Molecular Virology. Coordinator: Menotti

Research themes

Repurposing of viral properties and functions: The unique viruses’ life cycle is tightly entangled to the molecular machinery of their hosts. This intimate and absolute dependency drives their unmatched efficiency and promotes an enormous functional biodiversity that can be repurposed in several ways. Understanding the function of viral proteins in pivotal in this field. Active areas of investigation include viruses “domestication”, for their use as targeted and selective anti-cancer tools (oncolytic viruses, Menotti, 2020a ; Menotti, 2020b), and the exploitation of viral functions to create novel activities with therapeutical potential (i.e. control of molecular mechanisms leading to neurocognitive decline (Brandimarti 2017).

 Viral evolution dynamics: Viruses evolve at a higher rate as compared to their host(s). Specific properties of the different viral replicative strategies and host-parasite interactions can drive or push viral evolution. Even viruses considered to be substantially stable can change, under selective pressure. The aim of the research is to follow, by means of molecular tools, in vitro viral evolution and to dissect the conditions which promote it.

Lab Members

Laura Menotti, PhD

Elisa Avitabile, PhD

Renato Brandimarti, PhD

Internship projects

Bachelor's and Master's thesis projects abroad (Germany, USA)

Main Publications

• Brandimarti, Renato, Gordon S. Hill, Jonathan D. Geiger, and Olimpia Meucci. “The Lipid Raft-Dwelling Protein US9 Can Be Manipulated to Target APP Compartmentalization, APP Processing, and Neurodegenerative Disease Pathogenesis.” Scientific Reports 7, no. 1 (08 2017): 15103. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15128-8.
• Menotti L, Avitabile E. (2020a). "Herpes Simplex Virus Oncolytic Immunovirotherapy: The Blossoming Branch of Multimodal Therapy". Int J Mol Sci. Nov 5;21(21):8310. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21218310
• Menotti L, Leoni V, Gatta V, Petrovic B, Vannini A, Pepe S, Gianni T, Campadelli-Fiume G. (2020b). "oHSV Genome Editing by Means of galK Recombineering". Methods Mol Biol. 2060:131-151. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9814-2_7
• Appolloni I, Alessandrini F, Menotti L, Avitabile E, Marubbi D, Piga N, Ceresa D, Piaggio F, Campadelli-Fiume G, Malatesta P. (2021). "Specificity, Safety, Efficacy of EGFRvIII-Retargeted Oncolytic HSV for Xenotransplanted Human Glioblastoma". Viruses Aug 24;13(9):1677. https://doi.org/10.3390/v13091677
• Irollo, E., Nash, B., Luchetta, J. Brandimart, R. and Meucci O.. The Endolysosomal Transporter DMT1 is Required for Morphine Regulation of Neuronal Ferritin Heavy Chain. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 18, 495–508 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11481-023-10082-x