Developed skills and lines of research
Fiorentina Ascenzioni graduated in Biological Sciences from the University of Rome La Sapienza in 1983. Then, she received her PhD in Natural Sciences from the University of Tübingen, Germany, in 1987. Since 2001, he has been an Associate Professor at the Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin” of the Sapienza University of Rome. She is coordinator of the Master’s Degree in Cell Biology and Technology and lecturer in the doctoral school in Cell and Developmental Biology. The main topics addressed by her research activities, with field of application in cystic fibrosis, are: opportunistic pathogenic airway bacteria and interaction with host innate defense mechanisms; development of chromosomal vectors for gene therapy (assembly and analysis of chromosomal and episomal vectors for cloning and expression of therapeutic genes); analysis of the pathogenic potential of opportunistic microorganisms, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia complex, in both cellular and small animal (nematode) model systems.
Projects funded by FFC Ricerca as Principal Investigator or as Research Manager
FFC#12/2021
Pharmacological inhibition of colistin resistance in Gram-negative cystic fibrosis pathogens
FFC#15/2019
Pharmacological inhibition of colistin resistance in gram-negative cystic fibrosis pathogens
FFC #3/2005
Evaluation od PEI-albumin for in vitro and in vivo delivery of CFTR chromosomal vectors in airway model systems
FFC#1/2002
Minichromosomes : a new approach for cystic fibrosis gene therapy
Projects financed by FFC Ricerca as a partner
FFC#21/2009
Mechanisms of bactericidal activity of human macrophages and influence of CFTR mutations
FFC #7/2008
Burkholderia cenocepacia pathogenicity: synergistic interactions with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and adaptation to CF host
FFC#14/2007
Influence of CFTR mutations in bactericidal activity of human macrophages
FFC#7/2006
Influence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and CF host on Burkholderia cenocepacia pathogenicity
FFC#11/2004
Evaluation of the pathogenicity of environmental and clinical isolates of Burkholderia cepacia complex alone and in the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Publications from FFC Research projects
Auriche C, Carpani D, Conese M, et al. Functional human CFTR produced by a stable minichromosome, EMBO Reports, 2002, 3(9):862-8
Pirone L, Bragonzi A, Farcomeni A et al. Burkholderia cenocepacia strains isolated from cystic fibrosis patients are apparently more invasive and more virulent than rhizosphere, Environmental Microbiology, 2008, 10(10):2773-84
Bragonzi A, Farulla I, Paroni M et al. Modelling co-infection of the cystic fibrosis lung by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cenocepacia reveals influence on biofilm formation and host response, PLoS ONE, 2012, 7(12):e52330
Bevivino A, Pirone L, Pilkington R et al. Interaction of environmental Burkholderia cenocepacia strains with cystic fibrosis and non-cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelial cells in vitro, Microbiology, 2012, 158(Pt 5):1325-33
Del Porto P, Cifani N, Guarnieri S et al., Dysfunctional CFTR Alters the Bactericidal Activity of Human Macrophages against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, PLoS ONE, 2011, 6(5): e19970
Cifani N, Pompili B, Anile M et al. Reactive-oxygen-species-mediated P. aeruginosa killing is functional in human cystic fibrosis macrophages, PLoS ONE, 2013, 19;8(8):e71717