TEAM

Projects:

Role of Cellular Senescence in Myocardial Infarction.

Following myocardial infarction (MI) senescent cells accumulate into cardiac tissue. They contribute to MI-associated dysfunction via pro-oxidant phenotype and secretion of senescent-associated proteins (SASP). MI activate aging pathways in the heart that are distinct from canonical senescent profile, resulting in a stress-sensitive cardiomyocytes, also in ischemia remote zone, promoting apoptosis. Novel or combination anti-aging approaches may be required to improve outcomes in MI patients. Although much is known about apoptosis following MI in young animals, little is known about the aging-induced apoptotic pathways in the heart after MI.

Exosomes

Extracellular Vesicles as Therapeutic Target for Cardioprotective Approach.

Extracellular vesicles are important cellular effectors that can mediate different effects. Both the cellular target and the molecular content of exosomes depend on the producer cell. Understanding the nature of vesicles and the mechanisms through which they act may lead to develop new strategies to treat heart disease.

Extracellular Vesicles as Biomarkers

Secreted extracellular vesicles (EV) such as exosomes and microvesicles, are prominent and universal form of intercellular communication process. All cells in the organism secrete EV, which are taken up by surrounding cells or circulate in the blood and eventually are taken up by cells at a distance. EV transport and deliver bioactive molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids, which activate intracellular signalling pathways and regulate functions of recipient cells by exerting autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine effects. EV released by cells into the circulation and body fluids display different RNA and protein contents in healthy subjects and patients with different diseases, which can be measured as potential biomarkers of disease. We have number of ongoing studies to evaluate the diagnostic performance of EV surface proteins as biomarkers in various disease conditions, including cancer, degenerative neurological and cardiovascular diseases.

Partnership

 

	Università della Svizzera Italiana
	Istituto di Scienze della Vita della Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa

Current Fundings

 

Swiss National Science Foundation – SINERGIA-SNF
GRANT_NUMBER: CRSII5_202302 Targeting cellular senescence in physiological, pathological and iatrogenic conditions

Swiss National Science Foundation – SNF
GRANT_NUMBER: IZCOZ0_18294 EXaCT: EXosomes based Combination Therapy to target multiple signaling within cardioprotective pathways

EUROPEAN COMMISSION – Horizon 2020 – Research and Innovation Framework Programme
Evolving reversible iMmunocapture by membrane sensing peptides: towARds scalable extracellular VEsicLes isolation – MARVEL
Granted amount (total): EUR 1’881’104

Website

Collaboration of departments: Laboratory for Cardiovascular Theranostics and Lugano Cell Factory
Consortium
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Italy, Istituto Cardiocentro Ticino – Switzerland, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele – Italy, Hansabiomed Life Sciences OU – Estonia, Paperdrop Diagnostics – Spain, Amires Sro – Czech Republic.

VELUX STIFTUNG Science-Funding Foundation
Cardiac exosomes for myocardial senescence repair

 

Effects of epigenetic memory on differentiation and function of iPS-derived
cardiomyocytes generated from somatic cell sources of cardiac versus noncardiac origins.

 

FONDAZIONE LEONARDO (Lugano, Switzerland)
Exploring mechanism beyond susceptibility of senescent cardiomyocytes to SARS-CoV-2.

Network

 

• Scuola Superiore Sant Anna, Pisa, Italy

• University of Genoa, Genova, Italy

• University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy

• Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona Switzerland

• University of Udine, Udine, Italy

• International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Trieste, Italy

• University of Bern, Bern Switzerland

• National Research Council (CNR), Milano, Italy

• Victor Babes National Institute , Bucharest, Romania

• Center for Molecular Cardiology University of Zurich, Zurich Switzerland

 

Retreat with Cardiovascular Sciences PhD Students from USI Università della Svizzera italiana, Universität Bern and University of Lausanne. 18/11/23

 

Azucena Rendón-Ángel received the award to the Best Oral Presentation on Translational Research during the 12a Giornata della Ricerca at USI Università della Svizzera italiana. 08/09/23

 
 

Azucena Rendón-Ángel – Happy to be presenting our work during the PhD Day at @USI_university – link Twitter

 

10-11 October 2022, EVengers met for the two-day MARVEL M24 meeting hosted by AMIRES in Prague, Czech Republic
link Linkedin

FET-PROACT PROJECT MARVEL SYMPOSIUM

The Laboratory for Cardiovascular Theranostics and Lugano Cell Factory (Istituto Cardiocentro Ticino_EOC) joint the 1-year meeting for the EU-project MARVEL that will introduce a breakthrough in current Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) isolation standards. 1-Year after the start of the project we finally had our first in-person meeting.

First meeting regarding our SINERGIA project at EPFL Lausanne

EBiomedicine entrusted an internationally recognized scientists and professor in immunology at University of Pittsburgh Prof. Theresa L. Whiteside to write a commentary on our paper on extracellular vesicles and SARS-CoV-2

Our paper on Exosomes and Cardioprotection published on Cardiovascular Research has been voted by senior Editorial Team of the CVR for the “Best Basic Research Paper Award 2018” during the European Society of Cardiology scientific meeting held in Paris in 2019

A CCT research in the European scientific network against heart attack – The Swiss National Fund has selected a research project bearing the signature of Dr. Lucio Barile of the Laboratory for Cardiovascular Theranostics – Istituto Cardiocentro Ticino. A total of around CHF 300,000 has been allocated to the project.

NEWS

 

ESC 2018 – Moderated Posters Awards – Premiata la ricerca del Cardiocentro
Link