CNR staff: Domenico De Rasmo, Paolo Lattanzio
The researches are articulated through the following lines:
The study of bioenergetics is acquiring growing interest in both basic and clinical research, due to the role played by mitochondria in the control of pathophysiological events such as cell growth, aging and apoptosis and therefore in metabolic, proliferative and degenerative pathologies. In this, signal transduction systems, in particular cAMP, play a major role in regulating mitochondrial biogenesis, functionality and dynamics, ROS balance and cell death in physiological and pathological conditions.
Research Topics:
Research activities include: cellular control mechanisms of the expression, function, assembly and super-assembly of respiratory chain complexes in pathophysiology; role of signal transduction in the regulation of mitochondrial function and cell death; pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the mitochondrial dysfunctions found in aging, familial parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, cystinosis and tumors; role of nutraceuticals in the regulation of mitochondrial function; proteomics approaches in the study of human pathologies.
Cell systems / model organisms used:
Primary and immortalized mammalian cell lines.
Cell lines of fibroblasts obtained from dermal biopsy of subjects suffering from neurological diseases.
Cell lines of proximal renal tubule epithelium in pediatric patients with cystinosis.
Cancer cell lines.
Ovarian tumor biopsies.
Research goals:
The general purpose is to increase knowledge on the regulatory mechanisms, in particular AMPc-dependent, of mitochondrial function in pathophysiological conditions. The extension of these results will help to understand the role of mitochondria in cellular and molecular events that lead to cell degeneration or proliferation, providing important data for the development of new therapeutic strategies.
