Neurodegeneration, Neuroinflammation and Pain
Key words: autophagy, myelin, glia, disease-related biomarkers, immune cells
Our research group is involved in three main fields of study:
A) Peripheral Neuropathies and Inflammatory Pain
- Nutrition, metabolic disorders, aging and gender-differences in incidence of neuropathic pain development: spinal and peripheral nerve mechanisms of inflammation and degeneration.
- New therapeutic targets and new pharmacological tools against pain.
- Botulinum neurotoxins: new therapeutic applications and mechanisms of action
B) Spinal Neurodegeneration
Drugs able to confer neuroprotection and stimulate regeneration in models of spinal cord injury.
C) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Systemic, peripheral and central immune response during temporal progression of ALS neurodegeneration in SOD1-G93A mice: identification of new drivers
EXPERIMENTAL SYSTEMS and SKILLS
Murine (surgical, chemical and transgenic) models of peripheral and central neurodegeneration and metabolic disorders inducing inflammatory and neuropathic pain.
In vivo investigations
Behavioral tests: spontaneous and nociceptive behaviors; motor function and muscular force; learning and memory.
Metabolic analyses: Glucose and Insulin Tolerance test, metabolic parameters (glycemia, cholesterol, triglycerides, etc), biomarkers of organs (liver, bladder, kidney) functionality, thermoregulation.
Ex-vivo investigations
Nervous tissue (brain, spinal cord, dorsal root ganglia, peripheral nerve, nerve endings, neuromuscular junction) immunohistological, morphological analysis and proteins expression.
Samples of organs (blood and nervous, adipose, muscular tissues) for biochemical and molecular identification of biomarkers
Education
2001 Master, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy), Experimental Psychology
2002-2005 PhD, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy), Psychobiology and Psychopharmacology
2003 EUROPEAN PAIN SCHOOL. FENS, IBRO, EFIC University of Siena.
2006/2007 Post-doc position CNR Neuroscience Institute – Rome – Italy
2006 Advanced course PHYSIOLOGICAL IMAGING CNR. Neuroscience Institute, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy.
2007 Post-doc position. CNR Neuroscience Institute/Polish Academy of Science – Institute of Pharmacology – Krakow –PL
2010 Advanced course. STATISTICS IN ANIMALS EXPERIMENTS. CNR, Fondazione S. Lucia, AISAL, EBRI
2010 Advanced course. PATENTS AS TOOL OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. RIDITT – Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico – IPI (Istituto Promozione Industriale).
2007 and 2014 SCIENCE OF ANIMALS LAB. FELASA. CNR, IRCCS S. Lucia Foundation, Tor Vergata University of Rome, EBRI
2018 Advanced Course. USE OF “R” SOFTWARE FOR STATISTICS IN BIOMEDICINE RESEARCH. S. Lucia Foundation, CNR – Rome
2018 CNR Training Course. ERC GRANTS IN HORIZON 2020: rules of participation and assessment criteria. (2223660.2223667)
2019 CNR, APRE Training Course. WRITING WORKSHOP ON SUCCESSFUL PROPOSAL IN HORIZON 2020 PROGRAM. (3242262.3242269)
Positions : Researcher
Honours/Awards:
01/08/2005. Best poster presentation. Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) (Sydney – Australia);
01/09/2007 Travel grant SINS Verona; 01/02/2008 Young Ideas Change Italy – Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Ministry of Youth (POGAS);
01/03/2015 SIMPAR Award “Young Against Pain” 30 best projects in pain therapy;
01/09/2015 Art or Science – IMMAGINARIO SCIENTIFICO – Winner best scientific image – Exposition Trieste Next;
Patents:
A NEW THERAPEUTIC USE OF THE BOTULINUM NEUROTOXIN SEROTYPE A
Publication number: 20180140685
Abstract: A new therapeutic use of botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (Bont/A) is described, therapeutic treatment of paralysis caused by spinal cord injury.
Type: Application
Filed: April 21, 2016
Publication date: May 24, 2018
Applicant: Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche
Inventors: Sara Marinelli, Flaminia Pavone, Siro Luvisetto, Valentina Vacca
Method for the potentiation of opioid analgesics effects on pain
Patent number: 8715666
Abstract: According to the invention there is provided use of an anti-TrkA antibody capable of inhibiting the binding between NGF and TrkA combined with at least one opioid analgesic for the preparation of a medicament for treating and/or preventing pain.
Type: Grant
Filed: June 23, 2011
Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
Assignee: Lay Line Genomics S.p.A.
Inventors: Flaminia Pavone, Sara Marinelli, Antonio Cattaneo, Gabriele Ugolini
Analgesic treatment with prolonged effect
Patent number: 8691221
Abstract: Use of an anti-TrkA antibody capable of inhibiting the binding between NGF and TrkA, in particular capable of blocking the biological activity of TrkA, for the preparation of a medicament for treating and/or preventing chronic pain.
Type: Grant
Filed: June 7, 2006
Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
Assignee: Lay Line Genomics S.p.A.
Inventors: Flaminia Pavone, Sara Marinelli, Antonio Cattaneo, Gabriele Ugolini
METHOD FOR THE POTENTIATION OF OPIOID ANALGESICS EFFECTS ON PAIN
Publication number: 20120213784
Abstract: According to the invention there is provided use of an anti-TrkA antibody capable of inhibiting the binding between NGF and TrkA combined with at least one opioid analgesic for the preparation of a medicament for treating and/or preventing pain.
Type: Application
Filed: June 23, 2011
Publication date: August 23, 2012
Applicant: LAY LINE GENOMICS S.p.A.
Inventors: FLAMINIA PAVONE, SARA MARINELLI, ANTONIO CATTANEO, GABRIELE UGOLINI
Cnf1 bacterial toxin protein from e. coli as analgesic
EP06796248A
Abstract
The invention concerns new uses in medical field of the dermonecrotizing protein factors of bacterial origin, particularly from Escherichia coli and related uses in medical field.
Type:Grant
Filed: August 3, 2006
Applicant: Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche CNR Istituto Superiore di Sanita
Inventors: Walter Malorni, Carla Fiorentini, Alessia Fabbri, Loredana Falzano, Elisabetta Straface, Flaminia Pavone Siro Luvisetto, Sara Marinelli
Novel Analgesic Treatment with Prolonged Effect
Publication number: 20100291083
Abstract: Use of an anti-TrkA antibody capable of inhibiting the binding between NGF and TrkA, in particular capable of blocking the biological activity of TrkA, for the preparation of a medicament for treating and/or preventing chronic pain.
Type: Application
Filed: June 7, 2006
Publication date: November 18, 2010
Applicant: NOVARTIS VACCINES AND DIAGONOSTICS
Inventors: Flaminia Pavone, Sara Marinelli, Antonio Cattaneo, Gabriele Ugolini
- De Angelis, F., Vacca, V., Pavone, F., Marinelli, S. Impact of caloric restriction on peripheral nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain during ageing in mice (2020) European Journal of Pain, 24 (2), pp. 374-382.
- Marinelli, S., Vacca, V., Angelis, F.D., Pieroni, L., Orsini, T., Parisi, C., Soligo, M., Protto, V., Manni, L., Guerrieri, R., Pavone, F. Innovative mouse model mimicking human-like features of spinal cord injury: efficacy of Docosahexaenoic acid on acute and chronic phases (2019) Scientific Reports, 9 (1), 8883.
- Coccurello, R., Nazio, F., Rossi, C., De Angelis, F., Vacca, V., Giacovazzo, G., Procacci, P., Magnaghi, V., Ciavardelli, D., Marinelli, S. Effects of caloric restriction on neuropathic pain, peripheral nerve degeneration and inflammation in normometabolic and autophagy defective prediabetic Ambra1 mice (2018) PLoS ONE, 13 (12), e0208596.
- Madaro, L., Passafaro, M., Sala, D., Etxaniz, U., Lugarini, F., Proietti, D., Alfonsi, M.V., Nicoletti, C., Gatto, S., De Bardi, M., Rojas-García, R., Giordani, L., Marinelli, S., Pagliarini, V., Sette, C., Sacco, A., Puri, P.L. Denervation-activated STAT3–IL-6 signalling in fibro-adipogenic progenitors promotes myofibres atrophy and fibrosis. (2018) Nature Cell Biology, 20 (8), pp. 917-927.
- Finocchiaro, A., Marinelli, S., De Angelis, F., Vacca, V., Luvisetto, S., Pavone, F. Botulinum toxin b affects neuropathic pain but not functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury in a mouse model. (2018) Toxins, 10 (3), 128.
Researchers:
- Sara Marinelli
- Flaminia Pavone
- Francesca D’Amato
- Siro Luvisetto
Post-doctoral fellows:
- Valentina Vacca
- GIOVANI RICERCATORI
- INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR STUDY OF PAIN
Research Topic
Charles River Blog Eureka https://eureka.criver.com/neuroinflammation-in-spinal-cord-injury-a-necessary-evil/
Comunicati stampa
https://www.cnr.it/it/comunicato-stampa/8523/il-dolore-da-neuropatia-si-cura-mangiando-meno
https://www.cnr.it/en/press-release/4514/un-anticorpo-alleato-contro-il-dolore
http://www.innovagora.it/index.php/visualizza-scheda?ID=16
https://www.immaginarioscientifico.it/arteoscienza/le-opere-migliori-edizione-2015/