Katia Scotlandi

The teacher proposes the following topics:

1: Application of massive sequencing techniques (RNAseq) for the evaluation of fusion products and for the identification of new molecular alterations in sarcomas.

Recent sequencing techniques provide great opportunities for better diagnostics and for identifying biomarkers that can predict and monitor the development of cancer disease. The project aims to analyze in detail the genetic panorama and the epigenetic alterations that characterize the primary primary tumors of the bone (osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma) with particular reference to metastatic processes. The training course also includes the application of functional studies with gain-or loss-of-function approaches in appropriate experimental models

2. Evaluation of the impact of alterations on lipid metabolism, with particular reference to cholesterol homeostasis, on biological processes such as proliferation, migration and sensitivity to drugs,

Recent studies have shown that tumor cells are characterized by a high content of intracellular cholesterol and how this affects the fluidity of cell membranes by modifying both the transmission of signals associated with important intracellular transmission pathways, and the ability of the cell to move and to metastasize. The project involves the analysis of the concentration and distribution of cholesterol in a large panel of cell lines using confocal microscopy techniques. The impact of drugs aimed at lowering the cholesterol level on the malignancy of tumor cells and the therapeutic potential of these drugs in oncology will also be evaluated. The study involves the application of the main techniques of cell biology and biochemistry integreted with gene transfection studies

3.Study of the role of osteoglycine in sarcomas.

Osteoglycine is a proteoglycan that shows functional effects and diverse structural alterations in different physiological and pathological processes. In cancer the molecule is regulated by p53 and normally repressed following the transformation process. It plays an important role in regulating proliferation and migration processes, but there is no functional data on the molecule's action mechanisms and its real value in terms of new therapeutic target in tumors. The study therefore proposes to obtain suitable experimental models (Crisp / Casp9, shRNA, plasmid transfection) for the detailed analysis of the impact that the molecule can have on the main signal transmission pathways and on the interaction with the extracellular matrix

Availability is limited to 2 places within an academic year.

The teacher has relations with numerous partners in Europe. The collaborations will be evaluated with the individual concerned.