0000000000544218
AUTHOR
A. Fricano
showing 6 related works from this author
Extracellular Vesicles Shed by Melanoma Cells Contain a Modified Form of H1.0 Linker Histone and H1.0 mRNA-binding Proteins
2016
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are shed in the extracellular environment by both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Although produced from both normal and cancer cells, malignant cells release a much higher amount of EVs, which also contain tumor-specific proteins and RNAs. We previously found that G26/24 oligodendroglioma cells shed EVs that contain the pro-apoptotic factors FasL and TRAIL1-2. Interestingly, G26/24 release, via EVs, extracellular matrix remodelling proteases3, and H1° histone protein4, and mRNA. To shed further light on the role of EVs in discarding proteins and mRNAs otherwise able to counteract proliferative signals, we studied a melanoma cell line (A375). We found that also thes…
Blue autofluorescence in protein aggregates “lighted on” by UV induced oxidation
2019
Oxidation of amino acid side chains in protein structure can be induced by UV irradiation leading to critical changes in molecular structure possibly modifying protein stability and bioactivity. Here we show, by using a combination of multiple spectroscopic techniques and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging, that UV-light exposure induces irreversible oxidation processes in Ubiquitin structure. In particular, the growth of a new autofluorescence peak in the blue region is detected, that we attribute to tyrosine oxidation products. Blue autofluorescence intensity is found to progressively increase also during aggregation processes leading to the formation of aggregates of non-amyloid nature. Signi…
3D cultures of rat astrocytes and brain capillary endothelial cells on Poly-L-lactic acid scaffolds
2016
Tissue engineering is an emerging multidisciplinary field that aims at reproducing in vitro and/or in vivo tissues with morphological and functional features similar to the biological tissue of the human body. In this communication we report setting of three-dimensional structures able to mimic the extracellular matrix of the nervous system: we prepared Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) porous scaffolds via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS), and investigated the parameters that influence porosity, average pore size and degree of interconnection, i.e. polymer concentration, temperature and time of process. Astrocytes and brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) were cultured on these three-…
Aquaporins and Brain Tumors
2016
Brain primary tumors are among the most diverse and complex human cancers, and they are normally classified on the basis of the cell-type and/or the grade of malignancy (the most malignant being glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), grade IV). Glioma cells are able to migrate throughout the brain and to stimulate angiogenesis, by inducing brain capillary endothelial cell proliferation. This in turn causes loss of tight junctions and fragility of the blood–brain barrier, which becomes leaky. As a consequence, the most serious clinical complication of glioblastoma is the vasogenic brain edema. Both glioma cell migration and edema have been correlated with modification of the expression/localization …
Lactate as a Metabolite and a Regulator in the Central Nervous System
2016
More than two hundred years after its discovery, lactate still remains an intriguing molecule. Considered for a long time as a waste product of metabolism and the culprit behind muscular fatigue, it was then recognized as an important fuel for many cells. In particular, in the nervous system, it has been proposed that lactate, released by astrocytes in response to neuronal activation, is taken up by neurons, oxidized to pyruvate and used for synthesizing acetyl-CoA to be used for the tricarboxylic acid cycle. More recently, in addition to this metabolic role, the discovery of a specific receptor prompted a reconsideration of its role, and lactate is now seen as a sort of hormone, even invol…
Exercise and lactate production:implication in fatigue and in brain signaling
2016
More than two hundred years after its discovery, lactate still remains an intriguing molecule. Considered for a long time as a waste product of metabolism and the culprit behind muscular fatigue, it was then recognized as an important fuel for many cells. In particular, in the nervous system, it has been proposed that lactate, released by astrocytes in response to neuronal activation, is taken up by neurons, oxidized to pyruvate and used for synthesizing acetyl-CoA to be used for the tricarboxylic acid cycle. More recently, in addition to this metabolic role, the discovery of a specific receptor prompted a reconsideration of its role, and lactate is now seen as a sort of hormone, even invol…