Alessandra Marconi
e-mail: alessandra.marconi AT unimore.it
affiliation: Università di Modena-Reggio Emilia
research area(s): Cell Biology, Stem Cells And Regenerative Medicine
Course:
Molecular and Regenerative Medicine
University/Istitution: Università di Modena-Reggio Emilia
University/Istitution: Università di Modena-Reggio Emilia
EDUCATION AND DEGREES
2001 Specialist in Clinical Pathology (cum laude), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
1989 Italian Board of Biologists
1988 Degree in Biology (cum laude), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
PRESENT POSITION
2011-current Researcher of Technical Sciences of Laboratory Medicine, School of Biosciences and Biotechnologies, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES
1995-2011 Appointed as Director of Research at the Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology of the Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
1995 Visiting scientist at Institute of Genetics, Biochemistry and Evolutionary, National Research Council (CNR) of Pavia. Supervisor: Prof. U. Bertazzoni
1993-1995 Fellowship at the Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia on a grant from the National Health Institute for AIDS research. Supervisor: Prof. G. Zambruno
1991-1993 Fellowship at the Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia on a grant from the National Research Council (CNR). Supervisor: Prof. G. Zambruno
HONORS
2009 Poster Prize ESDR, 39° Annual ESDR meeting, Budapest
2006 IJCS Publication Prize 2006
2003 Farber Award Recipien, Snowmass
2001 JSID’s International Fellowship Shiseido Award
1999 The UCB Institute of Allergy Travel grant, Montpellier
1999 Albert M. Kligman Fellowship, Chicago
1998 Hermal Travel Fellowship, Cologne
MEMBER of Editorial Board of Eperimental Dermatology
2001 Specialist in Clinical Pathology (cum laude), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
1989 Italian Board of Biologists
1988 Degree in Biology (cum laude), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
PRESENT POSITION
2011-current Researcher of Technical Sciences of Laboratory Medicine, School of Biosciences and Biotechnologies, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES
1995-2011 Appointed as Director of Research at the Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology of the Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
1995 Visiting scientist at Institute of Genetics, Biochemistry and Evolutionary, National Research Council (CNR) of Pavia. Supervisor: Prof. U. Bertazzoni
1993-1995 Fellowship at the Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia on a grant from the National Health Institute for AIDS research. Supervisor: Prof. G. Zambruno
1991-1993 Fellowship at the Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia on a grant from the National Research Council (CNR). Supervisor: Prof. G. Zambruno
HONORS
2009 Poster Prize ESDR, 39° Annual ESDR meeting, Budapest
2006 IJCS Publication Prize 2006
2003 Farber Award Recipien, Snowmass
2001 JSID’s International Fellowship Shiseido Award
1999 The UCB Institute of Allergy Travel grant, Montpellier
1999 Albert M. Kligman Fellowship, Chicago
1998 Hermal Travel Fellowship, Cologne
MEMBER of Editorial Board of Eperimental Dermatology
1. Keratinocyte stem cells (CS): isolation, identification and function in healthy skin and the pathological.
a. Study of the microenvironment (niche) of the CS with particular regard to the role of neurotrophins (NT) and their receptors, as well as the survivin.
b. Role of CS and transit amplifying overgrowth in the pathogenesis of diseases, eg. Psoriasis.
c. Study of the role of CS in the development of nonmelanoma skin cancer.
d. Study of the stem of melanoma in relation to the neural crest as the origin and the expression and function of the NT and their receptors.
2. Study of the role of the epidermal microenvironment (niche) in influencing the development of melanoma stem from Melanoma: the role of NT and their receptors in the origin, development, metastasis and chemoresistance of melanoma.
3. Pathogenesis of psoriasis: molecular changes in relation to apoptosis of keratinocytes and keratinocyte-lymphocyte ratios-integrins.
4. Molecular mechanisms in the pathogenesis of pemphigus: The role of FasL in the apoptotic pathway involved in the formation of lesions.
5. Innovative therapies target specific skin diseases.
1. Palazzo E, Marconi A, Truzzi F, Dallaglio K, Petrachi T, Humbert P, Schnebert S, Perrier E, Dumas M, Pincelli C (2011) Role of neurotrophins on dermal fibroblast survival and differentiation. J Cell Physiol. In press.
2. F. Truzzi, A. Marconi, P. Atzei, M.C. Panza, R. Lotti, K. Dallaglio, R. Tiberio, E. Palazzo, C. Vaschieri, C. Pincelli (2011) p75 neurotrophin receptor mediates apoptosis in transit-amplifying cells and its overexpression restores cell death in psoriatic keratinocytes. Cell Death Differ. 18:948-58
3. R. Lotti, A. Marconi, F. Truzzi, K. Dallaglio, C. Gemelli, R.G. Borroni, E. Palazzo, C. Pincelli (2010) A previously unreported function of Beta(1)B integrin isoform in caspase-8-dependent integrin-mediated keratinocyte death. J Invest Dermatol. 130:2569-77
4. C. Pincelli , A. Marconi. Keratinocyte stem cells (2010) friends and foes. J Cell Physiol. 225:310-5.
5. K. Dallaglio, E. Palazzo, A. Marconi, M. Dumas, F. Truzzi, R. Lotti, F. Bontè, C. Pincelli (2009) Endogenus survivin modulates survival and proliferation in UVB treated human keratinocytes. Exp. Dermatol. 18:464-71
6. F. Truzzi, A. Marconi, R. Lotti, K. Dallaglio, L.E. French, B.L. Hempstead, C. Pincelli (2008) Neurotrophins and Their Receptors Stimulate Melanoma Cell Proliferation and Migration. J. Invest. Dermatol.128:2031-40
7. F. Fantini, A. Greco, A.M. Cesinaro, T. Surrenti, K. Peris, C. Vaschieri, A. Marconi, A. Giannetti, C. Pincelli (2008) Pathologic Changes after Photodynamic Therapy of Basal Cell Carcinoma and Bowen’s Disease. A histologic and immunohistochemical investigation. Arch Dermatol. 144:186-94
8. F. Chirico, C. Fumelli, A. Marconi, A. Tinari, E. Straface, W. Malorni, R. Pellicciari, and C. Pincelli (2007) Carboxyfullerenes localize within mitochondria and prevent the UVB-induced intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Exp. Dermatol. 16:429-436
9. A. Marconi, K. Dallaglio, R. Lotti, C. Vaschieri, F. Truzzi, F. Fantini, C. Pincelli (2007) Survivin identifies keratinocyte stem cells and it is down-regulated by anti-beta1 integrin during anoikis. Stem Cells. 25:149-155
10. V.A. Botchkarev, M.Yaar, E.M.J. Peters, N.V. Botchkareva, A. Marconi, S. P. Raychaudhuri, S.P. Raychaudhuri, R. Paus, C. Pincelli (2006) Neurotrophins in Skin Biology and Pathology. J. Invest. Dermatol. 126:1719-27
2. F. Truzzi, A. Marconi, P. Atzei, M.C. Panza, R. Lotti, K. Dallaglio, R. Tiberio, E. Palazzo, C. Vaschieri, C. Pincelli (2011) p75 neurotrophin receptor mediates apoptosis in transit-amplifying cells and its overexpression restores cell death in psoriatic keratinocytes. Cell Death Differ. 18:948-58
3. R. Lotti, A. Marconi, F. Truzzi, K. Dallaglio, C. Gemelli, R.G. Borroni, E. Palazzo, C. Pincelli (2010) A previously unreported function of Beta(1)B integrin isoform in caspase-8-dependent integrin-mediated keratinocyte death. J Invest Dermatol. 130:2569-77
4. C. Pincelli , A. Marconi. Keratinocyte stem cells (2010) friends and foes. J Cell Physiol. 225:310-5.
5. K. Dallaglio, E. Palazzo, A. Marconi, M. Dumas, F. Truzzi, R. Lotti, F. Bontè, C. Pincelli (2009) Endogenus survivin modulates survival and proliferation in UVB treated human keratinocytes. Exp. Dermatol. 18:464-71
6. F. Truzzi, A. Marconi, R. Lotti, K. Dallaglio, L.E. French, B.L. Hempstead, C. Pincelli (2008) Neurotrophins and Their Receptors Stimulate Melanoma Cell Proliferation and Migration. J. Invest. Dermatol.128:2031-40
7. F. Fantini, A. Greco, A.M. Cesinaro, T. Surrenti, K. Peris, C. Vaschieri, A. Marconi, A. Giannetti, C. Pincelli (2008) Pathologic Changes after Photodynamic Therapy of Basal Cell Carcinoma and Bowen’s Disease. A histologic and immunohistochemical investigation. Arch Dermatol. 144:186-94
8. F. Chirico, C. Fumelli, A. Marconi, A. Tinari, E. Straface, W. Malorni, R. Pellicciari, and C. Pincelli (2007) Carboxyfullerenes localize within mitochondria and prevent the UVB-induced intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Exp. Dermatol. 16:429-436
9. A. Marconi, K. Dallaglio, R. Lotti, C. Vaschieri, F. Truzzi, F. Fantini, C. Pincelli (2007) Survivin identifies keratinocyte stem cells and it is down-regulated by anti-beta1 integrin during anoikis. Stem Cells. 25:149-155
10. V.A. Botchkarev, M.Yaar, E.M.J. Peters, N.V. Botchkareva, A. Marconi, S. P. Raychaudhuri, S.P. Raychaudhuri, R. Paus, C. Pincelli (2006) Neurotrophins in Skin Biology and Pathology. J. Invest. Dermatol. 126:1719-27
Project Title:
Development of three-dimensional cellular models (organotypic cultures) of healthy and pathological tissues
Cellular models (organotypic cultures) with three-dimensional architecture (3D), which combine different cell types with different three-dimensional matrices, can reproduce both physiological and pathological ones tissue characteristics. The recent development of these systems is leading to the production of models characterized by a considerable degree of cell differentiation that have many morphological, biochemical and antigenic properties comparable to those "in vivo" and may represent good systems for studying the healthy cell biology and mechanisms of cellular pathophysiology.
Moreover, their mixed cell / scaffolds recreating the microenvironment tissue, can be used in cell therapy as a first approach for the discovery and validation of new drugs. This leads to several advantages such as limiting the use of animal models in the early stages of experimentation, to simplify the protocols, to reduce waiting times for the preliminary results and reduce expenses
Moreover, their mixed cell / scaffolds recreating the microenvironment tissue, can be used in cell therapy as a first approach for the discovery and validation of new drugs. This leads to several advantages such as limiting the use of animal models in the early stages of experimentation, to simplify the protocols, to reduce waiting times for the preliminary results and reduce expenses