Mitochondrial Cell Biology and Pharmacology Research Lab
current research
Michelangelo Campanella
Team leader
This research team belongs to the UMR 9018 - Metabolic and systemic aspects of oncogenesis for new therapeutic approaches (METSY)
The team’s goal is to secure a new understanding of cancer by learning the mechanisms dictating the interplay between mitochondria and the nucleus to establish new paradigms towards precision medicine.
Research topics
The MCP research team is focused on understanding the mechanisms that govern mitochondrial interplay with the intracellular environment and how this leads to metabolic rewiring at the basis of pathogenic evolution and therapy failure in cancer.
Capitalising on the consolidated expertise of the state-of-the-art protocols, the team is disentangling the mechanisms governing the mitochondrial retrograde communication with the nucleus, which contributes to oncogenesis, its aggressive behaviour and resistance to therapeutic protocols. In this effort, attention is given to the molecular determinants of this signalling conduit, particularly to the formation of mitochondrial sites of contact with the nucleus named Nucleus-Associated Mitochondria (NAM).
The latter is one of the recent discoveries of the MCP team and is proposed to be a means to inform abnormal cellular growth and metabolic traits caused by defective mitochondrial communication with the nucleus. The team’s endeavours are therefore set to characterise NAM function on aggressive cancer with an initial remit on those of the brain such as the Glioblastoma to learn the hierarchy of pathological events and unveil predictive factors and novel targets.
Determined to fast-translate underpinning science towards patients’ benefit, they are developing their research strategy in collaboration with clinicians to better needs and envisage knowledge-based solutions.
a)Transmission Electron Micrograph of the Nucleus Associated Mitochondria (NAM) in aggressive Breast Cancer Cells (BCC) (doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abc9955) sided by a cartoon depicting the molecular repertoire forming the NAM. b) Standard and Digitalised confocal images of Cholesterol accumulation in BCC (doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167546). c) Workflow on Glioblastoma adopted to achieve 2D and 3D modes of cell culturing, of which representative images are reported in (d).
