ASSOCIATE

e-mail: ciafre@uniroma2.it
Telefono: +39 06 7259 6059
SSD: BIO/13
SC: 05/F1
Macro-area:
Biologia applicata
Campi di interesse: 
- glioblastoma
- Cellule staminali normali e tumorali
- Regolazione post-trascrizionale dell'espressione genica
 

 Prof. Silvia Anna Ciafrè

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CURRICULUM VITAEborn in Pesaro, Italy, 28/01/1966

Education and training
1989    University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy: PhD equivalent in Molecular Biology

Positions and Employment
1991-2000             University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy: Research Assistant
2000-2005             University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy: Researcher
2005- to present  University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy: Associate Professor of Applied Biology

Other Professional Experience and Memberships
2000 Prof. M Izquierdo's lab, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain: Invited Scientist
2004 Prof. CM Croce's lab, Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA: Invited Scientist
2010 Dr. Jean Bénard’s lab, Département de Biologie et de Pathologie médicales, Service de Pathologie Moléculaire, Institut Gustave Roussy, 94800 – Villejuif, France: Invited Scientist

Member of the Società Italiana di Biofisica e Biologia Molecolare/Federazione Italiana Scienze della Vita (SIBBM/FISV).
Member of the Associazione Italiana Biologia e Genetica Generale e Molecolare (AIBG).
Member of the “European Association for Cancer Research” (EACR).


Honors, Fellowships and Grants
1990: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (National Research Council) (CNR), fellowship.
1990: Società Italiana Biofisica e Biologia Molecolare (Italian Society for Biophysics and Molecular Biology) (SIBBM), thesis award.
1998: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (National Research Council) (CNR) grant for a project entitled "Inibizione dell'angiogenesi e interferenza con la crescita tumorale: modelli in vitro e in vivo e analisi dei meccanismi molecolari" (Angiogenesis inhibition and impairment of tumor growth: in vitro and in vivo models and study of the molecular mechanisms). Role: Principal Investigator.
2000: University of Rome Tor Vergata grants for young researchers for a project entitled "Uso di ribozimi contro il VEGF per inibire il potenziale neoangiogenico di linee cellulari di tumori cerebrali e ridurre la crescita tumorale in vivo" (Use of anti-VEGF ribozymes to inhibit the neoangiogenic potential of brain cancer cell lines and to reduce the in vivo tumor growth). Role: Principal Investigator.
2000: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (National Research Council) (CNR) Agenzia 2000 grant for a project entitled "Uso di ribozimi contro il VEGF per inibire il potenziale neoangiogenico e ridurre la crescita di tumori cerebrali in modelli animali" (Use of anti-VEGF ribozymes to inhibit the neoangiogenic potential and reduce glioblastoma growth in animal models). Role: Principal Investigator.
2002: FIRB-MIUR grant for a project entitled "Reelin: meccanismo di azione e funzione nella plasticità sinaptica" (Reelin: working mechanism and functions in synaptic plasticity). Role: Associated Investigator.
2006 – 2007: Italian Ministry of University and  Scientific Research (MIUR) grant. Project entitled “Effetti dell’espressione di reelina sulle proprietà di cellule staminali neurali murine” (Effects of Reelin expression on the properties of murine neural stem cells). Role: Principal investigator.
2006 – 2008 : Italian Ministry of Health (Ministero della Salute) # 527B/2B/1.2 grant. Project entitled “Caratterizzazione dell’espressione di microRNA in sottopopolazioni cellulari di glioblastoma multiforme” (Characterization of microRNA expression in specific cell types in glioblastoma multiforme). Role: Co-investigator.
2008 – 2011: PRIN # 20077YZTL8_002 Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research (MIUR) grant for a project entitled “Ruolo dei microRNA nel differenziamento neuronale e nello sviluppo dei glioblastomi” (Role of microRNAs in neuronal differentiation and in glioblastoma development). Role: Co-investigator.
2008  - 2011:  Italian Ministry of University and  Scientific Research (MIUR) grant for a project entitled “Studio sul ruolo di miR-128 nel neuroblastoma” (Study about the role of miR-128 in neuroblastoma). Role: Principal investigator
2012 - 2013: Fondazione Umberto Veronesi grant for a project entitled “CLIC1 (Chloride intracellular channel 1) as a possible prognostic indicator and therapeutic target in glioblastoma”. Role: Associated investigator.


Scientific Interests By Keywords:

• Glioblastoma 
• Cancer stem cells 
• RNA binding proteins
• LncRNAs
• Tumor Microenvironment
• MicroRNAs
• Tumor angiogenesis Neural stem cells 
• Prostate carcinoma Neuroblastoma 

S.A.    Ciafrè coordinates a group of researchers with background in biochemistry and in molecular and cell biology that has acquired extended expertise and international qualification on the study of different aspects of glioblastoma biology. In 2004, S.A Ciafrè started to study microRNA expression in glioblastoma, thanks to a collaboration with Prof. Carlo Croce, at the Jefferson University of Philadelphia, USA. The data obtained by S.A. Ciafrè in Prof. Croce’s lab, confirmed and extended in Rome at the University of Tor Vergata, were published as the first example of an extensive study of microRNA differential expression in glioblastoma patients’ samples and cell lines. A further collaboration, with Dr. R. Agami, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has produced new data about the involvement of miR-221/222 in glioblastoma multiforme. At the same time, the role of miR-221/222 in cellular models of prostate carcinoma has been elucidated in SA Ciafrè’s lab by the discovery of p27 as a direct target of these two microRNAs, strongly affecting the proliferation of PCa cells. Furthermore, S.A Ciafrè’s group demonstrated the feasibility of the in vivo inhibition of miR-221 and miR-222 via antagomir transduction in PCa xenografts. S.A. Ciafrè took also part in a project of microRNA characterization of a large cohort of neuroblastoma samples resulting in the definition of specific microRNAs as novel prognostic markers. More recently, S.A. Ciafrè’s group published a work about a deep characterization of glioblastoma samples RNA expression, paving the way to novel studies on the different cell components of this heterogeneous and deadly tumor.

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SELECTED PAPERS

Insights into the Regulatory Role of m6A Epitranscriptome in Glioblastoma.
Galardi S, Michienzi A, Ciafrè SA.
Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Apr 17;21(8):2816. doi: 10.3390/ijms21082816.

The Expression of the Chemokine CXCL14 Correlates with Several Aggressive Aspects of Glioblastoma and Promotes Key Properties of Glioblastoma Cells.
Fazi B, Proserpio C, Galardi S, Annesi F, Cola M, Mangiola A, Michienzi A, Ciafrè SA.
Int J Mol Sci. 2019 May 21;20(10):2496. doi: 10.3390/ijms20102496.

Cancer stem cells from peritumoral tissue of glioblastoma multiforme:  the possible missing link between tumor development and progression.
Angelucci C, D'Alessio A, Lama G, Binda E, Mangiola A, Vescovi AL, Proietti G, Masuelli L, Bei R, Fazi B, Ciafrè SA, Sica G.
Oncotarget. 2018 Jun 15;9(46):28116-28130. doi: 
10.18632/oncotarget.25565. eCollection 2018 Jun 15.

The lncRNA H19 positively affects the tumorigenic properties of glioblastoma cells and contributes to NKD1 repression through the recruitment of EZH2 on its promoter.
Fazi B, Garbo S, Toschi N, Mangiola A, Lombari M, Sicari D, Battistelli C, Galardi S, Michienzi A, Trevisi G, Harari-Steinfeld R, Cicchini C, Ciafrè SA.
Oncotarget. 2018 Feb 14;9(21):15512-15525. doi: 
10.18632/oncotarget.24496. eCollection 2018 Mar 20.

MicroRNAs as Multifaceted Players in Glioblastoma Multiforme.
Mercatelli N, Galardi S, Ciafrè SA.
Int Rev Cell Mol Biol. 2017;333:269-323. doi: 
10.1016/bs.ircmb.2017.03.002. Epub 2017 Apr 21.

Galardi S., Mercatelli N., Giorda E., Massalini S., Frajese GV, Ciafrè SA, Farace MG. “MiR-221 and miR-222 expression affects the proliferation potential of human prostate carcinoma cell lines by targeting p27Kip1”, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 282(32):23716-24, 2007.

le Sage C, Nagel R, Egan DA, Schrier M, Mesman E, Mangiola A, Anile C, Maira G, Mercatelli N, Ciafrè SA, Farace MG, Agami R. “Regulation of the p27(Kip1) tumor suppressor by miR-221 and miR-222 promotes cancer cell proliferation”, EMBO J.,  26(15):3699-3708, 2007.

Mercatelli N, Coppola V, Bonci D, Miele F, Costantini A, Guadagnoli M, Bonanno E, Muto G, Frajese GV, De Maria R, Spagnoli LG, Farace MG, Ciafrè SA. “The inhibition of  the highly expressed miR-221 and miR-222 impairs the growth of prostate carcinoma xenografts in mice”, PLoS ONE, 3(12):e4029, 2008.

Evangelisti C, Florian MC, Massimi I, Dominici C, Giannini G, Galardi S, Buè MC, Massalini S, McDowell HP, Messi E, Gulino A, Farace MG, Ciafrè SA. “MiR-128 upregulation inhibits Reelin and DCX expression and reduces neuroblastoma cell motility and invasiveness”, The FASEB J., 23(12):4276-87, 2009.

Massalini S, Pellegatta S, Pisati F, Finocchiaro G, Farace MG, Ciafré SA. “Reelin affects chain-migration and differentiation of neural precursor cells”, Mol. Cell. Neurosci., 42: 341-349, 2009.

Galardi S., Mercatelli N., Farace MG., Ciafrè SA. “NF-kB and c-Jun induce the expression of the oncogenic miR-221 and miR-222 in prostate carcinoma and glioblastoma cells”, Nucl. Acids Res., 39(9):3892-902, 2011

S. Galardi and S.A. Ciafrè. “microRNAs and RNA-binding proteins: a complex network of interactions and reciprocal regulations in cancer”, RNA Biol. 10(6): 935-42, 2013

Fazi, B., Felsani, A., Grassi, L., Moles, A., D’Andrea, D., Toschi, N., Sicari, D., De Bonis, P., Anile, C., Giovanna Guerrisi, M.,
Luca, E., Farace, M.G., Maira, G., Ciafré, S.A., & Mangiola, A. (2015). “The transcriptome and miRNome profiling of glioblastoma tissues and peritumoral regions highlights molecular pathways shared by tumors and surrounding areas and reveals differences between short-term and long-term survivors” Oncotarget. 2015 Sep 8;6(26):22526-52.

Galardi S, Petretich M, Pinna G, D'Amico S, Loreni F, Michienzi A, Groisman I, Ciafrè SA. CPEB1 restrains proliferation of Glioblastoma cells through the regulation of p27(Kip1) mRNA translation. Sci Rep. 2016 May 4;6:25219. doi: 10.1038/srep25219.

Murdocca M, Ciafrè SA, Spitalieri P, Talarico RV, Sanchez M, Novelli G, Sangiuolo F. SMA Human iPSC-Derived Motor Neurons Show Perturbed Differentiation and Reduced miR-335-5p Expression. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2016, 17(8). pii: E1231. doi: 10.3390/ijms17081231.

Galardi S, Savino M, Scagnoli F, Pellegatta S, Pisati F, Zambelli F, Illi B, Annibali D, Beji S, Orecchini E, Alberelli MA, Apicella C, Fontanella RA, Michienzi A, Finocchiaro G, Farace MG, Pavesi G, Ciafrè SA, Nasi S. Resetting cancer stem cell regulatory nodes upon MYC inhibition. EMBO Rep. 2016 Nov 16.