Predictive toxicology. Coordinator: Hrelia

Research themes 

The research philosophy is a multidisciplinary approach to preventive and translational medicine problems in a One Health perspective on the following research topics:

•  Identification of polyfunctional bioactive compounds with neuroprotective and chemopreventive

Identification of compounds of natural and synthetic origin, with potential neuroprotective and chemopreventive, and definition of their mechanism of action at cellular and molecular level. Particular emphasis is given to the study of these mechanisms in both in vivo and in vitro models (primary cultures, cancer cell lines and samples from patients) in terms of cell toxicity, induction of apoptosis, modulation of cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. These studies offer the opportunity to identify new molecule and new molecular targets at the basis of neurodegeneration and carcinogenesis, for a multifunctional therapeutic strategy, able of counteracting the onset and/or progression of these diseases.

• Identification of biomarkers of susceptibility and response to therapy in chronic and neuorodegenerative diseases

Identification of genetic and epigenetic biomarkers of disease susceptibility. Of particular interest is the development of new biomarkers genetic and epigenetic, tissue and circulating markers, of disease prognosis, prediction of response and toxicity to pharmacological agents, in human biological samples, in vitro and in vivo.

•  Toxicity induced by drugs and environmental xenobiotics

Evaluation of the alteration of critical molecular and cellular events related to chronic degenerative diseases (carcinogenesis and neurodegeneration) induced by drugs and xenobiotics present in food and in the environment. Development of 3D structures (organoids) from iPSCs to be used as more complex models for the study of genetic and epigenetic alterations. The aim is the identification of the chain of events responsible for the effect (Adverse Outcome Pathways).

Lab Members

Patrizia Hrelia, Full Professor

Fabiana Morroni, Associate Professor

Monia Lenzi, Associate Professor

Gloria Ravegnini, Senior Assistant Professor

Giulia Sita,  Tenure Track Assistant Professor 

Francesca Gorini, Post-Doc Research Fellow

Eva Benuzzi, PhD Student

Antonella Simone, PhD Student

Francesca Rombolà, PhD Student

Luca Ghelli, PhD Student

Internship projects

Prevention and containment of chronic degenerative diseases through the identification of naturally occurring disease-modifying factors and the characterization of the exposome

The first contribution is the identification of critical biological targets and the understanding of the events with a pivotal role in cancer and the age‐associated neuronal loss in neurodegenerative diseases. The search is toward active chemopreventive and neuroprotective drugs that would prevent the progression of degenerative diseases, through the manipulation of endogenous cellular defense mechanisms by chemical inducers. Parallel research are aimed developing new integrated cellular and molecular approaches (IPS, 3D models) to detect and quantify the global cellular response to toxic stress, including measurements of apoptosis, specific metabolic capabilities and cell cycle effects, the activation of cellular death/survival biochemical pathways, epigenetic deregulation. These models contribute to the identification of drugs and xenobiotics in the environment as contributing factors to cancer and neurodegeration. Available positions n.4

Identification of risk factors and determinants of response and disease

The study is based on the identification of individual determinants on a genetic and epigenetic basis, which contribute to the state of health/disease. and at developing methods based on biomarker analysis to improve assessment of human early biological response, susceptibility and risk. Research is aimed at characterizing microRNAs as potential modulators of oncogene or tumor suppressor gene expression in human neoplasms, and as potential modulators of the expression of genes responsible for neuroinflammation, a common pathway in neurodegenerative diseases, and neurodevelopment disorders. Available positions n.2

Main publications

• Rombolà F, Bartoletti S, Bilel S, Hrelia P, Marti M, Lenzi M. (2025) "In Vitro Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Evaluation of Nitazenes, a Potent Class of New Synthetic Opioids." J Xenobiot. 15(6):203. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12733476/
• Gorini F, Coada CA, Monesmith S, De Leo A, de Biase D, Dondi G, Di Costanzo S, Mezzapesa F, Vannini I, Melloni M, Bandini S, Guerra F, Di Corato R, De Iaco P, Hrelia P, Perrone AM, Angelini S, Ravegnini G. (2025) "Distinctive features of blood- and ascitic fluid-derived extracellular vesicles in ovarian cancer patients." Mol Med. 31(1):143. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12010555/
• Graziosi A, Corrieri C, Sita G, Ghelli L, Angelini S, d’Emmanuele di Villa Bianca R, Mitidieri E, Sorrentino R, Hrelia P, Morroni F. (2025) “Impact of 17-Alpha Ethinyl Estradiol (EE2) and Diethyl Phthalate (DEP) exposure on microRNAs expression and their target genes in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells”. Scientific Reports 15(1):2722. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86911-1
• Ravegnini G, Gorini F, Coada CA, De Leo A, de Biase D, Di Costanzo S, De Crescenzo E, Coschina E, Monesmith S, Bernante P, Garelli S, Balsamo F, Hrelia P, De Iaco P, Angelini S, Perrone AM. (2024) “miRNA levels are associated with body mass index in endometrial cancer and may have implications for therapy”. Cancer Sci.115(3):883-893. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cas.1597.
• Graziosi A, Ghelli L, Corrieri C, Iacenda L, Manfredi MC, Angelini S, Sita G, Hrelia P, Morroni F. (2026) "Subcytotoxic Exposure to Avobenzone and Ethylhexyl Salicylate Induces microRNA Modulation and Stress-Responsive PI3K/AKT and MAPK Signaling in Differentiated SH-SY5Y Cells." Int J Mol Sci. 27(3), 1134. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27031134