior researcher at the National Research Council (CNR) and Coordinator of the «3DCellSensing» group at Institute of Nanotechnology of CNR in Lecce.

RESEARCH

The «3D Cell Sensing» research group works on the synthesis of multifunctional systems for biosensing and therapy, with an emphasis on personalized treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer. Research is focused on synthesis of sensing particles for measuring, with high spatial and temporal resolution, the intracellular and extracellular concentration of key biological analytes, such as oxygen, pH and lactate; development of 3D in vivo-like culture systems that capture the microenvironmental context of a tumor. Sensing particles and in vitro 3D culturing systems are coupled with real-time quantitative microscopy and computational cell-based modelling analyses to study cancer and stroma interactions, to quantify the drug efficacy on in vitro patients-derived 3D models with simple and easy readouts.

HOBBIES / EXTRAS

One of my big hobbies has always been volleyball and climbing. I love trekking with my husband and our two children every chance we get, and it’s also a great activity to share with friends. At the weekend I love cooking, it relaxes me a lot!

BIO

I got my PhD in Immunology at the Dept of Clinical and Biological Sciences of the University of Turin with the mentorship of Prof. Guido Forni and Mirella Giovarelli. It was the beginning of the love for tumor immunology, therefore, I continued my post-doc in Giovarelli lab first and Novelli lab after, to acquire experience on immunotherapy and spontaneous mouse models of tumors. That was important for the setting of autochthonous mouse model of pancreatic cancer we are now using for our research. In 2010 I moved in the Prof. T.W. Mak lab at the Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research (CFIBCR), University Health Network, Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto (Canada), where I was offered to work on a drug discovery project. Excited to learn new techniques and acquire new skills, I immediately accepted. In 2012, back to Italy, I have got a permanent position at the University of Turin and started to build my own group at the Dept. of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences.

RESEARCH

Since many years I’m focused on the study of pancreatic cancer and in particular the complex relationship among tumor cells and stromal and immune cells in an attempt to define novel targets exploitable for immunotherapy combinations. We are particularly interested in investigating the role of myeloid cells and fibroblasts in the tumor context and especially how they both affect the specific anti-tumoral response. In this light we have developed different pre-clinical models in which design novel therapeutic strategies and acquired expertise in the ex vivo analysis of antigen-specific T and B cell responses. We have already proved the efficacy of a DNA vaccine in delaying the progression of pancreatic cancer and we are aiming to improve its effects through the combination of more strategies.

HOBBIES / EXTRAS

I really like DIY and gardening activities: my dream is to learn to work and restore wood, but also seeing flowers and vegetables grow gives me satisfaction. I like everything related to interior design and admire all the products from real designers and architects. I like good food and cooking when I am relaxed, and I love traveling with my family.

BIO

I obtained my M.Sc. in Medical Biotechnologies and the PhD in Molecular Medicine at the University of Milan. I developed a strong theoretical and technical background in developmental biology starting from my PhD training at the National Council of Researches in Milan and at the University of California San Diego, UCSD (USA) where I continued, after my PhD, to work on pancreatic development in health and disease. Back in Italy, I focused my research on pancreatic tumor grading by reverse epigenomic approaches at Humanitas University and at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan.

RESEARCH

PDAC is a highly heterogenous tumor with different type on cancer cells that coexist in the same tumor. Each type has different growth properties and chemoresistance potential which lead to the failure of the actual therapeutic strategies. My efforts are concentrated on the study of the mechanism governing pancreatic tumor heterogeneity and in the spatial relationship between tumor cells with different gene expression profiles and non-tumor components. Using novel approaches that maintain tissue integrity we are aiming to perform gene expression analysis of defined tumor anatomical areas to identify new molecular target for precision medicine.

https://www.research.ieo.it/research-and-technology/clinical-technoshots/clinical-technoshot-in-situ-tumor-cell-transcriptomes/

HOBBIES/EXTRAS

Juggling your personal life, your social life, and your work is hard, so I tried to improve my juggling skills with balls, clubs and balloons and, to get a new perspective on life… why not doing it walking on stilts? It might not improve your time management, but the kids will love it.

BIO

Following a PhD working at the University of Piemonte Orientale in Novara, Italy under the mentorship of Andrea Graziani, I did my postdoctoral training in Belgium in the lab of Pierre Sonveaux (UCLouvain), to work on tumor metabolism and cancer progression. There, I contributed to define the role of mitochondrial metabolism in driving metastasis and supporting metabolic symbiosis in cancer cells. In 2016, I moved back to Italy funded by the Rita Levi-Montalcini program for young researchers to start my own laboratory at the Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC), University of Torino.

RESEARCH

Cachexia is a tremendous syndrome characterized by the unstoppable weight loss, a complication occurring in at least 90% of pancreatic cancer patients. Nevertheless, our knowledge concerning cachexia is still rather limited. For this reason, my laboratory is currently focused on the development of novel models, both in vivo and in vitro, to study body weight loss and muscle atrophy in cancer.

In particular, I am interested in the role of metabolic dysregulations as drive of skeletal muscle wasting and how muscle loss, which encompasses 50% of total lean mass, might support tumor growth.

Tumors are highly energy demanding to support survival and growth in a harsh environment. Hence, they promote nutrient mobilization from the body to support their increased metabolic demand. Ultimately promoting systemic wasting and cachexia. In particular, we are working on the metabolic competitions occurring between skeletal muscle and growing tumor with the aim of breaking the vicious circle which leads to skeletal muscle wasting and tumor growth.

HOBBIES / EXTRAS

I love to cook and bake, I love cooking and baking a lot, maybe because doing science is just like cooking. I like to try out new recipes at home, it’s a great challenge and it’s good fun. I like growing carnivorous plants, I have always been fascinated by something with a little twist. I am also a huge fan of Star Wars saga and of Master Yoda. “Do or do not. There is no try”.

BIO

I got my PhD working at the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) in Trieste, Italy under the mentorship of Mauro Giacca. For my postdoctoral training, I moved to Philadelphia, USA, to work on tumor metabolism in the laboratory of Kathryn Wellen (Univ. of Pennsylvania) where I began working on  murine models of pancreatic carcinogenesis. I focused on metabolic pathways involved in tumor onset. In 2020, I moved back to Italy to start my own laboratory at the Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, an independent research institute affiliated to the University of Padova.

RESEARCH

Pancreatic cancer is characterized by poor overall survival and few efficacious therapeutic interventions. One area that has offered significant scope for further exploration are the numerous metabolic disturbances that take place in all phases of tumor development. Several of these derangements lead to imbalances in metabolites, including S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), α-ketoglutarate (αKG), and acetyl-CoA that are crucial to the regulation of epigenetic landscapes. In particular, we demonstrated that the availability of acetyl-CoA influences global levels of histone acetylation.

We showed that pancreatic cancer initiation features elevated acetyl-CoA levels and abundant epigenetic reprogramming, and that the cytoplasmic enzyme ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY), which produces acetyl-CoA from citrate, is essential to the neoplastic transformation of pancreatic cells. In mouse models, ACLY deletion results in fewer tumors and improved survival.

Building from these findings, we are now trying to better dissect the role of acetyl-CoA in tumor-initiating mechanisms. In particular, ongoing research focuses on: 1) Characterize genes sensitive to acetyl-CoA fluctuations and responsible for initiating tumorigenesis. 2) Understand how the dynamics of mitochondria (metabolic hubs of the cell) may impact acetyl-CoA availability during cancer initiation and progression. 3) Dissect the metabolic fates of acetyl-CoA. 4) Interrogate the impact of known risk factors for pancreatic cancer on cellular metabolism.

HOBBIES/EXTRAS

I am a husband and a father. During my free time I love to spend time with my family, playing with my kid, and cooking for my wife. I enjoy to travel as much as possible. When I can’t travel far, I still love to take a day trip to Venice, to enjoy the beauty of the city, the art, the food. I am a big sports fan, and still love to watch and play all sorts of sports.

BIO

Dr. Lovisa completed her master’s degree in medical biotechnology from the University of Padova in 2008 and obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Science and Technology from the University of Udine in 2012, while working in Dr. Gustavo Baldassarre’s laboratory at CRO National Cancer Institute (Aviano, PN). In 2013 she joined Dr. Raghu Kalluri’s laboratory at MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas) for her post-doctoral training. In 2020 she returned to Italy thanks to the support of the Umberto Veronesi Foundation and in 2021 she was awarded a start-up grant from the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC) to set up her own laboratory and pursue her independent research interests at Humanitas University and Humanitas Research Hospital.

RESEARCH

My research aims to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing the interaction between chronic inflammation, tissue fibrosis and cancer development. 

During my post-doctoral training I gained an increased appreciation for the intimate relationship between fibrosis and cancer. Fibrosis consists in a pathological wound healing response characterized by persistent inflammation and exaggerated deposition of extracellular matrix, which eventually lead to organ failure. The fibrogenic response shares a lot of commonalities with components of the tumor microenvironment, and, at the same time, fibrosis is an intrinsic host-response to cancer growth and spread in certain types of cancers and can frequently arise as a side effect of chemo– and radio– therapies. 

My studies have been specifically focused on investigating the functional role of epithelial and endothelial plasticity, namely epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), in driving the cascade of events leading to persistent inflammation and chronic tissue damage. The purpose of my future research as independent investigator is to understand if these processes could drive tumorigenesis in those cancer characterized by chronic inflammation such as colitis–associated colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer.

HOBBIES / EXTRAS

Traveling is my favorite hobby. I think it is a priceless opportunity to expand my mental horizon, visit new places and get to know different cultures, traditions, living styles and food habits.

BIO

Dr Vincenzo Corbo is assistant professor at the Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Italy. He received his PhD from the University of Verona in 2009. In Verona, he contributed to set up next generations sequencing platforms in the lab of Professor Aldo Scarpa, where he participated to international efforts (ICGC, International Cancer Genome Consortium) to describe somatic alterations of pancreas cancers. He completed his training as Post-Doc in the laboratory of Prof David Tuveson at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY (USA), where he participated to the development of a novel three-dimensional culture system to study pancreatic cancer. During his post-doctoral training, he also developed a therapeutic platform availing of organoids and participated to the definition of a novel-coculture system.

RESEARCH

Corbo’ lab uses different experimental models of pancreatic cancer to investigate the determinants of malignant progression with the ultimate goal of favoring the identification of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The lab functional studies rely on the use of mouse and human organoid cultures, which enable the growth of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells from pancreatic tissues. Current projects focus on the identification and characterization of signaling pathways involved in tumor-stoma crosstalk and in the evolution of the disease centered around mechanisms of transdifferentiation and cell plasticity. The lab is part of international consortia, including the EU-funded project PRECODE and the NCI-sponsored Human Cancer Model Initiative.

HOBBIES / EXTRAS

Travel, movies, books.

BIO

Following a PhD working at the Candiolo Cancer Institute – IRCCS under the mentorship of Prof. Alberto Bardelli, I did my postdoctoral training in in the lab of Prof. Emilio Hirsch (Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino), to work on the  role of PI3K signaling in cancer using genetically engineered mouse models of breast and pancreatic cancer. There, I contributed to define the molecular role of class II PI3K in controlling genome stability and promoting cancer development and progression. 

In 2019, I started my own laboratory at the Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC), University of Torino, as an assistant professor thanks to the Worldwide Cancer Research program.

RESEARCH

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the quintessential aggressive malignancy that thrives in nutrient-deprived, hypoxic environment. Pancreatic cancers overcome these limitations through upregulation of specific signaling pathways activation of scavenging processes to fuel tumor growth. Our laboratory focuses on pancreatic cancer biology, as well as the biology of other cancers, and we use a combination of approaches, including biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, organoids and transgenic models to define new signaling crosstalk mechanisms. Deciphering how these pathways function and integrate with one another can reveal novel angles of therapeutic attack.

HOBBIES / EXTRAS

In my free-time, I am an enthusiastic dancer. I danced since I was 6 years old and it helps me to wind down and clear my head after a long day at the lab. I am also a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien saga and the Harry Potter series, a passion that I share with other people in the lab. 

“Dance taught me to be humble, to be hardworking and don’t give up easily”.

BIO

I received my PhD from the Open University in 2006, training in the Department of Immunology led by Prof. Alberto Mantovani, in Milan. I then moved for 2 years to the United States, to train as a post-doctoral fellow at the Mount Sinai Immunobiology Institute, New York (NY). Currently, I am Project Leader at Humanitas Clinical and Research Center-IRCCS and Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of Milan. My long-standing interest in the field of tumor immunology is coupled to a strong tradition in linking immune cell infiltration within tumor tissues to clinical behaviors of cancer patients. 

RESEARCH

My group at Humanitas is involved in a number of projects aimed at evaluating immune cells as prognostic and predictive markers in cancer patients, with pancreatic adenocarcinoma standing as one of our main focuses. Our strategy is to combine our proven experience in cancer research with the clinical expertise of the Pancreatic Surgery Unit led by Prof. Alessandro Zerbi, at Humanitas. We constantly and bidirectionally interact in order to integrate our different approaches to answer important clinical questions related to pancreatic disorders. One of our key questions is whether we can study and profile pancreatic cancer patients in a way that allows identification of subgroups with distinct clinical features. Such an approach would go in the direction of precision medicine, possibly allocating the best therapeutic option according to each patient profile. 

HOBBIES / EXTRAS

I like to spend spare time with my family, particularly trekking in the mountains or in the countryside, playing sports and watching movies together.

BIO

RESEARCH

HOBBIES/EXTRA

BIO

I am a research scientist at U.O.C. of Medical Oncology, “Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli”, in Rome. I focused my work on the characterization of the human and mouse models of pancreatic tumors, to define the molecular mechanisms underlying the intrinsic resistance to conventional and targeted therapies. 

My laboratory in the last years developed several mouse preneoplastic pancreatic lesion models of pancreatic carcinogenesis in order to obtain molecular profiling of the early step of pancreatic carcinogenesis to improve clinical outcome of patients. I got my PhD working at Department of Experimental Pharmacology of National Cancer Institute “Fondazione Pascale IRCCS” in Naples and post-graduated specialization in clinical pathology and clinical biochemestry at University of Milano. In 2019, I moved to Rome to start my own laboratory at Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS.

RESEARCH

Pancreatic cancer is a great challenge that require a special heed. The discovery of the most common genetic alterations as well as the development of precise models of pancreatic cancer have provided insight into the fundamental pathways driving tumor progression from a normal cell to non-invasive precursor lesion and finally to widely metastatic disease, offering new opportunities for identifying the key driver of cancer evolution.

We recently tracked the effects of obesity on the natural evolution of pancreatic cancer recapitulating the progression form early preinvasive lesions to metastatic disease in a syngeneic mouse model of pancreatic cancer. 

We are now trying to identify the molecular mechanisms of human pancreatic carcinogenesis from precursion lesions. We hypothesize that the comparison between the broad spectrum of pancreatic lesions (pre-malignant and malignant) may lead to the identification of genes responsible for pancreatic carcinogenesis. These results will lead to considerable progress in the early therapeutic engagement of pancreatic lesions, providing a molecular based rational for addressing patients to the most appropriate therapeutic choices. 

HOBBIES / EXTRAS

In general, I love all sports and I am big fan of football team of my coutry. I am a fly-fisher and I find great pleasure from contact with nature.

BIO

Enza Lonardo graduated in 2003 in Biotechnology at University “Federico II” of Naples (IT) and obtained her PhD in 2008 in “Medical Biotechnology” at University “Federico II” of Naples. From june 2009-september 2012, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO, Madrid, Spain), in the Pancreatic Cancer group headed by Prof. C. Heeschen. From october 2012-march 2017, she moved as senior postdoctoral researcher to the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB, Barcelona, Spain), in the Colorectal Cancer group headed by Prof. E. Batlle. In april 2017, she joined the Institute of Genetics and Biophysics (IGB-CNR, Naples, Italy), directed by Prof. A. Simeone, as Principal Investigator.

RESEARCH

Genetic alterations underlying the metastatic dissemination processes have not been identified thus far. Therefore, it is currently not possible to discriminate which patients are at higher risk of developing metastasis or to design targeted therapies to prevent this process. The main goal of my research is to increase survival of pancreatic cancer patients by exploring the contribution of the tumour microenvironment to the failure of presently available oncological treatments.

HOBBIES / EXTRAS

I am a wine passionate and since 1998 I am winemaker and owner of cellar “Cantine Lonardo” http://www.contradeditaurasi.it/

From the beginning I combined the wine and science, searching for autochthonous grape and yeasts variety. The experimental wine production methods, developed with contributions of the Federico II University of Naples and the University of Palermo, gave very interesting results.