Group Leader : Agata Giallongo
agata.giallongo@ibim.cnr.it

Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica
Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo
Tel. +39 091 6809 194
https://www.irib.cnr.it/

Membri del Laboratorio

Giovanni Perconti (Technician), Patrizia Rubino (Senior Technician), Danilo Cilluffo (Postdoctoral Fellow).

Attività

New strategies for cancer therapy and diagnosis

Autoimmune diseases

Key words: Cancer, Tumour-associated biomarkers, Autoantigens, Multifunctional proteins

Principali progetti e collaborazioni

Oncological therapy through Biological Interaction Network Discovery- OBIND. Partners: UniPA, Fondazione RiMED, Exprivia S.P.A https://www.irib.cnr.it/en/project/obind-oncological-therapy-through-biological-interaction-network-discovery-2/

Strumenti / Tecnologie

Recombinant protein production, Cell biology techniques: transfection, Ip and co-Ip, proteomic approaches, confocal imaging. IBIM is equipped with routinely used instruments  for  gene expression analysis; big instruments such as mass spectrometers and confocal microscopes are available at the ATEN Center, UNIPA (http://www.atencenter.com/it/)

Group Leader : Angela Bonura
+39-091-6809536 | angela.bonura@cnr.it

Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT)
National Research Council (CNR)
Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy.
http://www.ift.cnr.it/

Attività

  • Immunomodulatory mechanisms: Parietaria judaica allergens and Ciona intestinalis bioactive peptides as a models.
  • iTreg and NK regulatory cells: isolation by magneting cell sorting, gene expression and Flow cytometric analysis.
  • Study of phenotypic and functional markers of activated Regulatory cells.
  • Cross-talk between regulatory pathways in different
  • Antigen specific induced systems. Strategies for Rare cells detection : isolation, expansion, gene expression and Flow cytometric analysis.
    Antigen-specific cytokine responses of innate and adaptive human immune cells

Strumenti / Tecnologie

Human immune cell purification and culture, Molecular biology technologies, Magneting cell sorting, FACS

Group Leader : Elena Lo Presti
3662334571 | elena.lopresti@cnr.it

Istituto

Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica

Via Ugo La Malfa, 153 – 90146 Palermo
Tel. +39 0503757523
https://www.irib.cnr.it/

Attività

  • Tumor immunology: evaluation of percentage, phenotype and function of pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer infiltrating lymphocytes and their correlation with DFS, stage and disease recurrence to find new immunotherapeutic approaches.
  • Chronic inflammation: evaluation of the role of innate immune system in the pathogenesis of IBD with particular attention to the non-responder patients to current biological therapies.

Partners:

  • Policlinico Hospital “P.Giaccone” di Palermo and BIND at University of Palermo
  • -ARNAS Civico di Palermo

Strumenti / Tecnologie

Flow cytometry, sorting, Glomax, RT-PCR, Luminex, immunological assays (cytotoxicity, proliferation assay, cytokines expression, primary cell lines from PBMC, extraction of infiltrating lymphocytes from cancer and healthy tissues), cell transfection.

 

Group Leaders : Elisabetta Pace and Stefania La Grutta
+39-091-6809148
elisabetta.pace@cnr.it | stefania.lagrutta@ift.cnr.it

Istituto
Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT)
National Research Council (CNR)
Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy.
http://www.ift.cnr.it/

Membri del Laboratorio
Maria Ferraro, Caterina Di Sano, Claudia D’Anna, Andreina Bruno, Giuseppina Chiappara, Simona Taverna, Giuseppe Cammarata, Doriana Lo Piparo, Velia Malizia, Serena Di Vincenzo, Salvatore Fasola

Attività
Stress ossidativo, Immunità innata e senescenza cellulare in modelli 2D/3D di epitelio delle vie aeree. Stress ossidativo ed immunosenescenza. Profilo immuno-infiammatorio, nutrizionale/metabolico ed applicazione di bioinformatica per la feno/endotipizzazione di pazienti pneumopatici adulti e bambini.

Principali progetti e  collaborazioni
Sensore Nanostrutturato per Stress Ossidativo (SE.N.SO.) PO FESR 2014/2020 – Azione 1.1.5. – “Sostegno all’avanzamento tecnologico delle imprese attraverso il finanziamento di linee pilota e azioni di validazione precoce dei prodotti e di dimostrazioni su larga scala” del PO FESR Sicilia 2014/2020” (numero progetto 082651290364).

SEnsore Nanostrutturato per Stress Ossidativo integrato in MAscherina per valutazioni in Remoto (SENSOMAR) FISR2020IP_03106

Ruolo dei batteri TINDalizzati nei meccanismi infiAmmatori e Riparativi dell’EPitelio delle vie Respiratorie in modelli in vitro (TINDAR-EPR) finanziato da Stewart Italia. 

Collaborazioni: Fondazione Rimed, Università degli Studi di palermo, IFC-CNR

Strumenti / Tecnologie

  • Cappe chimiche
  • cappe a flusso laminare
  • citofluorimetri,
  • microscopi
  • invertoscopi e sistemi di analisi d’immagine
  • centrifughe e citocentrifughe
  • Real time PCR

 

Group Leader : Giovanna Barbieri
+39 091 6809537 | +39 091 6809529
giovanna.barbieri@irib.cnr.it

Institute
Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica
Via Ugo La Malfa, 153 – 90146 Palermo
Tel. +39 0503757523
https://www.irib.cnr.it/

Activities

  • MHC class II signalling and melanoma immune escape.
  • Extracellular vesicles and immune escape of metastatic melanoma.
  • Relationship between metastatic melanoma constitutively expressing MHC class II molecules and immune cells.
  • MHC class II molecules are expressed in almost 50% of melanoma and the constitutive expression of MHC class II molecules in melanoma cells could be associated to metastatic progression and immune escape probably interfering with the effectiveness of checkpoint immunotherapy.

Key words
MHC class II molecules; Melanoma cells; PDL-1 receptors; Immune escape; Extracellular vesicles.

Key publications

  1. M. Muller, J. Briscoe, C. Laxton, D. Guschin, A. Ziemiecki, O. Silvennoinen, A.G. Harpur, G. Barbieri, B.A. Witthuhn, C. Schindler, S. Pellegrini, A.F. Wilks, J.N. Ihle, G.R. Stark and I.M. Kerr. The protein tyrosine kinase JAK1 complements defects in interferon-a/b and -g signal transduction. Nature 366(6451), (1993) 129-135.
  2. C. Lutticken, U.M. Wegenka, J. Yuan, J. Buschmann, C. Schindler, A. Ziemiecki, A.G. Harpur, A.F. Wilks, K. Yasukawa, T. Taga, T. Kishimoto, G. Barbieri, S. Pellegrini, M. Sendtner, P.C. Heinrich and F. Horn. Association of transcription factor APRF and protein kinase JAK1 with the interleukin-6 signal transducer gp130. Science 263(5143), (1994) 89-92.
  3. N. Stahl, T.G. Boulton, T. Farruggella, N.Y. Ip, S. Davis, B.A. Witthuhn, F.W. Quelle, O. Silvennoinen, G. Barbieri, S. Pellegrini, J.N. Ihle and G.D. Yancopoulos.Association and activation of JAK-Tyk kinases by CNTF-LIF-OSM-IL6 b receptor components. Science 263(5143), (1994) 92-95.
  4. G. Barbieri, V. Deffrennes, T. Prod’homme, J. Vedrenne, F. Baton, C. Cortes, A. Fischer, M.R. Bono, B. Lisowska-Grospierre, D. Charron and C. Alcaide-Loridan. Isoforms of the class II transactivator protein. Int. Immunol. 14 (8), (2002) 839-848
  5. F. Costantini and G. Barbieri. The HLA-DR mediated signalling increases the migration and invasion of melanoma cells, the expression and lipid raft recruitment of adhesion receptors, PD-L1 and signal transduction proteins. Cell Signal. 36, (2017) 189-203. Epub 2017 May 8.

Instruments/Thecnology

Ultracentrifuge for the isolation of lipid rafts and small extracellular vesicles; Odyssey infrared image system (LI-COR), for western blot analysis; Light optical microscopes and fluorescence microscopes, for immunofluorescence experiments, wound repair assay, cell migration and invasion assays; Cell cultures.

Group Leader : Giusi I. Forte
+39 0921 920612 | giusi.forte@ibfm.cnr.it

Istituto
Istituto di Bioimmgini e Fisiologia Molecolare
Sede di Cefalu
C/Da Pietrapollastra-Pisciotto, 90015, Cefalù
http://www.ibfm.cnr.it/

Membri del Laboratorio

Attività
Our research focus concerns Radiobiology, then we are interested in issues concerning the immune response activation induced by ionizing and non-ionizing radiations, as well as innovative therapeutic combinations of Radio- / Immuno- Therapies.

Strumenti / Tecnologie
The “Cellular and Genomic Methodologies Laboratory”  is equipped with instruments in the field of genomics and cell biology, including the nucleic acids extractor “Maxwell 16 CE-IVD” (Promega), the “3500 Dx Genetic Analyzer CE –IVD” (Applied Biosystems), the platform for microarray analysis “Agilent G2505B”, and a room dedicated to the isolation and maintenance of cell cultures (immortalized and primary lines lines).

 

Group Leader : Maria Luisa Bondì
091-6809367-365 | 091-6809367-366 | 091-6809367-249
marialuisa.bondi@ismn.cnr.it

Istituto
Istituto per lo studio di Materiali Nanostrutturati
Via U. La Malfa, 153 Palermo
Tel. +39.091.6809372
http://www.ismn.cnr.it

Strumenti / Tecnologie
Nanotecnologie applicate alla farmaceutica per lo sviluppo di nuove forme di dosaggio
Freeze-dryer; HPLC; light scattering; centrifughe; evaporatori rotanti; bagni termostatati per studi di rilascio

Altre informazioni
Realizzazione di forme di dosaggio con caratteristiche utili per la commercializzazione.

Group Leader : Marta Di Carlo
39-0916809538 | marta.dicarlo@ibim.cnr.it

Istituto
Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica
Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo
Tel. +39 091 6809 194
https://www.irib.cnr.it/

Membri del Laboratorio
Giacoma Galizzi, Luca Caruana

Attività

  • Effetti del peptide beta amiloide (Abeta), sotto forma di piccoli oligomeri ed aggregati, su: pathways, stress ossidativo,
  • Obesità, Diabete di tipo 2, resistenza all’insulina come fattori di rischio per il morbo di Alzheimer (AD)
  • Effetti di molecole antiossidanti ed antinfiammatorie estratte da prodotti della Dieta Mediterranea sulla neurodegenerazione e senescenza
  • Produzione di nanosistemi per drug delivery dell’insulina e molecule antiossidanti/antiinfiammatorie da utilizzare nella terapia dell’AD
  • Test di biocompatibilità, emocompatibilità, attività antimicrobica su biomateriali da utilizzare in campo biomedico
  • Divulgazione scientifica

Principali progetti e collaborazioni
Partnerz: IBF, IEOS, IGB, CNR; Dip.  STEBICEF UniPA; IIT Genova 

Strumenti / Tecnologie
Camera di colture cellulari, Real Time PCR, Odyssey, Typhoon, ultracentrifuga, apparecchi per 2D, microscopi ottici e a fluorescenza. Possibilità di accedere ai servizi del CHAB (Mediterranean Center for Human Health Advanced Biotechnologies)
http://www.chab.center/home/

Altre Informazioni
Abbiamo prodotto nel nostro laboratorio un  peptide Abeta ricombinante, la cui attività sia biologica  e capacità di aggregazione è stata testata.Il peptide, qualora necessario, potrebbe essere a disposizione del CIN.

 

Group Leader : Mirella Profita
+39-091-6809121 +39-3395891985 | mirella.profita@cnr.it

Istituto
Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT)
National Research Council (CNR)
Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy.
http://www.ift.cnr.it/

Membri del Laboratorio

Attività
Respiratory diseases are leading causes of death worldwide. The area of scientific activities/interest of our group is associated with the translational medicine in the field of innate and adptative immunity of chronic inflammation and cancer of the lung.

Our topic is an innovative field of research showing applications of human pulmonary 3D models (air liquid interface culture, organotypic spheroids, organoid models, scaffold based models). These 3D models may be used as model human lung in vivo-like for modeling lung disease. Furthermore, they may be considered as a platform to study cell-cell interaction (structural and immune cells) during the mechanisms of immune response and for screening effectiveness of drugs. Our aims are to create in vitro/ex vivo models using human primary cells and cell lines that can prospectively lead to translational studies, to identify systems more efficient by simultaneously fostering the mechanistic and understanding of the human diseases immunology. Our effort combined with high quality techniques of lab (omics, imaging etc.) might increase the expansion of new methods into the scientific community and pharmaceutical industry.

Strumenti / Tecnologie
3D cell culture of transformed cell line and primary cells (structural cells of the organ and immune cells). Techniques of cellular and molecular biology. Institutional FACS facility. Imaging facility (live imaging, correlative microscopy, confocal, laser microdissection). Technologies of biochemistry.

Principali progetti e partners :
CISAS Project (MIUR)
Metamorfosi, Project (MISE)

Altre Informazioni
Macroareas of interest: Immunity, Inflammation and Cancer, Translational Medicine, Innovation, BioTechnologies and engineering, Environment.
We are available to extend and apply our experience on 3D models and cell culture on organs different from the lung.

 

Group Leader : Nadia Lampiasi

+39 091 6809513 |  nadia.lampiasi@irib.cnr.it

Institute
Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation
Via Ugo La Malfa, 153 – 90146 Palermo
Tel. +39 0503757523
https://www.irib.cnr.it/

Lab Members
Rosa Bonaventura, Irene Deidda, Roberta Russo, Francesca Ziro

Activities
The focus of our research concerns the molecular mechanisms of activation and response of monocytes-macrophages in the physiological and pathological inflammatory reaction. We study the polarization of macrophages in a pro- and anti-inflammatory sense, the activation signaling for the production of cytokines, the main transcription factors involved, the cytokines produced and oxidative stress. We study the possibility of reprogramming/re-educating macrophages in a pro- or anti-inflammatory sense depending on the context, also through the use of natural and synthetic immunomodulators.

Key words : IInflammation, macrophages, polarization, cytokines, immunomodulators

Key publications

  • New Strategies for Macrophage Re-Education in Cancer: An Update. Lampiasi N. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Mar 18;25(6):3414. doi: 10.3390/ijms25063414.
  • Inflammation and the Potential Implication of Macrophage-Microglia Polarization in Human ASD: An Overview. Lampiasi N, Bonaventura R, Deidda I, Zito F, Russo R. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jan 31;24(3):2703. doi: 10.3390/ijms24032703.
  • A new ginger extract characterization: Immunomodulatory, antioxidant effects and differential gene expression Russo R, Costa MA, Lampiasi N, Chiaramonte M, Provenzano A, Mangione MR, Passantino R, Zito F. Food Bioscience Volume 53, June 2023, 102746
  • Interactions between Macrophages and Mast Cells in the Female Reproductive System. Lampiasi N. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 May 12;23(10):5414. doi: 10.3390/ijms23105414.
  • Gene Expression Profiling of NFATc1-Knockdown in RAW 264.7 Cells: An Alternative Pathway for Macrophage Differentiation. Russo R, Mallia S, Zito F, Lampiasi N. Cells. 2019 Feb 7;8(2):131. doi: 10.3390/cells8020131.

Instruments/Technologies
Flow Cytometer, GloMax, Fluorescence Microscopes, qPCR, Chemidoc

Group Leader : Paolo Colombo

+39-091-6809535 (P. Colombo)
+39-091-6809530 (Alessandra Longo , Valerio Longo )
paolo.colombo@irib.cnr.it

Istituto
Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica
Via Ugo La Malfa, 153 – 90146 Palermo
Tel. +39 0503757523
https://www.irib.cnr.it/

Membri del Laboratorio

Alessandra Longo (ric III° TD),
alessandra.longo@irib.cnr.it

Valeria Longo (ric III° TD)
valeria.longo@irib.cnr.it

Attività

Effects of environmental pollutants on innate immune response
–In vitro, ex vivo and in vivo (in collaboration with ISS) evaluation of immunotoxic and immunomodulatory effects of anthropogenic environmental pollutants on human/mouse immune cells.
– Identification of biomarkers of exposure in the serum of individuals who live in areas with high environmental risk.

Principali Progetti e partners

  1. BOW-Biogenic Organotropic Wetsuits (H2020-EIC-FETPROACT-2019)
  2. CISAS: Centro Internazionale di Studi Avanzati su Ambiente, ecosistema e Salute umana (MIUR- CIPE-105/2015)

Strumenti / Tecnologie

  • Biotechnology for the production of highly purified recombinant allergens
  • In vitro, ex vivo and in vivo model systems to identify molecules with potential immunotoxic or immunomodulatory activities
  • Identification and analysis of serum miRNA biomarkers of effect by Real Time PCR technologies

 

Group Leader Silverio Sbrana
0585 493595 (lab) – 335 5223081 (cell)
silverio.sbrana@ifc.cnr.it

Istituto

Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica
S.S. Massa
c/o “G.Pasquinucci” Ospedale del Cuore,  Via Aurelia Sud, 54100 Massa (MS)
https://www.ifc.cnr.it/

Memebri del laboratorio

  • Ilenia Foffa;
  • Paola Losi;
  • Al Kayal Tamer;
  • Giorgio Soldani

Attività

  • Functional state evaluation of peripheral blood monocytes, neutrophils and platelets during extracorporeal circulation for cardiothoracic surgery, and in coronary blood before and after coronary reperfusion for myocardial infarction.
  • Flow cytometric evaluation of the in vitro immunocompatibility of human innate immune cells and platelets with elastomeric materials with feasible applications in the cardiovascular field and regenerative medicine.

Principali progetti e partners

1°) The SMArtool european project: focus on the evaluation of blood monocyte phenotypic aspects and general aspects of inflammation in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

2°) The PREVISION project (from Fondazione Pisa): focus on the flow cytometric quantification of circulating endothelial progenitor cells during skin wound healing in experimental animal models

Strumenti / Tecnologie

FACSscan (Becton Dickinson) and FC500 (Beckman Coulter) cytometers

Altre Informazioni

The flow cytometry facility is associated with a laboratory of biomaterials the expertise of which is focused on polyurethane-silicone elastomeric materials for cardiovascular applications and regenerative medicine.

 

Group Leader: Stefania La Grutta
+39-091-6809680
lagrutta@ibim.cnr.it

Istituto
Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica
Via Ugo La Malfa, 153 – 90146 Palermo
Tel. +39 0503757523
https://www.irib.cnr.it/

Membri del Laboratorio

Velia Malizia, M.D. (COCOCO)
Laura Montalbano, Psychologist (doctorate fellow)
Giovanna Cilluffo, statistician (doctorate fellow)
Salvatore Fasola, statistician (COCOCO)

Attività

Outpatient clinic for asthma and allergic rhinitis management and education. Pediatric Severe Asthma Center for state of the art evaluation and treatment options for children and adolescents with severe or difficult to control asthma. Phase II and III clinical trials. Lung function tests. Assessment of non invasive inflammatory pathways (lung and nose exhaled nitric oxide determination; skin prick tests for common allergens). Evaluation of early biomarkers involvement in immunological and molecular mechanisms underlying progression of inflammation in childhood asthma and rhinitis. Collaboration in translational researches with IBIM biologists

Strumenti / Tecnologie

Spirometry for lung function screening with module for the measurement of airway resistance (Rocc) through the interruper technique;
Microrint to measure airways resistance and the calibre of the airway using the interrupter technique through an effort independent test;
Forced Oscillation Technique (FOT) for measuring total respiratory system impedance in children during spontaneous breathing (presence and extent of expiratory flow limitation and heterogeneity of the obstruction);
Instrument for Functional residual capacity (FRC) and ventilation inhomogeneity (LCI) measurements during normal tidal breathing by Multiple Nitrogen Washout for infant and preschool children;
FeNO measurements to detect airway inflammation at different levels of the respiratory tract (bronchial, alveolar, nasal) by multiple and single breath technique;
Nasal citology to determine the inflammatory pattern (rhinocytogram) of nasal disorders in children for the diagnostic work-up of nasal disorders in children.