Vittorio Bertone
Vittorio Bertone
e-mail:
affiliation: Università di Pavia
research area(s): Cell Biology, Cancer Biology
Course: Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology
University/Istitution: Università di Pavia
Born in Valenza (AL) Italy, November 11, 1960
1978: Scientific school-leaving certificate at Lyceum "Palli" in Casale Monferrato (AL), Italy.
1988: Degree in Biological Sciences at University of Pavia with the thesis "Evaluation of grades of meiotic malsegregation in Robertsonian heterozygotes: cytofluorometric study.
1992: PhD in Cytochemistry and Cytomorphology at Animal Biology Dept., Comparative Anatomy Lab., University of Pavia.
1994-2002 he holds the position of Technical Assistant at the Comparative Anatomy Laboratory, Department of Animal Biology, University of Pavia.
From 2002 he is Ricercatore Confermato (Assistant Professor) (BIO-06 sector - Comparative Anatomy and Cytology) at the Department of Animal Biology, University of Pavia, merged in 2012 in the new Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia.
From 2004 he is teacher of the Course “Human Anatomy” and then “Basics of Human Anatomy”, Degree in “Biological Sciences”, University of Pavia.
From 2015 he is teacher of the Course “Comparative Anatomy”, Degree in “Sciences and Technologies for Environment and Nature”, University of Pavia.
Expert in computer science, he developed extensive experience on enzyme cytochemical methods, immunocytochemistry, and advanced techniques in optical microscopy (bright field, phase contrast, differential interferential contrast (DIC), fluorescence, digital microscopy) attending advanced courses in Italy and Europe [Dundee (UK), Amsterdam (NL), Heidelberg (D)], especially in the field of digital bioimages analysis.
Co-author of 160 papers, 53 in extenso on national and international peer-reviewed journals
ORCID CODE: orcid.org/0000-0002-5987-4373
The research activity was aimed at investigations on various cellular activities in experimental tumors, on cell lines and on various organs of Mammals and Amphibians, using techniques of enzymatic histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, optical microscopy, electron microscopy and digital analysis of bioimages. In particular, the following issues were addressed:

• Investigations on various enzymatic activities (Lactic Dehydrogenase, Dihydrofolate reductase, Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, Xanthine Oxidoreductase, Purin Nucleoside phosphorylase, Peroxidase, Catalase, Acid and Alkaline Phosphatase, ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species)) and immunohistochemical reactions anti-BrdU) in experimental tumors (Ehrlich carcinoma), in the liver of Mammals (Rats and Mice) and Amphibians, on cultured cells (fibroblasts and EUE) and on human biopsy specimens.
• He carried out studies on the morphofunctional modifications of the liver of Amphibians (Rana esculenta, Triturus alpestris, Triturus carnifex and Speleomantes ambrosii) in the two functional situations of activity and hibernation. Studies have also been undertaken on seasonal variations in melanin pigment content and the cellular mechanisms underlying it, and on the activity of free radical scavenger enzymes such as catalase and superoxide dismutase.
• Characterization of the dynamics of the tumor microenvironment, in particular of the onset of hypoxia and angiogenesis processes, and their role in the response to therapy.
He performed studies on the characterization of cultured rat myocardial endothelial cells by means of reactions for alkaline phosphatase and xanthine oxidoreductase enzymatic activities.
• Study of the role of the hepatic microenvironment in the preneoplastic stages of transgenic animals, in particular regarding the activation of the stem component (oval cells).
He addressed some morpho-functional problems related to the toxic effect of xenobiotics, in particular on the hepatic parenchyma through ultrastructural analysis of the alterations suffered by the hepato-cellular component.
• In 2000 he studied the effects of cerebral ischemia in the rat brain from the point of view of localization and evaluation of the activity of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzyme also in relation to the detectable autofluorescence patterns.
• Since 2005 he has carried out investigations in the field of liver preservation for transplants, in particular studying the strongly oxidizing radical chemical species (ROS), the variations of some enzymatic activities in livers preserved with different conservation solutions (Celsior and UW).
• Since 2006 he has studied the effects of ischemia / reperfusion on the biliary compartment of the liver of obese rats, an experimental model useful for attempting to use the so-called "marginal" organs for transplantation in humans. To this end, since 2007 he has been developing innovative histochemical techniques for the characterization of the hepatic biliary compartment, in particular for the visualization of the trans-membrane transport enzymes Dipeptidyl-aminopeptidase IV (DPP-IV), γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase (γ -GT), Alkaline Phosphatase and 5'-Nucleotidase.
• Since 2017 in collaboration with IRCCS San Martino University Hospital - National Institute for Cancer Research, Dept. Integrated Oncological Therapies - U.O.C. Bioterapie di Genova is dedicated to the histological and histochemical study in situ of the cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs delivered locally on fibrin gel or nanoparticles
Viale M, Vecchio G, Maric I, Cilli M, Aprile A, Ponzoni M, Fontana V, Priori EC, Bertone V, Rocco M: Fibrin gels entrapment of a doxorubicin-containing targeted polycyclodextrin: Evaluation of in vivo antitumor activity in orthotopic models of human neuroblastoma.
Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 385 (2019) 114811 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2019.114811
Viale M, Vecchio G, Monticone M, Bertone V, Giglio V, Maric I, Cilli M, Bocchini V, Profumo A, Ponzoni M, Emionite L, Rocco M. Fibrin Gels Entrapment of a Poly-Cyclodextrin Nanocarrier as a Doxorubicin Delivery System in an Orthotopic Model of Neuroblastoma: Evaluation of In Vitro Activity and In Vivo. Toxicity. Pharm Res. 2019 Jun 3;36(8):115.
Giglio V, Viale M, Bertone V, Maric I, Vaccarone R, Vecchio G: Cyclodextrin polymers as nanocarriers for sorafenib. Invest New Drugs 2018 36:370-379
Vittorio Bertone, Eleonora Tarantola and Isabel Freitas: Enzyme-Histochemistry Technique for Visualizing the Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV (DPP-IV) Activity in the Liver Biliary Tree.
In: Histochemistry of Single Molecules - Methods and Protocols.
Carlo Pellicciari and Marco Biggiogera editors. Humana Press-Springer Nature, New York, 2017

Croce AC, Ferrigno A, Bertone V, Piccolini VM, Berardo C, Di Pasqua LG, Rizzo V, Bottiroli G, Vairetti M. Fatty liver oxidative events monitored by autofluorescence optical diagnosis: Comparison between subnormothermic machine perfusion and conventional cold storage preservation.
Hepatol Res. 2017 Jun;47(7):668-682. doi: 10.1111/hepr.12779.

AC Croce, A Ferrigno, LG DiPasqua, C Berardo, VM Piccolini, V Bertone, G Bottiroli, M Vairetti: Autofluorescence discrimination of metabolic fingerprint in nutritional and genetic fatty liver models.
J Photochem Photobiol 2016 164, 13-20. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2016.09.015
I Freitas, E Boncompagni, E Tarantola, C Gruppi, V Bertone, A Ferrigno, G Milanesi, R Vaccarone, ME Tira, M Vairetti: In Situ Evaluation of Oxidative Stress in Rat Fatty Liver Induced by a Methionine- and Choline-Deficient Diet. Oxid Med Cell Longev 2016, Article ID 9307064, 14 pages. doi:10.1155/2016/9307064.
Tarantola E, Gobbato S, Ferrigno A, Bertone V, Capelli E: Differences in Expression of DPPIV in steatotic rat liver are not related to differences in the methylation of its gene promoter. In Vivo, 29 (5), 547-553, 2015
Anna Cleta Croce, Andrea Ferrigno, Valeria Maria Piccolini, Eleonora Tarantola, Eleonora Boncompagni, Vittorio Bertone, Gloria Milanesi, Isabel Freitas, Mariapia Vairetti and Giovanni Bottiroli: Integrated Autofluorescence Characterization of a Modified-Diet Liver Model with Accumulation of Lipids and Oxidative Stress. BioMed Research International Volume 2014, Article ID 803491, 13 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/803491
Eleonora Tarantola, Vittorio Bertone, Gloria Milanesi, Cristian Gruppi, Andrea Ferrigno, Mariapia Vairetti, Sergio Barni and Isabel Freitas: Dipeptidylpeptidase IV activity and expression reveal decreased damage to the intrahepatic biliary tree in fatty livers submitted to subnormothermic machine-perfusion respect to conventional cold storage. European Journal of Histochemistry 58 (3) 176-184, 2014
G. Palladini, A. Ferrigno, V. Rizzo, E. Tarantola, V. Bertone, I. Freitas, S. Perlini, P. Richelmi, M. Vairetti. Lung Matrix Metalloproteinase Activation following Partial Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. The Scientific World Journal, Volume 2014 (2014), 10 pages, doi: 10.1155/2014/867548
A. Spano, S. Barni, V. Bertone, L. Sciola: Changes on lysosomal compartment during PMA-induced differentiation of THP-1 monocytic cells: Influence of type I and type IV collagens. Adv Biosc Biotechnol 4:8-18, 2013. doi: 10.4236/abb.2013.48A3002
E. TARANTOLA, V. BERTONE, G. MILANESI, E. CAPELLI, A. FERRIGNO, D. NERI, M. VAIRETTI, S. BARNI, I. FREITAS. Dipeptidylpeptidase-¬IV, a key enzyme for the degradation of incretins and neuropeptides: activity and expression in the liver of lean and obese rats. Eur J Histochem Oct 8;56(4):e41. 2012. doi: 10.4081/ejh.2012.e41
BERTONE V., TARANTOLA E., FERRIGNO A., GRINGERI E., BARNI S., VAIRETTI M., FREITAS I. (2011). Altered alkaline phosphatase activity in obese Zucker and Wistar rats discussed in terms of all putative roles ascribed to the enzyme. Eur J Histochem 55: 24-32, 2011. doi:10.4081/ejh.2011.e5
FERRIGNO A., TARTAGLIA A., DI NUCCI A., BERTONE V., RICHELMI R., NERI D., FREITAS I. and VAIRETTI M.: Further studies on long-term preservation of rat liver: Celsior versus UW solution. In Vivo, 22 : 681-686, 2008
BARNI S., BONCOMPAGNI E., GROSSO A., BERTONE V., FREITAS I., FASOLA M., FENOGLIO C.: Evaluation of Rana snk esculenta blood cell response to chemical stressors in the environment during the larval and adult phases. Aquatic Toxicology 81, 45-54, 2007
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