Ricerc@Sapienza

Cell division cycle phosphatases CDC25 A, B and C are involved in modulating cell cycle processes and are found overexpressed in a large panel of cancer typology. Here, we describe the development of two novel quinone-polycycle series of CDC25A and C inhibitors on the one hand 1a-k, coumarin-based, and on the other 2a-g, quinolinone-based, which inhibit either enzymes up to a sub-micro molar level and at single-digit micro molar concentrations, respectively.

Boronated molecular systems can be applied to boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). Among these systems, carborane-containing phthalocyanines (Pcs) are the most promising BNCT agents. Herein we report the new zinc (II) complex of the hexacationic Pc 6, which has been obtained as iodide salt through quaternization of the neutral precursor with methyl iodide. Compound 6 was synthesized over a sequence of four steps.

A perturbed uptake of micronutrients, such as minerals and vitamins, impacts on different human diseases, including cancer and neurological disorders. Several data converge towards a crucial role played by many micronutrients in genome integrity maintenance and in the establishment of a correct DNA methylation pattern. Failure in the proper accomplishment of these processes accelerates senescence and increases the risk of developing cancer, by promoting the formation of chromosome aberrations and deregulating the expression of oncogenes.

The nuclear envelope compartmentalizes chromatin in eukaryotic cells. The main nuclear envelope components are lamins that associate with a panoply of factors, including the LEM domain
proteins. The nuclear envelope of mammalian cells opens up during cell division. It is reassembled
and associated with chromatin at the end of mitosis when telomeres tether to the nuclear
periphery. Lamins, LEM domain proteins, and DNA binding factors, as BAF, contribute to the
reorganization of chromatin. In this context, an emerging role is that of the ESCRT complex, a

In the last two decades, we have witnessed an impressive crescendo of non-coding RNA studies, due to both the development of high-throughput RNA-sequencing strategies and an ever-increasing awareness of the involvement of newly discovered ncRNA classes in complex regulatory networks.

In the last two decades, the scientific community has come to terms with the importance of non-neural acetylcholine in light of its multiple biological and pathological functions within and outside the nervous system. Apart from its well-known physiological role both in the central and peripheral nervous systems, in the autonomic nervous system, and in the neuromuscular junction, the expression of the acetylcholine receptors has been detected in different peripheral organs.

Glioblastoma, the most malignant brain cancer, contains self-renewing, stem-like cells that sustain tumor growth and therapeutic resistance. Identifying genes promoting stem-like cell differentiation might unveil targets for novel treatments. To detect them, here we apply SWIM - a software able to unveil genes (named switch genes) involved in drastic changes of cell phenotype - to public datasets of gene expression profiles from human glioblastoma cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major healthcare problem worldwide, representing one of the leading causes of cancer mortality. Since there are currently no predictive biomarkers for early stage diagnosis, HCC is detected only in advanced stages and most patients die within one year, as radical tumour resection is generally performed late during the disease. The development of alternative therapeutic approaches to HCC remains one of the most challenging areas of cancer.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of the epigenetic status of the human genome. Besides their participation to normal physiology, lncRNA expression and function have been already associated to many diseases, including cancer. By interacting with epigenetic regulators and by controlling chromatin topology, their misregulation may result in an aberrant regulation of gene expression that may contribute to tumorigenesis.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted virus. The high-risk HPV types (i.e., HPV16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59) are considered to be the main etiological agents of genital tract cancers, such as cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, and anal cancers, and of a subset of head and neck cancers. Three prophylactic HPV vaccines are available that are bivalent (vs. HPV16, 18), tetravalent (vs. HPV6, 11, 16, 18), and non-avalent (vs. HPV6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33,45, 52, 58).