Redox Biology
Our main interest is to study the role redox modifications (mainly S-nitrosylation) in human pathophysiology with special emphasis in the mechanisms underlying cancer onset and progression.
Our research
The Redox Biology group studies the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that are induced by adaptive responses to stressful conditions (i.e., oxidative stress) and lead to the selection of cancer cells characterized by therapy resistance and the ability to migrate and invade distant tissues. In this context, our research is currently aimed at revealing how:
- Oxidative stress modifies protein structure and function and affects cancer growth
- Redox signaling, mostly S-nitrosylation, sustains cancer progression, i.e., by triggering selective autophagy of cellular organelles, rewiring cell metabolism, and inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition
Papaleo E, Tiberti M, Arnaudi C, Pecorari C, Faienza F, Cantwell L, Degn K, Pacello F, Battistoni A, Lambrughi M, Filomeni G: TRAP1 S-nitrosylation as a model of population shift mechanisms to study the effects of nitric oxide on redox-sensitive oncoproteins. Cell Death Dis. 2023;14:284
Rizza S, Di Leo L, Pecorari C, Giglio P, Faienza F, Montagna C, Maiani E, Puglia M, Bosisio FM, Petersen TS, Ling L, Rissler V, Salamanca Viloria J, Luo Y, Papaleo E, De Zio D, Blagoev B, Filomeni G: GSNOR deficiency promotes tumor growth via FAK1 S-nitrosylation. Cell Rep. 2023; 2:111997
Cirotti C, Rizza S, Giglio P, Poerio N, Allega MF, Claps G, Lee J-H, Benassi B, Barilà B, Robert C, Stamler J, Cecconi F, Fraziano M, Paull TT, Filomeni G: Redox activation of ATM enhances GSNOR translation to sustain mitophagy and tolerance to oxidative stress. EMBO Rep. 2021;22:e50500
Rizza S, Cardaci S, Montagna C, Di Giacomo G, De Zio D, Bordi M, Maiani E, Campello S, Borreca A, Puca AA, Stamler JS, Cecconi F, Filomeni G: S-nitrosylation drives cell senescence and aging in mammals by controlling mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2018;115:E3388-E3397
Rizza S, Montagna C, Cardaci S, Maiani E, Di Giacomo G, Sanchez-Quiles V, Blagoev B, Rasola A, De Zio D, Stamler JS, Cecconi F, Filomeni G: S-nitrosylation of the mitochondrial chaperone TRAP1 sensitizes hepatocellular carcinoma cells to succinate dehydrogenase-targeting drugs. Cancer Res. 2016;76:4170-4182
Filomeni G, De Zio D, Cecconi F: Oxidative stress and autophagy: the clash between damage and metabolic needs. Cell Death Differ. 2014;22:377-388
Group leader: Giuseppe Filomeni
Giuseppe Filomeni has a solid background in biochemistry and cancer metabolism. His research has always aimed at the identification and characterization of new redox signaling pathways governing the life and death of cancer cells.
Currently, his main focus is to study the role of S-nitrosylation — the post-translational modification induced by nitric oxide — in human pathophysiology, with special emphasis on cancer.
Giuseppe Filomeni received his PhD in 2002. After completing his post-doctoral education at the Institute for Cancer Research “Regina Elena” (Rome, Italy) and University “G. D’Annunzio” (Chieti, Italy), he was appointed as a Young Researcher within the “Funding for Base Research Investments” program of the Italian Ministry of University and Research, during which he was awarded the Young Investigator Award from the Society for Free Radical Research-Europe (SFRR—E).
He worked as a fellow of the “Italian Association for Cancer Research” and obtained the academic position of Assistant and, next, Associate Professor at the Department of Biology of Tor Vergata University (Rome, Italy).
In 2010, he became Group Leader at the Research Center “IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana" (Rome, Italy) and, in 2013, he established his team at DCI, where he contributed to establishing the Cell Stress and Survival Unit. Two years later he was appointed Group Leader of the Redox Biology research group.
Key funding
Danish Cancer Society Scientific Committee
The Novo Nordisk Foundation
European Research Executive Agency - European Commission