1. Role of extracellular S100B protein and its receptor, RAGE, in neuroprotection and the regulation of brain inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes.

2. Role of intracellular S100B in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation of astrocytes and myoblasts.

3. Role of RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) and its ligands, S100B and HMGB1 (amphoterin) in myogenesis and muscle regeneration.

4. Role of S100B and RAGE in regulating the intrinsic cellular properties of human satellite cells (SCs) during ageing.

5. Role of RAGE in the biology of rhabdomyosarcomas (RMSs).

6. Role of S100B and RAGE in muscle atrophy and cancer cachexia.

7. Use of microencapsulated Sertoli cells as a new therapeutic approach to counteract muscle degeneration in animal models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and inflammatory myopathies.

• PLA (Proximity Ligation Assay)
• Cloning, expression and purification of recombinant proteins

• Cell culture

• Stable and transient transfections (expression vectors, luciferase-reporter genes)

• PCR, Reverse Transcriptase-PCR, and Real Time-PCR

• Fluorescence (including confocal) microscopy

• Conventional techniques in biochemistry

• Electron and immunoelectron microscopy

• Spectrofluorometry

• Small interfering RNA

• Engineering of mutant proteins

• FACS analyses

• EMSA

• ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation)

• Isolation and culture of muscle precursor cells and satellite cells, astrocytes, and microglia

• Animal handling (mouse, rat)

1. Beccafico S., Riuzzi F., Puglielli C., Mancinelli R., Fulle S., Sorci G. and Donato R. (2011) Human muscle satellite cells show age-related differential expression of S100B protein and RAGE. Age 33, 523-541, DOI: 10.1007/s11357-010-9197-x
2. Tubaro C., Arcuri C., Giambanco I. and Donato R. (2011) S100B in myoblasts regulates the transition from activation to quiescence and from quiescence to activation, and reduces apoptosis. Biochim. Biophys. Acta (Mol. Cell. Res.) 1813, 1092-1104, DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2010.11.015
3. Bianchi R., Kastrisianaki E., Giambanco I. and Donato R. (2011) S100B protein stimulates microglia migration via RAGE-dependent upregulation of chemokine expression and release. J. Biol. Chem. 286, 7214-7226, DOI:10.1074/jbc.M110.169342
4. Sorci G., Giovannini G., Riuzzi F., Bonifazi P., Zelante T., Zagarella S., Bistoni F., Donato R. and Romani L. (2011) The danger signal S100B integrates pathogen- and danger-sensing pathways to restrain inflammation. PLoS Pathogens 7(3): e1001315. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1001315
5. Riuzzi F., Sorci G. and Donato R. (2011) S100B protein regulates myoblast proliferation and differentiation by activating FGFR1 in a bFGF-dependent manner. J. Cell Sci. 124, 2389-2400, doi: 10.1242/jcs.084491
6. Maovaz M., Giambanco I., Donato R. and Romano B. (2011) La medicina nell’Università di Perugia. Atti Fac. Med. Chir. Univ Perugia, 96-98, 277-358, doi:10.4399/978845483664820
7. Cunha C, Giovannini G, Pierini A, Bell AS, Sorci G, Riuzzi F, Donato R, Rodrigues F, Velardi A, Aversa F, Romani L, Carvalho A. (2011) Genetically-Determined Hyperfunction of the S100B/RAGE Axis Is a Risk Factor for Aspergillosis in Stem Cell Transplant Recipients. PLoS ONE 6(11):e27962.
8. Riuzzi F., Sorci G., Beccafico S. and Donato R. (2012) S100B Engages RAGE or bFGF/FGFR1 in Myoblasts Depending on Its Own Concentration and Myoblast Density. Implications for Muscle Regeneration. PLoS ONE 7(1): e28700
9. Riuzzi F., Sorci G., Sagheddu R. and Donato R. (2012) HMGB1/RAGE regulates muscle satellite cell homeostasis via p38 MAPK/myogenin-dependent repression of Pax7 transcription. J. Cell Sci. 125, 1440-1454
10. Hermann A., Donato R., Weiger T.M. and Chazin W.J. (2012) S100 Calcium-Binding Proteins and Ion Channels. Front. Pharmacol. 3, 67, doi: 10.3389/fphar.2012.00067
11. Donato R., Cannon B.R., Sorci G., Riuzzi F., Hsu K., Weber D.J., and Geczy C.L. (2013) Functions of S100 proteins. Curr. Mol. Med. 13, 24-57
12. Sorci G., Riuzzi F., Giambanco I. and Donato R. (2013) RAGE in tissue homeostasis, repair and regeneration. Biochim. Biophys Acta – Mol. Cell Res. 1833, 101-109, doi: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2012.10.021
13. Donato R., Riuzzi F. and Sorci G. (2013) Causes of elevated serum levels of S100B protein in athletes. Eur J. Appl. Physiol. 113, 819-820, DOI: 10.1007/s00421-012-2566-7
14. Sorci G. Riuzzi F., Arcuri C., Tubaro C., Giambanco I., Bianchi R and Donato R. (2013) S100B protein in tissue development, repair and regeneration. World J. Biol. Chem. 4, 1-12, doi: 10.4331/wjbc.v4.i1.1.
15. Fanzani A., Monti E., Donato R. and Sorci G. (2013) Muscular dystrophies share pathogenetic mechanisms with muscle sarcomas. Trends Mol. Med. 19:546-554, doi:pii: S1471-4914(13)00113-5
16. Dormoy-Raclet V., Anne Cammas A., Celona B., Lian X.J., van der Giessen K., Zivojnovic M., Brunelli S., Riuzzi F., Sorci G., Wilhelm B., Di Marco S., Donato R., Bianchi M.E., Gallouzi I.-E. (2013) Hur and miR-1192 regulate myogenesis by modulating the translation of HMGB1 mRNA. Nat. Commun. 4:2388, doi: 10.1038/ncomms3388
17. Iannitti R.G., Casagrande A.,2, De Luca A., Cunha C., Sorci G., Riuzzi F., Borghi M., Galosi C., Massi-Benedetti C., Oury T.D., Cariani L., Russo M., Porcaro L., Colombo C., Majo F., Lucidi V., Fiscarelli E., Ricciotti G., Lass-Florl C., Ratclif L., Esposito A., De Benedictis F.M., Donato R., Carvalho A. and Romani L. (2913) Hypoxia promotes danger-mediated inflammation via RAGE in Cystic Fibrosis. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Car Med. 188:1338-1350. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201305-0986OC
18. Donato R., David J. Weber and Geczy C.L. (2013) S100 proteins. In Encyclopedia of Metalloproteins. R.H. Kretsinger and E. Permyakov, Eds. Springer Science and Business Media, LLC., pp. 1863-1874
19. Faggi F., Mitola S., Sorci G., Riuzzi F., Donato R., Codenotti S., Poliani P.L., Cominelli M., Vescovi R., Rossi S., Calza S., Colombi M., Penna F., Costelli P., Perini I., Sampaolesi M., Monti E. and Fanzani A. (2014) Phosphocaveolin-1 enforces tumor growth and chemoresistance in rhabdomyosarcoma. PLoS ONE 9(1):e84618. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084618
20. NardicchiV., Ferrini M., Pilolli F., Biagioni Angeli E., Persichetti E., Beccari T., Mannucci R., Arcuri C., Donato R., Dorman R.V. and Goracci G. (2014) NGF induces the expression of group iia secretory phospholipase A2 in PC12 cells: the newly synthesized enzyme is addressed to growing neurites. Mol. Neurobiol., DOI:10.1007/s12035-013-8621-5
21. Riuzzi F., Sorci G., Sagheddu R., Sidoni A., Alaggio R., Ninfo V. and Donato R. (2014) RAGE signaling deficiency in rhabdomyosarcoma cells causes upregulation of PAX7 and uncontrolled proliferation. J. Cell Sci. 127, 1699-1711, doi: 10.1242/jcs.136259
22. 22.  Faggi F., Mitola S., Sorci G., Riuzzi F., Donato R., Codenotti S., Poliani P.L., Cominelli M., Vescovi R., Rossi S., Calza S., Colombi M., Penna F., Costelli P., Perini I., Sampaolesi M., Monti E., Fanzani A. (2014) Phosphocaveolin-1 enforces tumor growth and chemoresistance in rhabdomyosarcoma. PLoS ONE 9(1):e84618; doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0084618
23. Chiappalupi S., Riuzzi F., Fulle S., Donato R. and Sorci G. (2014) Defective RAGE activity in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma cells results in high PAX7 levels that sustain migration and invasiveness. Carcinogenesis 35, 2382-2392
24. Alaggio R., Midrio P., Sgrò A., Piovan G., Guzzardo V., Donato R., Sorci G., Lago P., and Gamba P.G. (2015) Congenital diaphragmatic hernia: focus on abnormal muscle formation. J. Ped. Surg. 50, 388-393. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2014.08.005
25. Beccafico S., Morozzi G., Marchetti M.C., Riccardi C., Sidoni A., Donato R. and Sorci G. (2015) Artesunate induces ROS- and p38 MAPK-mediated apoptosis and counteracts tumor growth in vivo in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Carcinogenesis 36, 1071-1083, doi:10.1093/carcin/bgv098
26. Matino D., Gargaro M., Santagostino E., Di Minno M.N.D., Castaman G., Morfini M., Rocino A., Mancuso M.E., Di Minno G., Coppola A., Talesa V.N., Volpi C., Vacca C., Orabona C., Iannitti R., Mazzucconi M.G., Santoro C., Tosti A., Chiappalupi S., Sorci G., Tagariello G., Belvini D., Radossi P., Landolfi R., Fuchs D., Boon L., Pirro M., Marchesini E., Grohmann U., Puccetti P., Iorio A., and Fallarino F. (2015) IDO1 suppresses inhibitor development in hemophilia A treated with factor VIII. J. Clin. Invest. 125(10):3766-81; doi:10.1172/JCI81859
27. Chiappalupi S., Luca G., Mancuso F., Madaro L., Fallarino F., Nicoletti C., Calvitti C., Arato I., Falabella G., Salvadori L., Di Meo A., Bufalari A., Giovagnoli S., Calafiore R., Donato R. and Sorci G. (2015) Effects of intraperitoneal injection of microencapsulated Sertoli cells on chronic and presymptomatic dystrophic mice. Data in brief, doi:10.1016/j.dib.2015.11.016
28. Chiappalupi S., Luca G., Mancuso F., Madaro L., Fallarino F., Nicoletti C., Calvitti C., Arato I., Falabella G., Salvadori L., Di Meo A., Bufalari A., Giovagnoli S., Calafiore R., Donato R. and Sorci G. (2016) Intraperitoneal injection of microencapsulated Sertoli cells restores muscle morphology and performance in dystrophic mice. Biomaterials 75, 313-326, doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.10.029
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31. Donato R., Sorci G. and Giambanco I. (2017) S100A6 protein: functional roles. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 74, 2749-2760, DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2526-9
32. Arcuri C., Mecca C., Bianchi R., Giambanco I. and Donato R. (2017) The role of microglia in dynamic surveillance, phagocytosis and structural remodeling of the developing CNS. Front. Neurosci., DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00191
33. Morozzi G., Beccafico S., Bianchi R., Riuzzi F., Bellezza I., Giambanco I., Arcuri C., Minelli A. and Donato R. (2017) Oxidative stress-induced S100B accumulation converts myoblasts into brown adipocytes via an NF-κB/YY1/miR-133 axis and NF-κB/YY1/BMP-7 axis. Cell Death Differ. 24, 2077-2088, doi:10.1038/cdd.2017.132
34. Riuzzi F., Beccafico S., Sagheddu R., Chiappalupi S., Giambanco I., Bereshchenko O., Riccardi C., Sorci G. and Donato R. (2017) Levels of S100B protein drive the reparative process in acute muscle injury and muscular dystrophy. Sci. Rep., 7: 12537, DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-12880-9
35. Chiappalupi S., Salvadori L., Luca G., Riuzzi F., Calafiore R., Donato R. and Sorci G. (2017) Employment of microencapsulated Sertoli cells as a new tool to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy. J Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2, 47; doi:10.3390/jfmk2040047
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40. Arcuri C., Mecca C., Giambanco I., Donato R and C. Arcuri. (2018) Microglia and Aging: The Role of TREM2–DAP12 and CX3CL1-CX3CR1 Axes. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 19(1). pii: E318
41. Luca G., Arato I., Sorci G., Cameron D., Hansen B., Baroni T., Donato R., White D. and Calafiore R. (2018) Sertoli cells for cell transplantation: preclinical studies and future perspectives. Andrology 6(3): 385-95