Tumor Biochemistry

The new "Tumor Biochemistry" group of the Italian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology focuses on the biochemical and molecular mechanisms underpinning neoplastic transformation as well as alterations during cell differentiation. The scientific interest of the group covers several aspects of cancerogenesis, starting from genetic and epigenetic mutations (including oncogenes and oncosuppressors), moving to cancer cell metabolism, signaling pathways, cell plasticity (neoplastic differentiation and dedifferentiation, EMT, MET), cell cycle and cell death mechanisms. Besides, the group’s interests comprise stem cells and cancer stem cells, cell-cell interactions, tumor microenvironment, and its role in promoting invasiveness and metastasis, with particular attention to cancer therapy (resistance to present- day therapies, drug discovery, and novel therapeutic approaches). Lastly, the group’s research focuses on the development of new cellular and animal models (including, 2D, 3D, co-cultures, and microfluidic devices) for the investigation of the processes on which neoplastic transformation and cell differentiation rely.