Descrizione:

The scientific activity of the structure/unit is committed to lung cancer, disease that represents one of the major public health issues in terms of morbidity and mortality. The unit is dedicated in investigating lung cancer pathogenesis, its interaction with the microenvironment, the development of biomarkers for early diagnosis, and identification of novel therapies by using an integrated approach that combines cytogenetics, molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, pharmacology and ad hoc mouse models.

Primary activities of the Unit are:

• biomolecular characterization and elucidation of mechanisms underlying lung carcinogenesis;
• dissection of specific cellular subpopulations with high tumorigenic and metastatic potential (i.e. cancer stem cells) and their value as models for target treatment;
• investigation of the pulmonary stromal microenvironment (fibroblasts, endothelial and immune cells);
• establishment of innovative experimental models (homo-heterotypic cell cultures, 3D cultures, xenopatients);
• development of molecular tests on circulating biomarkers (nucleic acids, microvesicles, tumor cells) to be implemented in clinical trials for screening and early diagnosis;
• exploration for tissue and circulating biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Side activities are:

• management of the Institutional Research Doctorate program affiliated to the PhD Program of the Open University of Milton Keynes (Dr. L. Roz, director);
• ii) coordination of the INT translational research activities on pediatric solid tumors (Dr. Gasparini, researcher).