Translational and Molecular Medicine – DIMET

The post-genomic era is bringing a revolution in the understanding of human diseases and the design of related therapies. However, clarifying the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating complex systems requires a deep interaction between basic and applied research.
Therefore, the educational objective of DIMET is to train scientific excellence with high-level skills for conducting research activities in the fields of biology, medical biotechnologies, molecular medicine, and their applications in both diagnostic and therapeutic settings, in clinical
and surgical contexts. DIMET aims to train "translational" professionals with a solid background in basic research and equipped to bridge the gap between laboratory research and clinical investigation. This objective is pursued through numerous training activities promoted by
researchers from various biological, biotechnological, and medical sectors, with the ability to promote research priorities, develop joint and targeted research, and promote the rapid clinical application of scientific discoveries.

This educational path requires innovative educational models and well-defined professional paths to provide the critical mass necessary to implement Translational and Molecular Medicine, transferring the results acquired through basic science from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside.

The training project of DIMET focuses on Translational Medicine based on Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies. The course is interdisciplinary and internationalized through contacts with foreign research groups and research experiences abroad. Many DIMET doctoral students conduct part of their research and training activities in foreign laboratories. The training program is innovative and based on advanced didactics, with great attention to the developments of new biomedical technologies. Research activities within the DIMET doctoral program can start from both medical issues requiring the development of new biological systems and basic studies that can have a significant impact on medicine. The close relationship with the world of work is achieved through contacts in the healthcare sector, the bioindustry, and with international and national institutions of excellence.

The DIMET doctoral program is structured into 3 general research areas and 4 specialized areas of scientific research.

General Research Areas

1. Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms.

Understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms is crucial for studying the pathogenesis of specific diseases and for developing new technologies that enable efficient diagnosis and effective therapy.

2. Clinical and Regenerative Medicine

Clinical medicine focuses on developing and implementing advanced therapeutic approaches, including gene or cell therapy, tissue engineering, pharmacology, pharmacogenomics, and the development of new molecular therapies. This research area fosters collaboration between clinicians and basic science researchers.

3. Technological Platforms, Nanomedicine, and Diagnostics

The development of new technological platforms, nanomedicine, and innovative diagnostic techniques for patient stratification or therapeutic molecule delivery is fundamental to modern biomedicine. Research projects in this field focus on identifying biochemical, molecular, and proteomic markers related to disease onset and progression, with particular emphasis on cancer and rare diseases. Additionally, the biomedical applications of nanoparticles are studied for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Specialized Research Areas:

1. Oncology and Hematology

Cancer is expected to become the leading cause of death in the near future, leading to increased scientific research across all areas of oncology, from experimental models to advanced biological therapies, diagnostic imaging, and prevention. DIMET’s research programs in this field focus on neoplastic transformation and growth, diagnosis, and therapies for solid and hematological tumors.

2. Neurodegenerative, Neurological, and Muscular Diseases

Research in this area covers various levels of investigation involving molecular and cellular experimental models. Neuromuscular diseases encompass a wide range of disorders that impair muscle function either directly (muscle pathologies) or indirectly (nerve or neuromuscular junction disorders). DIMET also investigates neurotransmission and excitation in the cerebral cortex, epilepsy, chronic axonal degeneration, mitochondrial disorders, and neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation syndromes, among others.

3. Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Diseases

DIMET’s research programs in this field provide expertise in cardiovascular medicine to train both basic and clinical researchers with strong backgrounds in pulmonary and cardiovascular biology and medicine. These researchers apply cutting-edge technologies and models to clinical needs.

4. Immunopathology and Infectious Diseases

Immunology plays a role in nearly every aspect of modern medicine. Research in immunopathology and infectious diseases focuses on interdisciplinary projects in cellular and clinical immunology and innovative cellular approaches. Research interests include host-pathogen interactions, immune surveillance, microbial pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance, vaccine development, and immunotherapy.

Researchers and Their Areas of Expertise

• Prof. Azzoni Emanuele: Biology of hematopoietic stem cells and mechanisms of hematovascular development; Identification of new therapeutic vulnerabilities in pediatric myeloid leukemia using murine models
• Prof. Balduzzi Adriana Cristina: Minimal Residual Disease as a prognostic factor in Acute Leukemias; CAR T cells in the treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia; Graft Versus Host Disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; Cancer predisposition syndromes, secondary malignancies, post-transplant late effects and sequelae
• Prof. Barabino Silvia Maria Luisa: RNA and proteins in neurodegenerative diseases
• Mechanisms of DNA damage and their role in neurodegenerative diseases
• Prof. Barberis Matteo: Computational immunometabolism in cancer and pediatric and adult immune diseases (leukemia, myeloma); Computational metabolism in host-pathogen inflammation in the context of infections (viral, bacterial); Identification of therapeutic targets through integration of omics and/or artificial intelligence / machine learning approaches
• Prof. Barisani Donatella: Pathogenetic mechanisms of celiac disease, including refractory celiac disease; Study of new therapeutic approaches for steatosis/steatohepatitis and progression to hepatocellular carcinoma
• Prof. Becchetti Andrea: Regulation of synaptic activity in the mature cerebral cortex and during synaptogenesis; Nicotinic receptors and sleep-related epilepsies; Role of hypothalamic neuropeptides (orexins/hypocretins) in modulating the ascending regulatory system
• Prof. Bellani Giacomo: Mechanisms of lung injury during acute respiratory failure; Advanced monitoring techniques during mechanical ventilation
• Prof. Bianchi Cristina: Role of mitochondrial dysfunction as a biomarker of frailty; Molecular mechanisms of neoplastic and non-neoplastic kidney diseases (renal carcinoma and diabetic nephropathy); Use of the Cell Sorter platform for hematological, immunological, and oncological studies
• Prof. Bigoni Marco: Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction; Rotator Cuff and Arthroscopy; Knee Meniscus Rupture
• Prof. Broccoli Vania: Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy; Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy; Alpha-Synuclein and Dopaminergic Neuron
• Prof. Brunelli Silvia: Stem cells associated with the vascular system; Innate immunity and remodeling of muscle and skeletal tissue in genetic diseases
• Prof. Campagnolo Paola: Circadian Rhythm and Transcription Factor CLOCK; Signal Transduction and Transcription Factor
• Prof. Cazzaniga Giovanni: Identification of new genetic lesions in pediatric leukemia and in vitro/in vivo drug targeting; Modeling pre-leukemia and role of infections in leukemia development; Study of KMT2A/MLL gene transcriptional complex in Infant leukemia
• Prof. Chini Bice: Role of neuropeptides in neurodevelopmental disorders  (autism, intellectual disability); Neuropharmacology of peptidic ligands (drug design and signalling pathway identification)
• Prof. Citerio Giuseppe: Mesenchymal Stromal Cells to Promote Repair in Traumatic Brain Injury; Biomarkers and Phenotyping in Acute Traumatic Brain Injury
• Prof. Colombo Miriam: Design, synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles for therapy and diagnosis of human diseases; Use of nanoparticles for gene therapy and RNA delivery; Development of drug delivery systems for cancer therapy and diagnosis
• Prof. Corbo Claudia: Design, Synthesis and Characterization of Nanoparticles for the Therapy and Diagnosis of Human Diseases; Study of the Biomolecular Corona of Nanoparticles for the Diagnosis and Therapy of Human Diseases; Nano-omics Approaches for the Discovery of Biomarkers in Human Diseases
• Prof. D’Amico Giovanna: Preclinical modeling of cell therapy in cancer
• Prof. Facciotti Federica: Role of immune system-microbiome interaction in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); Gender dependencies of differential responses to therapies in intestinal diseases (inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer); Manipulation of the gut microbiome to enhance anti-tumor immune cell functions in colorectal cancer
• Prof. Faverio Paola: Lipidomics and Metabolomics in Cardiovascular Disease, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Progressive Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Diseases
• Prof. Fruscio Robert: Molecular Biology of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer; ctDNA for Diagnosis and Monitoring of Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer; Prevention of Gynecological Cancers in Patients with Pathogenic Mutations
• Prof. Gaipa Giuseppe: Manipulation of Transposons and Suicide Genes; Chimeric Antigen Receptor in Targeted Leukemia Therapy; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells to Promote Repair in Traumatic Brain Injury
• Prof. Gambacorti Passerini Carlo: New experimental approaches for novel therapies with molecular targets
• Prof. Genovese Pietro: State of the art in stem cell and lymphocyte gene editing technology; Gene, cellular and molecular therapies; Chimeric T-cell receptor for the treatment of cancer and leukemia patients
• Prof. Granucci Francesca: Mechanisms triggering host-pathogen inflammation with specific interest in the role of dendritic cells; Differentiation of the myeloid compartment and its crucial role in homeostasis and disease; Stem cell-immune cell interaction: immunosurveillance against self-renewing and differentiating stem cells
• Prof. Invernizzi Pietro: Immunogenetics and Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Liver Disease; Computational Pathology and Spatial Omics in Autoimmune Liver Disease
• Prof. Lanzavecchia Antonio: Human Monoclonal Antibodies, Antibody Engineering, and Immunological Memory; Immunodominance in Cytotoxic T Cell Response to Viruses and Tumors
• Prof. Lanzuolo Chiara: Nuclear organization during cell differentiation and disease; Physiological and pathological aging; Epigenetic mechanisms involved in cancer
• Prof. Lavitrano Marialuisa: New experimental approaches for novel therapies with molecular targets; Vascular biology/atherosclerosis and molecular aspects of plaque; Xenotransplants
• Prof. Leoni Valerio: Metabolomics and lipidomics in clinical pathology and clinical biochemistry. The use of mass spectrometry in the search for biomarkers; Lipidomics and metabolomics in aging and degenerative diseases; Mass spectrometry in clinical pathology and diagnostics
• Prof. Magni Fulvio: Study of molecular mechanisms in disease pathogenesis, progression and therapeutic responses by MS-Proteomics; Proteomics, imaging by spatial multi-omics mass spectrometry; Advanced approaches based on analytical mass spectrometry for diagnosis/prognosis/targeted therapy in human diseases
• Prof. Mantegazza Francesco: Single-molecule analysis of protein folding and misfolding; Mechanobiology: the relationship between single-cell nanomechanics and disease
• Prof. Martinez Estrada Fernando: Endometriosis and Cell Proliferation; Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and Cytokine
• Prof. Mologni Luca: Hematopoietic cells; Novel experimental approaches for novel therapies with molecular targets; Somatic lesions in cancer, cellular transformation, diagnosis and therapy
• Prof. Nicolis Silvia Kirsten: Transcriptional regulation in neural development and neurodevelopmental disorders, based on hiPS-derived human “brain” organoids and mouse cells; Neurons, synapses, glia; State of the art in stem cell technology
• Prof. Ornaghi Sara: Molecular and immunological mechanisms and intestinal microbiota-immune system interaction in transplacental transmission of viral infections in pregnancy; Cardiovascular function and body impedance analysis in complicated pregnancies
• Prof. Paglia Giuseppe: Lipidomics, Metabolomics and Fluxomics for Diagnosis/Prognosis/Therapy in Translational Medicine; Modulation of Cellular Metabolism by Combining Nano Delivery and Metabolomics
• Prof. Pagni Fabio: Proteomics, imaging by spatial multi-omics mass spectrometry; Approaches for the clinical transition to Digital Pathology
• Prof. Pellegatta Serena: Development of innovative preclinical models of immunotherapy in neuro-oncology, with a focus on safety and clinical translation. Personalized combinatorial strategies, such as radiotherapy or sonodynamic therapy, for the treatment of diffuse gliomas; Adoptive cell therapy: chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) for the treatment of malignant gliomas; Study of the microenvironment in diffuse gliomas for the identification of novel prognostic and therapeutic targets
• Prof. Pesce Maurizio: Cellular and Molecular Mechanotransduction in Experimental Cardiology; Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering; Cellular and Molecular Aging Models
• Prof. Piazza Rocco Giovanni: Somatic lesions in cancer, cellular transformation, molecular mechanisms of oncogenesis; Single-cell resolution analysis for the characterization of oncogenesis processes in leukemias and solid tumors
• Prof. Re Francesca: Design, synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles for drug and nucleic acid delivery; Design of implantable biomaterials for controlled drug and nanoparticle release; Advanced in vitro cellular models of biological barriers for nanomedicine research
• Prof. Rivolta Ilaria: Study of genetic alterations in epileptic encephalopathies through experimental models based on neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells: pathogenetic mechanisms and new therapeutic strategies; Study of genetic alterations related to myotonic dystrophy; Study of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias associated with sudden death, using cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells as an experimental model for new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
• Prof. Russo Laura: Design and synthesis of advanced biomaterials and medical devices for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Development of 3D microphysiological models by 3D bioprinting for drug screening applications; Biomaterials and extracellular matrix mimetics (ECM Mimics) for tissue regeneration; study and development of glycosidic biomaterials for regenerative medicine and cell therapy; Design of wearable and transdermal biosensors for early and real-time diagnosis of diseases. Coating of medical devices with bioactive/bioresponsive polymers (i.e. antimicrobial coatings)
• Prof. Santambrogio Carlo: Mass Spectrometry for Structural Biology; Amyloid Protein Misfolding and Aggregation
• Prof. Savino Angela Maria: Study of new metabolic vulnerabilities in acute leukemias
• Prof. Serafini Marta: Mechanism of Bone Pathology in Lysosomal Storage Diseases; CAR-T Cell Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Study of the Mechanisms of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in the Bone Marrow Niche
• Prof. Smith Andrew: Study of molecular mechanisms in disease pathogenesis, progression and therapeutic responses by MS-Proteomics; Proteomics, imaging by spatial multi-omics mass spectrometry; Advanced approaches based on analytical mass spectrometry for diagnosis/prognosis/targeted therapy in human diseases
• Prof. Taroni Franco: Genomics and Molecular Pathophysiology of Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases; Caenorhabditis elegans Models of Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases
• Prof. Tiranti Valeria Sonia: Mitochondria: Bioenergetic Profile and Biogenesis; In Vitro and In Vivo Models of Mitochondrial Diseases and Neurodegeneration Syndromes with Cerebral Iron Accumulation (NBIA)
• Prof. Torsello Antonio Biagio: Stress and neurosteroids in drug-resistant epilepsy. Prion-like behavior of mutated SOD in ALS. Oxidative stress in multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative disorders. Protective activity of growth hormone secretagogues in Duchenne syndrome
• Prof. Zanoni Ivan: Mechanisms triggering host-pathogen inflammation (in the context of sepsis, ARDS of the lungs, viral, bacterial and fungal infections) with specific interest in the role of phagocytes of the innate immune system and their metabolic, epigenetic, transcriptional, translational and post-translational changes (through the use of metabolomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, etc.); Innate and adaptive immune signaling pathways in the development and progression of tumors (pancreatic, colon, melanoma) and inflammatory diseases (atherosclerosis, lupus, etc.); Development of novel adjuvants that exploit innate immunity signaling pathways to develop more effective vaccines capable of protecting against viruses with high mutability
• Prof. Zaza Antonio: Cardiac Muscle System; iPS-derived cardiomyocytes, channel mutations and arrhythmogenic mechanisms; “Late Na+ current” and cell damage

DIMET students find natural placement in public and private research centers, clinical centers of excellence, biomedical and biotechnological industries, both nationally and internationally. The expected career opportunities are those requiring interactions between basic and applied research and in contexts where "translational" professional profiles are required, with a solid background in basic research combined with the ability to transfer new knowledge to biomedicine to produce advanced diagnostic tools or innovative and effective therapeutic options. Professional figures such as researchers in academia, biotechnology companies, or within the healthcare system are opportunities available to those who have completed the DIMET doctorate.

The structure and programs of the DIMET Doctoral Course are based on the multidisciplinary nature of modern Biology and Medicine and the mutual need for biologists and medical professionals to familiarize themselves with medical and basic biology issues. The almost equal participation in training activities aimed at doctoral students by scientists from both basic and clinical research, and the organization of seminars for all students ensure productive interactions among the various components.

Teaching activities within DIMET develop starting from the skills and interactions in various research areas, both in broad areas of investigation (molecular and cellular mechanisms) and in more specialized contexts (neurological and neuromuscular diseases; oncology and hematology; infectious and immune diseases; pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases). Teaching emphasizes the translational approach in the transfer of skills, with application and further development in diagnostic or therapeutic research programs (clinical and regenerative medicine; technological platforms, nanomedicine, and diagnosis). The proposed doctoral programs will take place in an advanced biotechnological context.

Teaching activities can be consulted on the e-learning platform