Daniela Barilà

Honors and Fellowships

2000 Assegno per la collaborazione ad attività di ricerca

1999 Post doctoral fellowship of the Foundation for Oncohematologic Research “ A. Castelnuovo”, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany.

1998 Post doctoral fellowship of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany.

1996-1997 Two years European Union post doctoral fellowship of the Human Capital and Mobility Programme. (Human Capital Mobility) n. ERBCHBGCT940532,

1995 Award for the scientific activity from the Italian Society for Human Nutrition (S.I.N.U).

1994-1995 Two years research fellowship from C.N.R. (National Research Council of Italy, RAISA bando n. 201.12.75/1 del 19/02/1993, codice n.12.04.04

1991-1993 Two years research fellowship from the Italian Nestle’ Foundation.

Present Fundings

2017-2019 Three years grant Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC),

IG 19069: “Role of Caspase-8 in tumor microenvironment: a novel target in glioblastoma?”.

2016-2018 Three years grant PRIN_2015 2015LZE994, “Insights into the functions of DNA damage processing and repair factors to design novel selective anticancer drugs”. Unit Project Coordinator, (coordinator of the multicentric project: Prof. Achille Pellicioli).

2016-2018 Three years grant, JPI, HDHL Joint Action: Nutrition and Cognitive Function (NutriCog) “MiTyrAge: Targeting the mitochondria-tyr kinase axis to prevent age-associated neuronal decline”, Responsible of Unit. (coordinator of the multicentric project: Dr. Natascia Ventura.

Past Funding

2012-2014 PRIN 2010M4NEFY_005 “Processi e Meccanismi che Controllano l’Integrità del Genoma”, Responsable Research Unit (Project cordinator Prof. Marco Foiani).

2010-2013 Three years grant Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC) “Role of ATM kinase in RTKs (Receptor Tyrosine Kinase) triggered tumourigenesis: a novel therapeutic target?”.

2008-2009 Two years Grant Ministero della Salute, Unit Fondazione Santa Lucia as part of the project entitled “ Novel molecular targets for the treatment of brain tumors” headed by Prof. Nicoletti.

2007-2009 Three years grant from Fondazione Telethon, GGP07252 “Role of the Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated kinase (ATM) in the control of protein ubiquitination and stability.

2007-2009 Three years grant Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC) “Cross-talk between non receptor tyrosine kinases and caspases in cancer, in apoptosis and in immunity”.

2008-2009 Two years grant from Association for International Cancer research (AICR) “Role of Caspase-8 tyrosine phosphorylation in tumour progression and in tumour resistance to apoptosis”.

2005 A-T Children’s Project grant (USA association for research on Ataxia telangiectasia)

2003 Grant from Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC).

2002 Grant from Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC).

2001-2007 Assistant Telethon Scientist position and core grant TCP00061.

Professional Memberships

2017-present Coordinator Gruppo di Lavoro 3 FISV (Federazione Italiana Scienze della Vita): New Technologies (Animal Experimentation and Genome Manipulation)

2016-present AGI (Associazione Genetica Italiana)

2003-present SIBBM (Società Italiana Biofisica e Biologia Molecolare).

2000-present EMBL Alumni.

Research field

We are interested in the investigation of the role molecular pathways mediated by kinases that are often deregulated in human pathologies including cancer and neurodegeneration. We are currently focusing our attention on three main research area:

1. Role of ATM kinase in cancer and in neurodegeneration: we aim to identify and characterize molecular pathways through which ATM, a central regulator of the DNA damage response, may have a dual function in cancer and whether these pathways may contribute to the development of Ataxia Telangiectasia a rare autosomal disorder linked to ATM deficiency. We recently identified a novel role of ATM kinase in the control of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase signalling, autophagy and proteostasis.

2. Role of Caspase-8 expression and tyrosine phosphorylation in the control of tumor microenvironment in glioblastoma.

3. Role of the interplay between tyrosine phosphorylation and mitochondrial functionality in neuronal declining and aging.

Publications (last 10 years max 15)

1. Fianco, G., Mongiardi, M.P., Levi, A., De Luca, T., Desideri, M., Trisciuoglio, D., Del Bufalo, D., Cinà, I., Di Benedetto, A., Mottolese, M., Gentile, A., Centonze, D., Ferrè F., and Barilà, D. Caspase-8 contributes to angiogenesis and chemotherapy resistance in glioblastoma, 2017, Elife Jun 8;6. pii: e22593. doi: 10.7554/eLife.22593.

2. Antonelli, M., Strappazzon, F., Arisi, I., Brandi, R., D’Onofrio, M., Sambucci, M., Manic, G., Vitale, I., Barilà, D.# and Stagni, V.# ATM kinase sustains breast cancer stem-like cells by promoting ATG4C expression and autophagy,, 2017, Oncotarget, 8: 21692-21709. # corresponding authors.

3. Fianco, G., Cenci, C. and Barilà, D. Caspase-8 expression and its Src-dependent phosphorylation on Tyr380 promote cancer cell neoplastic transformation and resistance to anoikis, 2016, Exp Cell Res: 347: 114-22. doi: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2016.07.013.

4. Cencioni, M.T., Santini, S., Ruocco, G., Borsellino, G., De Bardi, M., Grasso, M.G., Ruggieri, S., Gasperini, C., Centonze, D., Barilá, D., Battistini, L. and Volpe E. Fas-ligand regulates differential activation-induced cell death of human T-helper1 and 17 cells in healthy donors and multiple sclerosis patients, 2015, Cell Death Dis: 6:e1741. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2015.

5. Stagni, V., Manni, I., Oropallo, V., Mottolese, M., Di Benedetto, A., Piaggio, G., Falcioni, R., Giaccari, D., Di Carlo, S., Sperati, F., Cencioni, M.T. and Barilà, D. ATM kinase sustains HER2 tumorigenicity in breast cancer, 2015, Nat Commun: 6: 6866. doi: 10.1038/ncomms7886.

6. Stagni, V., Oropallo, V., Fianco, G., Antonelli, M., Cinà, I. and Barilà D. Tug of war between survival and death: exploring ATM function in cancer, 2014, Int J Mol Sci: 15: 5388-409.

7. Gilardini Montani, M.S., Prodosmo, A. Stagni, V., Merli, D. Monteonofrio, L., Gatti, V., Gentileschi M.P., Barilà, D. and Soddu, S. ATM-depletion in breast cancer cells confers sensitivity to PARP inhibition, 2013, J Exp Clin Cancer Res 32: 95. ISSN: 1756-9966

8. Santini, S. Stagni, V., Giambruno, R., Di Benedetto, A., Mottolese, M., Pellegrini, M. and Barila’, D. (2013) ATM kinase activity modulates ITCH E3-ubiquitin ligase activity, 2014, Oncogene: 33: 1113-1123.

9. Furlan, A., Lamballe, F., Stagni, V., Hussain, A., Richelme, S., Prodosmo, A., Moumen, A., Brun, C., del Barco Barrantes, I., Arthur, J.S.C., Koleske, A.J., Nebreda, A., Barila’, D. and Maina, F. (2012) Met acts through Abl to regulate p53 transcriptional outcomes and cell survival in the developing liver. J Hepatol. doi:pii: S0168-8278(12)00624-1.

10. Marzano V., Santini, S., Rossi, C., Zucchelli, M., D’Alessandro, A., Marchetti, M., Mingardi, M., Stagni, V., Barila’, D. and Urbani, A., (2012) Proteomic profiling of ATM kinase proficient and deficient cell lines upon blockage of Proteasome Activity. Journal of Proteomics 75: 4632-46.

11. Mongiardi M.P., Stagni, V., Natoli, M., Giaccari, D., D’Agnano, I., Falchetti, M.L., Barila’, D.# and Levi, A.# (2011) Oxygen sensing is impaired in ATM-defective cells. Cell Cycle 10: 4311-20. # Corresponding authors.

12. Furlan A., Hussain A., Stagni V, Richelme S,Conti F, Moumen A, Prodosmo A, Destro, A.R., del Barco Barrantes, I., Arthur, J.S.C., Nebreda, A.R., Roncalli, M., Barilà D.# and Maina F#.(2011) Abl is a signaling node in cancer cells dependent on oncogenic Met. Cell Death Differ. 18; 1608-16. # Corresponding authors.

13. Stagni, V., Mingardi, M., Santini, S., Giaccari, D. and Barilà D.(2010) ATM kinase activity modulates cFLIP protein levels: potential interplay between DNA damage signalling and TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Carcinogenesis 31: 1956-63.

14. Barbero, S., Mielgo, A., Torres, V., Teitz, T., Shields, D.J., Mikolon, D., Bogyo, M., Barilà D., Lahti, J.M., Schlaepfer, D. and Stupack, D, (2009) Caspase-8 association with focal adhesion complex promotes tumor cell migration and metastasis. Cancer Res 69: 3755-63.

15. Stagni, V., di Bari, M.G., Cursi, S., Condò, I., Cencioni, M.T., Testi, R., Lerenthal, Y., Cundari, E. and Barilà, D. (2008). ATM deficiency triggers resistance to Fas-induced apoptosis in lymphoid cells. Blood 111:829-37.