HRBC Genomics Network project

Partners

	UNINA2 Department of General Pathology, Second University of Naples, Vico L. De Crecchio, 7, I-80138 Napoli (Italy)
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Alessandro Weisz	Project Coordinator; Coordinator Research Unit 1	+39-081-566-5702	alessandro.weisz@unina2.it
Contribution
The Department of General Pathology is located within the newly established S. Andrea delle Dame Research Centre. Its research activities are devoted primarily to forefront research on the molecular bases of human diseases, in particular cancer and inherited diseases, and its facilities are fully equipped for molecular and cell biology, molecular genetics and genomics studies. The research activities of the members of this R.U. have always focused mainly on the mitogenic actions of estrogens and their receptors (ERs) in hormone-responsive breast cancer (BC) and led first to the identification, characterization and purification to homogeneity of ER-alpha and, subsequently, to the discovery of cell cycle regulatory genes (proto-oncogenes and G1 cyclin genes) directly activated by ERs in human BC cells, of the retinoblastoma-interacting proteins RIZ-1 and -2 as ER-interacting components of the growth-control cascade responsive to estrogens and of Bcl-2 as a direct target of ERs involved in promotion of breast cancer cell survival by estrogens. More recently, our research led to a better definition of the roles of kinase cascades in estrogen signaling, to the discovery of a new apoptotic pathway regulated by nuclear receptors and to the identification of gene expression patterns characterizing hormone-responsive human BC cell responses to estrogens by gene expression profiling with cDNA microarrays.
	IEO Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Via G. Ripamonti 435, I-20141 Milano, Italy
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Saverio Minucci	Coordinator Research Unit 2	+39-02-57489851	sminucci@ieo.it
Contribution
This Research Unit is based at the Department of Experimental Oncology of IEO. The activity of the R.U.'s members is focused on the study of cell transformation, including establishement of model systems based on normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs), and of HMECs immortalized/transformed by expression of various viral and cellular oncogenes. The responsible of this R.U., Dr S. Minucci, has a strong expertise in the study of the mechanisms of action of nuclear receptors -particularly retinoid receptors. More recently, his activity has focused on the study of aberrant mechanisms of chromatin modification in cancer, with the discovery that deregulation of histone acetylation levels play a critical role in the pathogenesis of some forms of myeloid leukemias and, possibily, of other types of cancer.
	UNINA2 Centro di Ricerche Interdipartimentale in Scienze Computazionali e Biotecnologiche, Second University of Naples, Napoli
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Giovanni Colonna	Coordinator Research Unit 3	+39-081-294136	giovanni.colonna@unina2.it
Contribution
This R.U. consists mainly of a research group at CRISCEB (Centro di Ricerche Interdipartimentale in Scienze Computazionali e Biotecnologiche), integrated by external components with years of experience in bioinformatics. CRISCEB has already experience in developing software tools for analysis of biological data, creating and managing databases and web sites, applying bioinformatic tools for protein structure analysis and prediction. ISA (Avellino), CINECA (Bologna) and IST (Genova) will share resources, skills and results with CRISCEB. In this respect, bioinformatics at CRISCEB is already fully integrated with researchers from ISA, while IST have complementary expertise in technical aspects, as well as training, databases and web sites management. CINECA will be mainly involved in text-mining activities.
	UNIFE University of Ferrara, Ferrara
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Massimo Negrini	Coordinator Research Unit 4	+39-0532-247618	ngm@unife.it
Contribution
The Research Unit is experienced in the area of immunophenotypic, genetic and molecular characterization of human neoplasms. Dr Nenci's team has been long involved in the pathological, biological and molecular characterization of BC, to trace the sequence of carcinogenetic events and to identify biomolecular parameters for prognostic and predictive purposes. Drs Negrini's and Volinia's teams have experience in analyses to detect chromosomal deletions and amplifications as well as genetic and epigenetic features of human genes, while Dr Russo's team (IDI, Roma) has been characterizing genetic loci involved in malignant neoplasia onset and progression. The team of Dr Alberti (Ist. 'M. Negri' Sud) is devoted to studies of BC biology, and its components are expert in molecular biology, cytometry, mass spectrometry and DNA microarrays.
	UNITO Department of Oncology - IRCC, University of Turin, Torino
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Michele De Bortoli	Coordinator Research Unit 5	+39-011-9933350	michele.debortoli@unito.it
Contribution
This R.U. is composed of two interacting research groups, one at the Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (IRCC - Candiolo, Torino) and the other at the Polo Universitario San Luigi - Orbassano. IRCC scientists provide both clinical (P. Sismondi is Chief of the Division of Ginecological Oncology) and basic and applied molecular biology expertises (M. De Bortoli) and have experience in clinical data management and in the evaluation of clinically relevant biological markers. The group at Orbassano has expertise and background both in classical genetics and in the biomolecular bioinformatic genome analysis (M. De Bortoli , M. De Marchi and R. Calogero). The biostatistic and bioinformatic abilities of this latter group are the ideal complement to those in clinical and biomolecular traits of the former for achieving the R.U.s aims.
	UNIMI University of Milan, Milano
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Adriana Caterina Maggi	Coordinator Research Unit 6	+39-02-50318290	adriana.maggi@unimi.it
Contribution
The R.U. is composed of three separate units: (1) Dr Maggi, whose expertise is the study of the activity of ERs in classical and non-classical target organs and in the generation of cells and mice engineered to enable the study of ERs activity. Her group will be involved in the preparation and analysis of animal tissues and in evaluation of the physiological significance of the microarray results, focusing in particular on regulation of genes involved in inflammation, apoptosis and cell proliferation. In collaboration with Dr DiLorenzo they will examine the gene expression profiles after administration of synthetic ER ligands to wt and k-o mice 'in vivo' and in tissue cultures. (2) The group of Dr Pfeffer (IST, Genova) is expert in molecular biology of nuclear receptors. (3) The group of Dr Di Lorenzo (Osp. Civile, Brescia) is expert in cell biology, in particular applied to the study of ERs actions in liver cells. Their expertise in the field of primary cultures will be relevant for achievement of this R.U.'s aims, as they will optimize conditions for the establishment of primary and 3-D (organ) cultures to study hormone regulation of target genes in 'ex-vivo' conditions.
	ISA Proteomic and Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry Center (CESMA-ProBio), Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Research Council (CNR), Avellino, Italy
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Antonio Malorni	Coordinator Research Unit 7	+39-0825-781585	malorni@isa.av.cnr.it
Contribution
The Proteomic and Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry Center (CESMA-ProBio) was founded by the National Research Council (CNR) as a new section of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (ISA) in 1999. CESMA-ProBio includes the largest part of previous International Mass Spectrometry Facilities Center (CISESMA), aimed to promote basic and applied mass spectrometry research and to offer high quality service and expertise to researchers and groups in Italy. Following consistent financial investmens by the EU, CISESMA was recognized as 'European large-scale facility' providing access to its expertise and instrumentation to numerous European laboratories. Scientific activities of CESMA-ProBio are focused on the development of mass spectrometric methodologies for the structural analysis of macromolecules of relevant biological interest and, more recently, in the application of new nano-technologies and robotics for high-throughput proteomic analyses. Its scientific expertise, the available technological tools and collaborations with other R.U.s will enable realization of the proposed research. This U.R. will include also teams from Second Univ. Napoli and Univ. Napoli 'Federico II', which have acquired expertise in protein biochemistry, separation and analysis that will complement the capabilities of CESMA-ProBio.
	IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro (IST), Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova
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Paolo Romano	Webmaster	+39-010-5737295	paolo.romano@istge.it