section of pharmacology - unict.it€¦ · head: renato bernardini uo-pid laboratory of gait and...

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Faculty members

Filippo DRAGOFull Professor

Salvatore SALOMONEFull Professor

Giuseppina CANTARELLAAssociate Professor

Claudio BUCOLOAssociate Professor

Matteo CIONIAssociate Professor

Michele VECCHIOAssociate Professor

Vincenzo MICALEAssistant Professor

Manuela PENNISIAssistant Professor

Bianca MARCHETTIAssociate Professor

Gian Marco LEGGIOAssistant Professor

Mariangela CHISARIAssociate Professor

Renato BERNARDINIFull Professor

Maria Angela SORTINOFull ProfessorSection Coordinator

Section of Pharmacology

Pharmacology of neurodegenerative diseases• Neural Stem Cell (NSC) transplantation and astrocyte- derived exosome therapies in PD• Targeting LRRK2 mutations, neuroinflammation and aging in PD• The role of astrocytes in BBB function in AD• Microglia-neuron crosstalk in AD• Neuronal mechanisms linked to GPCR in health and disease• Neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative disorders: molecular targets and new drugs

Ocular Pharmacology

• Ocular pharmacology and drug delivery• Retinal degenerative diseases including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma

Vascular Pharmacology

• In vitro study of isolated vessels;• regulation of vascular tone; • study of vasoactive compounds; • study of endothelial function and dysfunction.

Clinical Pharmacology

• Efficacy and safety of drugs in CNS disorders: multicenter studies

• Appropriate prescription of medical devices in hospital setting

Rehabilitation Medicine

• Performance measures in individuals with unilateral lower-limb amputation.

• Training with Functional Electrical Stimulation on persons with spinal cord lesion.

44 Biometec: a research for life


Neuropsychopharmacology

• Study of the dopamine D3 receptor-mediated signaling in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, substance use disorders and mood disorders

• Role of the endogenous cannabinoid system in health and disease

RESEARCH LINES

45Biometec: a research for life



- S. Pluchino, L. Peruzzotti-Jametti, University of Cambrige, UK

- D. Belin, University of Cambridge, UK

- M. Deleidi , T. Gasser, University of Tübingen, Germany

- J.M. Garcia Verdugo, University of Valencia, Spain

- C.T. Wotjak, Max-Plank Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.

- A. Sulcova, CEITEC/Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

- Institut Monder Recherche Biomédicale INSERM U955, Univ. Paris-Est, Créteil, France

- I. Katona, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), Hungary

- Dept. Cancer Biology, UCL Cancer Institute, London UK

- Dept. Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

- Dept Neurobiology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

- Dept. Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Sciences, Rehovot, Israel

- S.J. Mennerick, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA

- C.F. Zorumski, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA

- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Health System, Miami, FL, USA

- Moss Rehab Hospital, Phyladelphia, PA, USA

- Eye Research Institute, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

- Department of Neuroscience, Maimonides University, Buenos Aires, Argentina

- National Research Council (ININCA-UBA-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

- Y. Sano, T, Kanda, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan

MRRI.org

Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION




CLINICAL UNITS

UO-PID Clinical Pharmacology Program and Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre

A.O.U. “Policlinico - Vittorio Emanuele” Catania, Italy Head: Filippo Drago

UO-PID Clinical Toxicology

A.O.U. “Policlinico - Vittorio Emanuele” Catania, Italy Head: Renato Bernardini

UO-PID Laboratory of Gait and Postural Analysis

A.O.U. “Policlinico - Vittorio Emanuele” Catania, Italy Head: Matteo Cioni

Network of Centres of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (CoEN) 2017

ACHIEVEMENTS OF YOUNG RESEARCHERS

- ECNP Research Grant for young scientist (2010)- Levi-Montalcini program for young researchers (2011)- Brains2South (2016)

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM SEVERAL PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES

PON-01-00110 Hippocrates

PRIN-2015PRIN-2017

FIR-2014 FIR-2017

Chance 2017

www.fir2014.unict.it/UNIVERSITÀ DI CATANIA



Research paper selection of Biometec (2014-2018)Dopamine D3 receptor is necessary for ethanol consumption: an approach with buspirone.Leggio GM, Camillieri G, Platania CB, Castorina A, Marrazzo G, Torrisi SA, Nona CN, D’Agata V, Nobrega J, Stark H, Bucolo C, Le Foll B, Drago F, Salomone S. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2014, 39(8):2017-28

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is required to rescue midbrain dopaminergic progenitors and promote neurorepair in ageing mouse model of Parkinson’s disease.L’Episcopo F, Tirolo C, Testa N, Caniglia S, Morale MC, Serapide MF, Pluchino S, & Marchetti B.Stem Cells 2014, 32(8): 2147-63.

Dopamine D3 receptor-dependent changes in alpha6 GABAA subunit expression in striatum modulate anxiety-like behaviour: Responsiveness and tolerance to diazepam.Leggio GM, Torrisi SA, Castorina A, Platania CB, Impellizzeri AA, Fidilio A, Caraci F, Bucolo C, Drago F, Salomone S. - Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2015, 25(9):1427-36

Learning Upright Standing on a Multiaxial Balance Board. Valle MS, Casabona A, Cavallaro C, Castorina G, Cioni M. - PLoS One. 2015, 6;10(11):e0142423

Neutralization of TNFSF10 ameliorates functional outcome in a murine model of Alzheimer’s disease.Cantarella G, Di Benedetto G, Puzzo D, Privitera L, Loreto C, Saccone S, Giunta S, Palmeri A, Bernardini R. - Brain. 2015,138:203-16

Current drug treatments targeting dopamine D3 receptor.Leggio GM, Bucolo C, Platania CB, Salomone S, Drago F. - Pharmacol Ther. 2016, 165:164-77

GSK-3β-induced Tau pathology drives hippocampal neuronal cell death in Huntington’s disease: involvement of astrocyte-neuron interactions.L’Episcopo F, Drouin-Ouellet J, Tirolo C, Pulvirenti A, Giugno R, Testa N, Caniglia S, Serapide MF, Cisbani G, Barker RA, Cicchetti F, & Marchetti B. - Cell Death Dis. 2016 , 28;7:e2206

Quantitative analysis of upright standing in adults with late-onset Pompe disease.Valle MS, Casabona A, Fiumara A, Castiglione D, Sorge G, Cioni M. - Sci Rep. 2016, 15;6:37040

The predictive value of ABCB1, ABCG2, CYP3A4/5 and CYP2D6 polymorphisms for risperidone and aripiprazole plasma concentrations and the occurrence of adverse drug reactions.Rafaniello C, Sessa M, Bernardi FF, Pozzi M, Cheli S, Cattaneo D, Baldelli S, Molteni M, Bernardini R, Rossi F, Clementi E, Bravaccio C, Radice S, Capuano A. - Pharmacogenomics J. 2017 , doi: 10.1038/tpj.2017.38

The Proinflammatory Cytokine GITRL Contributes to TRAIL-mediated Neurotoxicity in the HCN-2 Human Neuronal Cell Line.Benedetto GD, Saccone S, Lempereur L, Ronsisvalle N, Nocentini G, Bianchini R, Riccardi C, Bernardini R, Cantarella G. - Curr Alzheimer Res. 2017;14(10):1090-1101

Shedding of Microvesicles from Microglia Contributes to the Effects Induced by Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Activation on Neuronal Death.Beneventano M, Spampinato SF, Merlo S, Chisari M, Platania P, Ragusa M, Purrello M, Nicoletti F, Sortino MA. - Front Pharmacol. 2017, 9;8:812

Purinergic P2Y1 Receptors Control Rapid Expression of Plasma Membrane Processes in Hippocampal Astrocytes.Chisari M, Scuderi A, Ciranna L, Li Volsi G, Licata F, Sortino MA. - Mol Neurobiol, 2017, 54(6):4081-4093

A preliminary study of endocannabinoid system regulation in psychosis: Distinct alterations of CNR1 promoter DNA methylation in patients with schizophrenia. D’Addario C, Micale V, Di Bartolomeo M, Stark T, Pucci M, Sulcova A, Palazzo M, Babinska Z, Cremaschi L, Drago F, Carlo Altamura A, Maccarrone M, Dell’Osso B. Schizophr Res. 2017, 188:132-140

Extinction of avoidance behavior by safety learning depends on endocannabinoid signaling in the hippocampus.Micale V, Stepan J, Jurik A, Pamplona FA, Marsch R, Drago F, Eder M, Wotjak CT. - J Psychiatr Res. 2017, 90:46-59

Development of novel LP1-based analogues with enhanced delta opioid receptor profile.Pasquinucci L, Turnaturi R, Prezzavento O, Arena E, Aricò G, Georgoussi Z, Parenti R, Cantarella G, Parenti C. - Bioorg Med Chem. 2017, 25(17):4745-4752

P2X7 receptor antagonism: Implications in diabetic retinopathy.Platania CBM, Giurdanella G, Di Paola L, Leggio GM, Drago F, Salomone S, Bucolo C. - Biochemical Pharmacology, 2017, 138: 130–139

Retinal and Circulating miRNAs in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: An In vivo Animal and Human Study.Romano GL, Platania CBM, Drago F, Salomone S, Ragusa M, Barbagallo C, Di Pietro C, Purrello M, Reibaldi M, Avitabile T, Longo A, Bucolo C. - Front Pharmacol. 2017, 30;8:168

Contributions of space-clamp errors to apparent time dependent loss of Mg2+ block induced by NMDA.Sun MY, Chisari M, Eisenman LN, Zorumski CF, Mennerick SJ. - J Neurophysiol, 2017, 118(1):532-543



Astrocytes contribute to Aβ-induced blood-brain barrier damage through activation of endothelial MMP9.Spampinato SF, Merlo S, Sano Y, Kanda T, Sortino MA. - J Neurochem. 2017, 142(3):464-477.

Buspirone Counteracts MK-801-Induced Schizophrenia-Like Phenotypes through Dopamine D3 Receptor Blockade.Torrisi SA, Salomone S, Geraci F, Caraci F, Bucolo C, Drago F, Leggio GM. - Front Pharmacol. 2017, 4;8:710

Microglia Polarization, Gene-Environment Interactions and Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling: Emerging Roles of Glia-Neuron and Glia-Stem/Neuroprogenitor Crosstalk for Dopaminergic Neurorestoration in Aged Parkinsonian Brain.L’Episcopo F, Tirolo C, Serapide MF, Caniglia S, Testa N, Leggio L, Vivarelli S, Iraci N, Pluchino S, & Marchetti B. - Front Aging Neurosci. 2018, 12;10:12

Endocannabinoid system, stress and HPA axis.Micale V, Drago F. - (2018). Eur. J. Pharmacol. 834: 230-239.

Redundant modulatory effects of proinflammatory cytokines in human osteoblastic cells in vitro.Di Benedetto G, Lempereur L, Valle D, Greco E, Bernardini R, Lenzi A, Migliaccio S. - Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2018 Jun 25.

Personalized medicine: biomarkers and companion diagnostics.Bernardini R, Gancitano G, Balice A , Di Mauro R, Cantarella G, Dionisi M. - (2018) - Farmeconomia 19: 21-26

HDAC1 and HDAC3 underlie dynamic H3K9 acetylation during embryonic neurogenesis and in schizophrenia-like animals.Večeřa J, Bártová E, Krejčí J, Legartová S, Komůrková D, Rudá-Kučerová J, Štark T, Dražanová E, Kašpárek T, Šulcová A, Dekker FJ, Szymanski W, Seiser C, Weitzer G, Mechoulam R, Micale V, Kozubek S. - 2018. - J Cell Physiol. 233: 530-548

Neurobiological links between depression and AD: The role of TGF-β1 signaling as a new pharmacological target.Caraci F, Spampinato SF, Morgese MG, Tascedda F, Salluzzo MG, Giambirtone MC, Caruso G, Munafò A, Torrisi SA, Leggio GM, Trabace L, Nicoletti F, Drago F, Sortino MA, Copani A. - Pharmacol Res. 2018 Apr;130:374-384. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.02.007. Epub 2018 Feb 10. Review.

The contribution of microglia to early synaptic compensatory responses that precede β-amyloid-induced neuronal death.Merlo S, Spampinato SF, Beneventano M, Sortino MA. - Sci Rep. 2018 May 8;8(1):7297. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-25453-1.

The predictive value of ABCB1, ABCG2, CYP3A4/5 and CYP2D6 polymorphisms for risperidone and aripiprazole plasma concentrations and the occurrence of adverse drug reactions.Rafaniello C, Sessa M, Bernardi FF, Pozzi M, Cheli S, Cattaneo D, Baldelli S, Molteni M, Bernardini R, Rossi F, Clementi E, Bravaccio C, Radice S, Capuano A. - Pharmacogenomics J. 2018 May 22;18(3):422-430. doi: 10.1038/tpj.2017.38. Epub 2017 Jul 18.

Retinal Protection and Distribution of Curcumin in Vitro and in Vivo.Platania CBM, Fidilio A, Lazzara F, Piazza C, Geraci F, Giurdanella G, Leggio GM, Salomone S, Drago F, Bucolo C. - Front Pharmacol. 2018 Jun 22;9:670

The Role of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids in Disruption of the Physiological Function in Discrete Areas of the Central Nervous System.Bertozzi G, Sessa F, Albano GD, Sani G, Maglietta F, Roshan MHK, Volti GL, Bernardini R, Avola R, Pomara C), Salerno M. - ol Neurobiol. 2018 Jul;55(7):5548-5556. doi: 10.1007/s12035-017-0774-1. Epub 2017 Oct 2.

Early compensatory responses against neuronal injury: A new therapeutic window of opportunity for Alzheimer’s Disease?Merlo S, Spampinato SF, Sortino MA. - CNS Neurosci Ther. 2018 Aug 12. doi: 10.1111/cns.13050.

Functional Changes of Orexinergic Reaction to Psychoactive Substances.Monda V, Salerno M, Sessa F, Bernardini R, Valenzano A, Marsala G, Zammit C, Avola R, Carotenuto M, Messina G, Messina A. - Mol Neurobiol. 2018 Aug; 55(8):6362-6368. doi: 10.1007/s12035-017-0865-z. Epub 2018 Jan 6.

Computational systems biology approach to identify novel pharmacological targets for diabetic retinopathy.Platania CBM, Leggio GM, Drago F, Salomone S, Bucolo C - Biochem Pharmacol. 2018 Sep 15;158:13-26.

Visualizing pregnenolone sulfate-like modulators of NMDA receptor function reveals intracellular and plasma-membrane localization. Chisari M, Wilding TJ, Brunwasser S, Krishnan K, Qian M, Benz A, Huettner JE, Zorumski CF, Covey DF, Mennerick S. - Neuropharmacology. 2018 Oct 15;144:91-103. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.10.015

Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Glial Cells: A New Potential Target for Neuroprotection?Spampinato SF, Copani A, Nicoletti F, Sortino MA, Caraci F. - Front Mol Neurosci. 2018 Nov 13;11:414. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00414

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