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Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology - FABIT

Molecular toxicology, Coordinator: Paolini

The scientific mission that the group aims is to investigate the toxicological (co-mutagenesis, co-carcinogenesis) or beneficial effects (chemoprevention) of the modulation of the drug metabolism and anti-oxidant enzymes by xenobiotics in the animal model (healthy or pathological).

Areas: Drug discovery and development Nutrition and health

Research themes

  • In vivo studies on putative toxicological (co-mutagenesis, co-carcinogenesis) or beneficial (chemoprevention) effects associated with the modulation of drug metabolism enzymes and antioxidants by xenobiotics in animal models with particular interest in the adverse outcomes associated with the chronic intake of essential nutrients, micro- and macro-nutrients as dietary supplements.
  • Study of the protective role of new antioxidant molecules in chronic degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes, EAE and Alzheimer's.
  • Study of the toxicological effects associated with the use of electronic nicotine-releasing devices (ENDS), with particular interest in oxidative damage to macromolecules and the modification of key signaling pathways involved in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and tumor progression.
  • In vivo subcutaneous tumor grafting and tumorigenesis development of 3D multidimensional culture models with the aim of increasing the success of basic and applied studies for the development of new therapies for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

 

Lab members

Moreno Paolini - Full Professor

Donatella Canistro - Assistant Professor

Fabio Vivarelli - RTDa

Camilla Morosini - PhD student

Internship projects

We accept internship trainees belonging to the first degree courses in Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences (Website) and Biological Sciences (Website); to the second cycle courses in Pharmacy-LMCU (Website), in Health Biology (Website) and Molecular and Cellular Biology (Website).

The internship projects will focus on the group's research themes.

Main publications

  • Effects of unburned tobacco smoke on inflammatory and oxidative mediators in rat prefrontal cortex. Vivarelli F, Morosini C, Rullo C, Losapio L.M., Lacorte A, Sangiorgi S, Ghini S, Fagiolino I, Franchi P, Lucarini M, Candeletti S, Canistro D, Romualdi P, Paolini M Front. Pharmacol. 15, 2024
  • On the toxicity of e-cigarettes consumption: focus on pathological cellular mechanisms. Vivarelli F, Granata S, Rullo L, Mussoni M, Candeletti S, Romualdi P, Fimognari C, Cruz-Chamorro I, Carrillo-Vico A, Paolini M, Canistro D. Pharmacol Res. 182:106315, 2022
  • Unburned tobacco cigarette smoke alters rat ultrastructural lung airways and DNA.Vivarelli F, Canistro D, Cirillo S, Elias RJ, Granata S, Mussoni M, Burattini S, Falcieri E, Turrini E, Fimognari C, Buschini A, Lazzaretti M, Beghi S, Girotti S, Sangiorgi S, Bolelli L, Ghini S, Ferri EN, Fagiolino I, Franchi P, Lucarini M, Mercatante D, Rodriguez-Estrada MT, Lorenzini A, Marchionni S, Gabriele M, Longo V, Paolini M. Nicotine Tob Res. 23(12):2127-21342021, 2021
  • Co-carcinogenic effects of vitamin E in prostate. Vivarelli F, Canistro D, Cirillo S, Papi A, Spisni E, Vornoli A, Croce CMD, Longo V, Franchi P, Filippi S, Lucarini M, Zanzi C, Rotondo F, Lorenzini A, Marchionni S, Paolini M. Sci Rep. 9(1):11636, 2019
  • E-cigarettes induce toxicological effects that can raise the cancer risk. Canistro D, Vivarelli F, Cirillo S, Babot Marquillas C, Buschini A, Lazzaretti M, Marchi L, Cardenia V, Rodriguez-Estrada MT, Lodovici M, Cipriani C, Lorenzini A, Croco E, Marchionni S, Franchi P, Lucarini M, Longo V, Della Croce CM, Vornoli A, Colacci A, Vaccari M, Sapone A, Paolini M. Sci Rep. 7(1):2028, 2017

 

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