Attuale ruolo Professore Associato Confermato
SSD BIO/11
edificio F Nord
piano 1
studio In attesa
telefono In attesa
mail m.agostini@med.uniroma2.it
Biographical
Massimiliano Agostini is an associate professor of molecular biology since November 2014. He obtained his PhD from the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy, working on the pharmacological regulation of the immune response. In 2005, he became a Research Assistant at Section of Pharmacology, University of Perugia, Italy. In 2007, he started a Career Development Fellow at the MRC Toxicology Unit, Leicester, UK, and then was appointed as Senior Investigator until 2014. In 2014 he was also a visiting scientist, at The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Tak W. Mak laboratory, Toronto, Canada. In the last 5 years, his main research interests was studying the role of p73, a p53 family member, in neurodevelopment and neurotoxicity using mouse model.
His current research is to study the role of p53 family genes and microRNA in cancer.
Editorial experience
Receiving Editor Cell Death & Diseases
Editorial Board of Molecular & Cellular Oncology
Editorial Board as review editor of Frontiers in Cancer Molecular Targets and Therapeutics.
Ad hoc Referee:
Cell death & disease,
Cell death and differentiation,
Frontiers in Cancer
Molecular and Cellular Oncology,
Molecular Neurobiology,
Oncogene,
Oncotarget
Cell Cycle
Education
1997 Degree in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Perugia, Italy
1998 Pharmacist license, state of Italy
2005 PhD in Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, University of Perugia, Italy
Academic positions
Associate Professor of Molecular Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy
Visiting Professor MRC Toxicology Unit, Leicester, UK
Teaching
Tutorial activity: guidance of compilative and experimental thesis of student of School of Medicine, Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmacy and Biological Sciences
2001-2003 Exam Committees for Pharmacology, course for Odontology, Dental Prosthetics, University of Perugia, Italy
2002-2007 Exam Committees for Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy
2015 II level Master, Personalized Nutrition: Molecular and Genetic bases
Research
The p53-family consists of three members (p53, p63, p73) that play a relevant role in tumorigenesis. Indeed, they are mutated or aberrantly expressed in the vast majority of human cancers. The importance of p53 family stems from its ability to regulate hundreds of target genes, thus influencing a variety of processes, such as cell metabolism, embryonic development and cancer progression.
Our aim is to characterize transgenic mice with genetic alterations in the p53 family genes, interactors, regulators and targets to understand their effect on development and cancer. Therefore, our objectives are:
1) To dissect in-vivo functions of specific p53-family gene isoforms in development and physiology.
2) To dissect in-vivo functions of specific p53-family gene isoforms in tumorigenesis.
3) To identify in-vivo functions of p53-family members interactors, regulators and target genes of in development, physiology and tumorigenesis.
Cenni biografici
Massimiliano Agostini è professore associato di Biologia molecolare dal Novembre 2014. Si è laureato in Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche presso l’Università di Perugia, e ha ottenuto il PhD in Farmacologia Clinica e Sperimentale, lavorando principalmente sulla regolazione farmacologica della risposta immunitaria. Nel 2007 ha lavorato presso l’MRC Toxicology Unit, inizialmente come post-doc e poi come Senior Investigator fino al 2014. Nel 2014 ha anche lavorato come “visiting scientist” nel laboratorio di Tak W. Mak al The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Toronto, Canada. Negli ultimi 5 anni, il suo principale interesse scientifico è stato studiare il ruolo di p73, un membro della famiglia p53, nello sviluppo neuronale e nella neurotossicità usando modelli murini.
La sua attuale linea di ricerca è lo studio dei geni della famiglia di p53 e dei microRNA nei tumori.
Esperienze Editoriali
Receiving Editor Cell Death & Diseases
Editorial Board of Molecular & Cellular Oncology
Editorial Board as review editor of Frontiers in Cancer Molecular Targets and Therapeutics.
Ad hoc Referee:
Cell death & disease,
Cell death and differentiation,
Frontiers in Cancer
Molecular and Cellular Oncology,
Molecular Neurobiology,
Oncogene,
Oncotarget
Cell Cycle
Formazione
1997 Laurea in Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche, Università degli studi di Perugia, Italia
1998 Esame di stato per Farmacisti
2005 Dottorato di Ricerca in Farmacologia Clinica e Sperimentale, Università degli studi di Perugia, Italia
Posizioni accademiche
Professore Associato, Biologia Molecolare, Universita’ di Roma Tor Vergata
Visiting Professor MRC Toxicology Unit, Leicester, UK
Attività didattica
Attivita tutoriale: tesi compilative e sperimentali per gli studenti di Medicina, Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche e Biologia.
2001-2004 Commissione di Esame per Farmacologia, Corso in Odontoiatria, Facoltà di Medicina, Università degli studi di Perugia,
2002-2007 Commissione di Esame per Farmacologia, Corso di Medicina, Facoltà di Medicina, Università degli studi di Perugia,
2015 Master II livello, Nutrizione Personalizzata: Basi molecolari e genetiche
Attività scientifica
La famiglia di p53 è composta da tre proteine (p53, p63, p73) le quali giocano un ruolo fondamentale nella tumorigenesi. Infatti, queste protein sono mutate o la loro espressione è deregolata nella maggior parte dei tumori umani. L’importanza della famiglia di p53 origina dalla sua abilità nel regolare centinaia di geni, influenzando di conseguenza una varrietà di processi, quali il metabolism cellulare, lo sviluppo embrionale e la progressione tumorale.
Il nostro scopo è la caratterizzazione di topi transgenici con alterazioni genetiche nella famiglia p53, dei suoi interattori, regolatori e target allo scopo di studiare il loro effetto nello sviluppo e nei tumori
Le principali linee di ricerca sono:
1) Studiare il ruolo in-vivo delle diverse isoforme della famiglia p53 nello sviluppo e nella fisiologia.
2) Studiare il ruolo in-vivo delle diverse isoforme della famiglia p53 nei tumori.
3) Identificazione della funzione in-vivo degli interattori, regolatori e dei geni target della famiglia di p53 nello sviluppo, fisiologia e nei tumori.
Pubblicazioni ultimi 5 anni/oppure quelle più rilevanti
1. Chen H, Shalom-Feuerstein R, Riley J, Zhang SD, Tucci P, Agostini M, Aberdam D, Knight RA, Genchi G, Nicotera P, Melino G, Vasa-Nicotera M. miR-7 and miR-214 are specifically expressed during neuroblastoma differentiation, cortical development and embryonic stem cells differentiation, and control neurite outgrowth in vitro. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 Apr 16;394(4):921-7.
2. Sayan BS, Yang AL, Conforti F, Tucci P, Piro MC, Browne GJ, Agostini M, Bernardini S, Knight RA, Mak TW, Melino G. Differential control of TAp73 and {Delta}Np73 protein stability by the ring finger ubiquitin ligase PIR2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jul 20;107(29):12877-82.
3. Agostini M, Tucci P, Chen H, Knight RA, Daniele Bano, Nicotera P, McKeon F Melino G. p73 regulates maintenance of neural stem cell. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2010 Dec 3;403(1):13-7
4. Gharagozloo M, Velardi E, Bruscoli S, Agostini M, Di Sante M, Donato V, Amirghofran Z and Riccardi C.
Silymarin suppress CD4+ T cell activation and proliferation: Effects on NF-kappa B activity and IL-2 production.
Pharmacol Res. 2010 Jan 6.
5. Rufini A, Agostini M, Grespi F, Tomasini R, Sayan BS, Niklison-Chirou M, Conforti F, Velletri T, Mastino A, Mak TW, Melino G and Knight RA.
p73 in Cancer
Genes Cancer. 2011 Apr;2(4):491-502
6. Vasa-Nicotera M, Chen H, Tucci P, Yang AL, Saintigny G, Menghini R, Mahè C, Agostini M, Knight RA, Melino G, Federici M.
miR-146a is modulated in human endothelial cell with aging.
Atherosclerosis. 2011 Aug; 217(2):326-30
7. Agostini M*, Tucci P, Melino G.
Cell death pathology: perspective for human diseases.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2011 Oct 28;414(3):451-5.
(*) Corresponding Author
8. Rufini A, Barlattani A, Docimo R, Velletri T, Niklison-Chirou MV, Agostini M, Melino G.
p63 in tooth development.
Biochem Pharmacol. 2011 Nov 15;82(10):1256-6
9. Killick R, Niklison-Chirou M, Tomasini R, Bano D, Rufini A, Grespi F, Velletri T, Tucci P, Sayan BS, Conforti F, Gallagher E, Nicotera P, Mak TW, Melino G, Knight RA and Agostini M*
p73: a multifunctional protein in neurobiology
Mol Neurobiol. 2011 43(2):139-46. (*) Corresponding Author
10. Bano D, Agostini M, Melino G and Nicotera P.
Ageing, Neuronal Connectivity and Brain Disorders: An Unsolved Ripple Effect. Mol Neurobiol. 2011 Apr;43(2):124-30.
11. Agostini M, Tucci P, Steinert JR, Shalom-Feuerstein R, Rouleau M, Aberdam D, Forsythe ID, Young KW, Ventura A, Concepcion CP, Han YC, Candi E, Knight RA, Mak TW, Melino G.
miR-34a regulates neurite outgrowth, spinal morphology and function.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Dec 27;108(52):21099-104.
12. Agostini M, Tucci P, Killick R, Candi E, Sayan BS, Rivetti di Val Cervo P, Nicotera P, McKeon F, Knight RA, Mak TW, Melino G.
Neuronal differentiation by TAp73 is mediated by miR-34a regulation of synaptic protein targets.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Dec 27;108(52):21093-8.
13. Tucci P*, Agostini M*, Grespi F, Markert EK, Terrinoni A, Vousden KH, Muller PAJ, Dötsch V, Kehrloesser S, Sayan BS, Giaccone G, Lowe SW, Takahashi N, Vandenabeele P, Knight RA, Levine AJ, Melino.
Loss of p63 and its miR-205 target results in enhanced cell migration and metastasis in prostate cancer.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Sep 18;109(38):15312-7. (*) Co-First Author
14. Conforti F, Yang AL, Agostini M, Rufini A, Tucci P, Nicklison-Chirou MV, Grespi F, Velleri T, Knight RA, Melino G, Sayan BS.
Relative expression of TAp73 and ΔNp73 isoforms.
Aging (Albany NY). 2012 Mar;4(3):202-5.
15. Romeo F, Costanzo F and Agostini M*.
Embryonic Stem Cells and Inducible Pluripotent Stem Cells: two faces of the same coin?
Aging (Albany NY). Dec;4(2012):878-86. (*) Corresponding Author
16. Tucci P, Porta G, Agostini M, Dinsdale D, Iavicoli I, Cain K, Finazzi-Agró A, Melino G, Willis A.
Metabolic effects of TiO2 nanoparticles, a common component of sunscreens and cosmetics, on human keratinocytes.
Cell Death Dis. 2013 Mar 21; 4:e549.doi:10.1038/cddis.2013.76.
17. Giacobbe A, Bongiorno-Borbone L, Terrinoni A, Bernassola F, Markert EK, Levine AJ, Fen Z, Agostini M, Zolla L, Finazzi Agrò A, Notterman D, Melino G, Peschiaroli A.
p63 regulates glutaminase 2 expression.
Cell Cycle. 2013 Apr 10;12(9).
18. Tucci P, Porta G, Agostini M, Antonov A, Garabadgiu AV, Melino G, Willis AE.
Rapamycin regulates biochemical metabolites
Cell Cycle. 2013 Jun 28;12(15)
19. Luh ML, Kehrloesser S, Deutsch GB, Gebel J, Coutandin D, Schäfer B, Agostini M, Melino G and Dötsch V
Analysis of the oligomeric state and transactivation potential of TAp73α.
Cell Death Differ. 2013 Aug;20(8):1008-16.
20. He Z, Liu H, Agostini M, Yousefi S, Perren A, Tschan MP, Mak TW, Melino G, Simon HU. p73 regulates autophagy and hepatocellular lipid metabolism through a transcriptional activation of the ATG5 gene.
Cell Death Differ. 2013 Oct;20(10):1415-24.
21. Velletri T, Romeo F, Tucci P, Peschiaroli A, Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli M, Niklison-Chirou MV, Amelio I, Knight RA, Mak TW, Melino G and Agostini M*
GLS2 is transcriptionally regulated by p73 and contributes to neuronal differentiation.
Cell Cycle 2013 Nov 15;12(22):3564-73. (*) Corresponding Author
22. Niklison-Chirou MV, Steinert JR, Agostini M, Knight RA, Dinsdale D, Cattaneo A, Mak TW and Melino G
TAp73 knockout mice show morphological and functional nervous system defects associated with loss of p75NTR
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013 Nov 19;110 (47):18952-7.
23. Amelio I, Markert E, Rufini A, Antonov A, Sayan B, Tucci P, Agostini M, Mineo T, Levine A and Melino G
p73 regulates serine biosynthesis in cancer.
Oncogene. 2014 Oct 16;33(42):5039-46. Epub 2013 Nov 4.
24. Inoue S, Tomasini R, Rufini A, Elia A.J., Agostini M, Amelio I, Cescon D, Dinsdale D, Zhou L, Harris I.S., Lac S, Silvester J, Li W, Sasaki M, Haight J, Brüstle A, Wakeham A, Mckerlie C, Jurisicova A, Melino G and Mak T.W.
TAp73 is required for spermatogenesis and the maintenance of male fertility
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2014 Feb 4;111(5):1843-8.
25. Candi E, Agostini M, Melino G and Bernassola F.
How the TP53 family proteins TP63 and TP73 contribute to tumorigenesis: regulators and effectors.
Hum Mutat. 2014 Jun;35(6):702-14.
26. Amelio I, Cutruzzolá F, Antonov A, Agostini M and Melino G.
Serine and glycine metabolism in cancer
Trends Biochem Sci 2014 Apr;39(4):191-8.
27. Agostini M* and Knight RA.
miR-34: from bench to bedside
Oncotarget 2014 Feb 28;5(4):872-81. (*) Corresponding Author
28. Antonov A, Agostini M*, Morello M, Minieri M, Melino G and Amelio I
Bioinformatics analysis of the serine and glycine pathway in cancer cells
Oncotarget 2014 Nov 30;5(22):11004-13. (*) Corresponding Author
29. Agostini M, Niklison-Chirou MV, Catani MV, Knight RA, Melino G and Rufini A
TAp73 promotes anti-senescence anabolism not proliferation
Aging (Albany NY). 2014 Nov 13. [Epub ahead of print]
30. Candi E, Amelio I, Agostini M and Melino G
microRNAs and p63 in epithelial stemness
Cell Death Differ. 2015 Jan;22(1):12-21.Epub 2014 Aug 29.