Developed skills and lines of research
Giulio Cabrini is an emeritus scholar and professor at the University of Ferrara, where he leads the Research Center on Innovative Therapies for Cystic Fibrosis. Since 1990, he has served as the Medical Director of the Molecular Pathology Laboratory at the Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata di Verona (AOUI)[1] . In this role, he led his research group in various areas, including the different aspects of the basic defect in cystic fibrosis, pathophysiology, innovative therapies to combat inflammation, and possible applications of molecular and cellular biology technologies.
Graduating in Medicine and specializing in Pediatrics at the University of Padua, he later obtained a second specialization in Clinical Biology at the University of Pavia.
His research contributions, many funded by the FFC Ricerca, have primarily focused on pulmonary inflammation, aiming to identify specific targets for potential treatments. His laboratory also ran a centralized research service (QuantiGene) from 2008 to 2013, supported by the Foundation, to quantify the expression of multiple genes. Since 2022, he has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the FFC Ricerca
Projects funded by FFC Ricerca as Principal Investigator or as Research Manager
FFC#17/2014
TRPA1 channels as novel molecular targets for anti-inflammatory therapies in CF lung
FFC#19/2011
Phospholipase C beta (PLCB) as candidate therapeutic target in CF lung proinflammatory signaling
FFC#18/2009
Mapping IL-8 gene transcription machinery in bronchial epithelial cells
FFC#13/2007
A gene-targeted anti-inflammatory approach based on the Transcription Factor “decoy” strategy
FFC#4/2005
Novel generation lentiviral vectors: evaluation of inflammatory potential in human respiratory cells
Projects financed by FFC Ricerca as a partner
FFC#5/2011
European Cystic Fibrosis Modifier Gene Study
FFC #3/2008
Genetic factors influencing pulmonary disease in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients
FFC#22/2006
Genetic factors involved in the innate immunity influencing pulmonary disease in Cystic Fibrosis patients
FFC#1/2006
Novel methods of intracellular delivery of ΔF508-CFTR correctors
Publications from FFC Research projects
Bezzerri V, Borgatti M, Nicolis E, et al., Transcription Factor Oligodeoxynucleotides to NF-kB Inhinit Transcription of IL-8 in Bronchial Cells, American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, 2008, 39(1)
Piccagli L, Fabbri E, Borgatti M, et al., Doking of molecules identified in bioactive medicinal plants extract into the p50 NF-kappaB transcription factor: correlation with inhibition of NF-kappaB/DNA interactions and inhibitory effects on IL-8 gene expression, BMC Structural Biology, 2008, 8:38
Nicolis E, Lampronti I, Dechecchi MC, Pyrogallol, an active compound from the medicinal plant Emblica officinalis, regulates expression of pro-inflammatory genes in bronchial epithelial cells, Int Immunopharmacol, 2008, 8(12):1672-80
Norez C, Pasetto M, Dechecchi MC et al., Chemical conjugation of DeltaF508-CFTR corrector deoxyspergualin to transporter human serum albumin enhances its ability to rescue C1-channel functions, Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, 2008, 295(2):L336-47
Gambari R, Borgatti M, Bezzerri V et al., Decoy oligodeoxyribonucleotides and peptide nucleic acids-DNA chimeras targeting nuclear facto kappa-B: inhibition of IL-8 gene expression in Cystic Fibrosis cells infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Biochemical Pharmacology, 2010, 80(12):1887-1894
Cabrini G, Bezzerri V, Mancini I et al., Targeting transcription factor activity as a strategy to inhibit pro-inflammatory genes involved in Cystic Fibrosis: decoy oligonucleotides and low-molecular weight compounds, Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2010, 17(35):4392-404
Crovella S, Segat L, Amato A et al., A polymorphism in the 5’ UTR of the DEFB1 gene is associated with the lung phenotype in F208del homozygous Italian cystic fibrosis patients, Clin Chem Lab Med, 2011, 49(1):49-54
Bezzerri V, d’Adamo P, Rimessi A et al., Phospholipase C-β3 is a key modulator of IL-8 expression in cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelial cells, J Immunol, 2011, 186(8):4946-58
Bezzerri V, Borgatti M, Finotti A et al., Mapping transcriptional machinery of IL-8 gene in human bronchial epithelial cells, J Immunol, 2011, 187(11):6069-81
Finotti A, Borgatti M, Bezzerri V, Effects of decoy molecules targeting NF-kappaB transcription factors in Cystic fibrosis IB3-1 cells: recruitment of NF-kappaB to the IL-8 gene promoter and transcription of the IL-8 gene. Artif DNA PNA XNA, 2012, 3(2):97-296
Cabrini G., Innovative Therapies for Cystic Fibrosis: The Road from Treatment to Cure. Mol Diagn Ther. 2019 Apr;23(2):263-279. doi: 10.1007/s40291-018-0372-6.
Rimessi A, Bezzerri V, Salvatori F, et al., PLCB3 Loss of Function Reduces Pseudomonas aeruginosa-Dependent IL-8 Release in Cystic Fibrosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2018 Oct;59(4):428-436. doi: 10.1165/rcmb.2017-0267OC.
Lampronti I, Dechecchi MC, Rimessi A, Bezzerri V, Nicolis E, Guerrini A, Tacchini M, Tamanini A, Munari S, D’Aversa E, Santangelo A, Lippi G, Sacchetti G, Pinton P, Gambari R, Agostini M, Cabrini G. β-Sitosterol Reduces the Expression of Chemotactic Cytokine Genes in Cystic Fibrosis Bronchial Epithelial Cells. Front Pharmacol. 2017 May 12;8:236. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00236. eCollection 2017.