Ricerc@Sapienza

The identification of diagnostic and therapeutic markers, as well as of molecular targets for developing new disease-modifying drugs, represent a major challenge in cancer and neurodegenerative research. Projects have been lanced at the Department of Sense Organs of Sapienza University with the aims to investigate on the risk factors for insurgence and progression of eye, nose and ear disorders. A particular attention is given to the study of the molecular and cellular events which concur to the aggressively of Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and the degeneration of optic nerve and retina in Glaucoma e Age-related Macular Degeneration.

The approaches of both research lines include:

1: clinical studies to identify biomarkers using tissue and blood samples from patients;

2: in vitro studies using cellular lines and primary cells to investigate ligand/receptor interaction, and intracellular mechanisms related to cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation/transformations;

3: in vivo studies using animal models to analyse the validity and efficacy of biomarkers or treatments.

As corollary of these studies, the present project applies for a financial support for technical instrument updating. Specifically, the laboratory work might benefit from a new platform for a multimode high resolution image capture and acquisition, associated to a refined imagine analysing software to allow the easy and fast detection of specific molecules, and their activation status in cells, tissues and fluids. The new instrument might permit to standardize protocols, which may be easier to transfer to clinical routine laboratory, and support the analysis of protein structures and their post-translational modifications, including identification of subunits by using high technology tools, such as for example mass-spectrometry-based methods, which is a prerequisite for designing new compounds with selective molecular targets.