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Cancer Systems Biology and eHealth Programs

The Cancer Systems Biology Program uses biological and analytical resources to develop data and computational tools focused on global understanding of cell signaling pathways relevant to the control of cell proliferation and the oncogenic process. The eHealth Program – Web 2.0, uses the latest technologies to improve health care, through the interaction between medical informatics, public health, communication and eLearning/education

Program Details | Biography Details | Publications

Cancer Systems Biology and eHealth Programs

PROGRAM DETAILS

Cancer Systems Biology Program

Our approach relies on the collection of large sets of experimental data from different OMICS platforms. Mathematical models are then utilized to account for significant aspects of these data sets and to assess the quality of the selected model by comparing numerical simulations with the experimental data in collaboration with a team of international experts. The goal is to rationally construct an integrated picture to better understand the dynamic behavior and regulation of integrated intra- and intercellular biomolecular networks deregulated in cancer.

At the heart of this program, there is a strong emphasis on prostate cancer and microRNAs.

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death in men. Despite the availability of divergent PC biomarkers, the basic molecular mechanisms that regulate the development and progression of PC are still very poorly understood (Figure 1). Improved screening programs to diagnose men with PC in its early stages and more precise markers are still needed so that appropriate treatment decisions can be made for individual PC patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a growing class of short non-coding RNAs, negatively controlling the expression of thousands of target mRNAs. Human miRNAs play fundamental roles in various aspects of cellular functions, including differentiation, proliferation and cell death and are deregulated in different diseases. Accumulating evidence suggests that aberrant expression of miRNAs is involved in the development of prostate cancer. Our current Systems Biology work in cancer research is divided into three main topics:

(1) Characterizing the role of miRNAs in prostate carcinoma and other types of cancer;

(2) Developing novel in-silico approaches to predict (a) novel miRNAs and (b) miRNA target genes;

(3) Developing miRNA target gene pathways in cancer.

eHealth Program – Web 2.0

At the turn of the millennium, the term “eHEALTH” was defined as anything related to “Internet Medicine”, a generic depiction of all fields related to medicine and computers often employed by industry leaders and marketers. In contrast, the eHealth Program focuses specifically on the intersection of medical informatics, public health, communication and eLearning/education, with the goal of improving health care through the latest information and communication technology.

One important aspect of SHRO’s eHealth Program is Digi S Lab, a Web 2.0 virtual scientific program. The project was developed to take advantage of Web 2.0, which encourages a high level of social networking, collaboration, and participation among its users. With this technology, visitors (represented by ‘avatars’ or computer representation of the user as textual, two-dimensional and three-dimensional models) can enter and fully interact with a 3-D virtual world (such as Linden Labs’ Second Life). In 2008, we developed a 3-D island called Biomedicine Research Lab, located on Second Life, with a platform that can host virtual meetings, eLearning for students and scientists using specialized tools developed by SHRO, and telemedicine simulation. The island contains virtual buildings, an auditorium, laboratories, offices, meeting rooms and a hospital. Future plans for the hospital include using the facility for telemedicine simulations and as a location where psychologists and oncologists can meet with patients to offer support and help in dealing with cancer treatments. Our eHealth program includes: Creating custom virtual reality environments for eHEALTH; Creating and employing advanced 3-D simulations/tools to transform health guidelines into a full interactive virtual experience; and Developing real-time feedback between the virtual and physical worlds by using tools to track different information of the real user.

Cancer Systems Biology and eHealth Programs

BIOGRAPHY DETAILS

Giuseppe Russo, Ph.D is a Research Assistant Professor and Director of the Cancer Systems Biology and eHEALTH Programs. Dr. Russo’s research focuses on understanding the role and the molecular mechanisms of microRNAs in human cells leading to cancer pathogenesis and development, as well as work in cancer systems biology and bioinformatics. Dr. Russo is also an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Computer and Information Sciences (DISI), University of Genoa, Italy and a Senior Adviser to the Human Health Foundation Onlus (HHF), a nonprofit research foundation, located in Spoleto, Italy. Dr. Russo’s research has been supported by National Institute of Health (NIH), several private foundations and organizations, as well as by SHRO. He can be reached at grusso@temple.edu.

Research Team:
Letizia Cito, Post Doctoral Fellow
Andrew Puca, Ph.D. Student
Mariagiovanna Boiano, Ph.D. Student
Mario Federico, M.D., Ph.D. student
Debora Muresu, M.S.
Pierpaolo Basso, J.S.D.

External Collaborators:
Valeria Pietropaolo, Ph.D.
Department of Public Health Sciences Faculty of Medicine “La Sapienza” University , Rome, Italy

Francesco Masulli, Ph.D.
DISI-Dept. Computer and Information Sciences, Genoa University, Italy

Mario Felice Tecce, M.D., Ph.D.
Molecular Nutrition Laboratory
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Salerno, Italy

Michele Masucci, Ph.D.
Information Technology and Society Research Group, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Nicola Gebbia M.D., Ph.D.
Director of Regional Reference Center for the Biomolecular Characterization and Genetic Screening of Hereditary Tumors (CERITER), University of Palermo, Italy

Antonio Russo, M.D., Ph.D.
Head of Genetic and Molecular Clinical Oncology Unit, University of Palermo, Italy

Cancer Systems Biology and eHealth Programs

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS(2003-2008)

Giuseppe Russo, Pier Paolo Claudio, Yan Fu, Peter Stiegler, Zailin Yu, Marcella Macaluso, and Antonio Giordano: “pRb2/p130 target genes in non small cell lung cancer cells identified by microarray analysis.” - Oncogene, 2003; 22:6959-6969.

Giuseppe Russo, Charles Zegar, and Antonio Giordano: “Advantages and limitations of microarray technology in human cancer.” - Oncogene, 2003; 22:6497-6507.

Marcella Macaluso, Caterina Cinti, Giuseppe Russo, Antonio Russo and Antonio Giordano: “pRb2/p130-E2F4/5-HDAC1-SUV39H1-p300 and pRb2/p130-E2F4/5-HDAC1-SUV39H1-DNMT1 multimolecular complexes mediate the transcription of estrogen receptor-alpha in breast cancer.” - Oncogene, 2003; 22:3511-17.

Pier Paolo Claudio, Giuseppe Russo, Christine ACY Kumar, Corrado Minimo, Antonio Farina, Steve Tutton, Gennaro Nuzzo, Felice Giuliante, Giulia Angeloni, Vellone Maria, Fabio Maria Vecchio, Cristiana Di Campli, and Antonio Giordano: “pRb2/p130, VEGF, p27(KIP1), and PCNA expression in hepatocellular carcinoma: their clinical significance.” - Clinical Cancer Research, 2004; 10:3509-17.

Giuseppe Russo, Alessandra Zamparelli, Luigi Califano, Cristiana Bellan, Corrado Minimo, Candace M. Howard, Lorenzo Leoncini, Antonio Giordano and Pier Paolo Claudio: “Expression of Cell-Cycle Regulated Proteins pRB2/p130, p107, E2F4, p27, and of pCNA in Salivary Gland Tumors. Prognostic and diagnostic implications.” - Clinical Cancer Research, 2005; 1:3265-73.

Francesca Sanseverino, Rosa Santopietro, Michela Torricelli, Giuseppina D’Andrilli, Giuseppe Russo, Gabriele Cevenini, Alessandro Bovicelli, Lorenzo Leoncini, Giovanni Scambia, Felice Petraglia, Pier Paolo Claudio and Antonio Giordano: “pRb2/p130 and VEGF expressions in endometrial carcinoma in relation to angiogenesis and tumor histopathologic grade.” - Cancer Biology and Therapy, 2006; 5(1):84-8.

Bin Shi, Marco Prisco, George Calin, Chang-gong Liu, Giuseppe Russo, Antonio Giordano and Renato Baserga: “Expression profiles of micro RNA in proliferating and differentiating 32D murine myeloid cells.” - Journal Cellular Physiology, 2006; 207(3):706-10.

D. Fioriti, G. Russo, M. Mischitelli, E. Anzivino, A. Bellizzi, F. Di Monaco, F. Di Silverio, A. Giordano, F. Chiarini and V. Pietropaolo: “A case of human polyomavirus Bk infection in a patient affected by late stage prostate cancer: could viral infection be correlated with cancer progression?” - International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 2007; 20(2):405-11.

Alessandra Rossi, Valentina Caracciolo, Giuseppe Russo, Krzysztof Reiss, and Antonio Giordano: “Medulloblastoma: from molecular pathology to therapy.” - Clinical Cancer Research, 2008; 14(4):971-6.

Eletto, Davide; Russo, Giuseppe ; Passiatore, Giovanni; Del Valle, Luis; Giordano, Antonio; Khalili, Kamel; Gualco, Elisa and Peruzzi, F: “Inhibition of SNAP25 expression by HIV-1 Tat involves the activity of mir-128a.” - Journal Cellular Physiology, 2008; 216(3):764-70

Russo G.. Anzivino E, Fioriti D, Mischitelli M, Bellizzi A, Autran-Gomez AM, Di Silverio F, Giordano A, and Pietropaolo V: “Prostate adenocarcinoma, p53 gene mutational rate and BK virus infection: is there a correlation?” - Journal Medical Virology, 2008 in press

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