Education and Training
1/11/2022- Ongoing
PhD student in Network Oncology and Precision Medicine
Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cellular Therapies (Prof. Marianna Nuti), Department of Experimental Medicine, La Sapienza University of Rome
22/07/2022
Master's Degree in Medical, Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology [LM-9]
Sapienza University of Rome
Thesis title: “Functional analysis of biopolymer nanoparticles as microRNA transport vehicles in Medulloblastoma cell models”
Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Molecular Medicine, La Sapienza University of Rome
21/10/2019
Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences [L-13]
Marche Polytechnic University, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences
Thesis title: “Exosome: Function and role in cancer metastasis and drug resistance”
27/06/15
Scientific high school diploma, IIS “Giustino Fortunato” Rionero in Vulture, Potenza
LABORATORY SKILLS
Cell cultures: handling and transfection
Isolation of extracellular vesicles.
Isolation of DNA and RNA, purification and quantification of nucleic acids; PCR (polymerase chain reaction), RT-PCR (retro transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction), RT-qPCR (quantitative reverse transcription pcr).
MTT Assay
Apoptosis and cell cycle assays.
Gel electrophoresis; Protein expression and purification: SDS-page and Western Blotting
Immunofluorescence; ELISA and LUMINEX Assay.
Separation and characterization of blood components (PBMC, serum, plasma). Cytofluorimetry.
WORKSHOP
6-7/11/2024, Training Leprechaun Unchained Labs
9/07/2024, Seminar, “Harnessing therapeutic molecular targets and the immune system to fight Multiple Myeloma: The NK cell point of view”, Prof. Marco Cippitelli
19/06/2024, Seminar, “Melanoma cell morphology and molecular signature" Prof. Giovanni Pellacani (Sapienza Università di Roma), Prof.ssa Alessandra Marconi
9/04/2024, Seminar, “NOVEL NANOTECHNOLOGIES FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS” Prof. Thanh Nguyen
27/03/2024, Seminar, "High-resolution spatial transcriptomics in 3D” Prof. Giuseppe Macino, Dott. Elena Splendiani
15/02/2024, Seminar, “Human brain organoids”, Prof. Nikolaus Rajewsky
13/02/2024, Seminar, “Spatial omics and cancer”, Prof. Nikolaus Rajewsky
12/02/2024, Seminar, “Single cell transcriptomics” Prof. Nikolaus Rajewsky
Soft Skills Sapienza 2023
Corso Generale Lavoratori in materia di Salute e Sicurezza sul Lavoro
13/12/23 "The MyD88-adapter-like (MAL) functions in chronic inflammatory pathways" prof. Mirza Baig
16/11/23 FlowJo Webinar: "Beyond conventional data analysis"
10/11/2023 Evento accademico: "La tutela della proprietà industriale in Italia dopo la Legge 102/2023"
4-6/04/2023, Webinar Cytek Aurora/Northern Lights Training Lecture
19/12/2022 FlowJoTM v10 Seminar & Training
CONGRESSES
2-4/12/2024, 36th AICC INTERNATIONAL MEETING- HIJACKING THE «GOOD» PATHWAYS: cancer, immunity and therapeutic approaches, Rome, Poster presentation: “Soluble immune biomarkers to predict clinical outcome in head and neck patients treated with immunotherapy” Asquino A, Cirillo A, Strigari L, Pace A, Napoletano C, Tuosto L, Valentino F, Santini D, Nuti M, Botticelli A, Rughetti A, Zizzari IG
Poster: "C-type lectins in glioblastoma: immunosuppression players and potential
immune biomarkers" Pace A, Alfano C, Asquino A, Tuosto L, Valentino F, D'Angelo L, Napoletano C, Zizzari IG, Santoro A, Nuti M, Farina L, Petti M, Rughetti A
27/11/2024, Participation at "Immunità e Cancro: il punto di vista dei Giovani Ricercatori", Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome
23-25/10/2024, EMBO Workshop Spatial Omics and complexities of human diseases: Resolve and Solve, Rome
30/09/204, XI BeMM Symposium, Rome (Organizing Committee Member)
19-20/09/2024, SIPMeT 2024 - Translational Pathophysiology, Udine, Poster: “Novel circulating biomarkers in HNSCC patients receiving anti-PD1 therapy: the predictive and prognostic role of immunosuppressive CD137+Treg cells and LOX-1+PMN-MDSCs” Asquino A, Cirillo A, Strigari L, Pace A, Napoletano C, Tuosto L, Valentino F, Santini D, Nuti M, Botticelli A, Rughetti A, Zizzari IG
22-25/05/2024, 6TH INTL CONF TRANSLATIONAL IMMUNOLOGY, Monopoli, Poster presentation “Circulating immunosuppression correlates with worse clinical outcome in head and neck cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy treatment” Asquino A, Pace A, Cirillo A, Strigari L, Napoletano C, Scirocchi F, Nuti M, Santini D, Botticelli A, Rughetti A, Zizzari IG
Poster: "Treg/CD137+ T cell balance as a novel biomarker of survival in advanced non-addicted NSCLC patients treated with immunotherapy as first-line” Tuosto L, Asquino A, Gelibter A, Strigari L, Zizzari IG, Scirocchi F, Pace A, Valentino F, Siringo M, Tramontano E, Botticelli A, Santini D, Nuti M, Rughetti A, Napoletano C
4-6/12/2023 35th AICC INTERNATIONAL MEETING – TRANSLATIONAL AND PRECISION MEDICINE, L’Aquila. Oral presentation: “Circulating CD137+ T cell subsets and MDCSs as Immune Biomarkers for Response to anti-PD1 Immunotherapy in NSCLC Patients” A. Asquino, L. Tuosto, F. Scirocchi, A. Pace, I. G. Zizzari, M. Siringo, E. Tramontano, A. Gelibter, E.Cortesi, M. Nuti, A. Rughetti, C. Napoletano
22-23/09/2023 SIPMeT Young Scientist Meeting 2023, Parma. Poster presentation: “Circulating CD137+ T Cells as immune biomarker for response to immunotherapy in NSCLC patients”. A. Asquino, F. Scirocchi, A. Pace, I.G. Zizzari, M. Siringo, E. Tramontano, E. Cortesi, A. Gelibter, M. Nuti, A. Rughetti, C. Napoletano
22-23/09/2023 SIPMeT Young Scientist Meeting 2023, Parma. “MGL lectin receptor and immunosuppression networks in glioblastoma” Pace A, Scirocchi, Rahimi H, Minasi S, Napoletano C, Asquino A, Zizzari IG, D’Angelo L, Santoro A, Buttarelli F, Nuti M, Rughetti A
17-19/05/2023 41° Conferenza Nazionale di Citometria, Napoli. Poster presentation: “Circulating CD137+ T cell levels are correlated with response to Pembrolizumab treatment in advanced head and neck cancer patients”. A. Cirillo, I. G. Zizzari, A. Botticelli, L. Strigari, A. Asquino, H. Rahimi, S. Scagnoli, F. Scirocchi, A. Pernazza, A. Pace, B. Cerbelli, G. D’amati, P. Marchetti, M. Nuti, A. Rughetti, C. Napoletano
15-17/12/2022 XVII Congress OrtoMed: “L’esposizione acuta all’interferente endocrino bisfenolo a (BPA) altera l’omeostasi delle cellule endoteliali umane” Giuseppina Catanzaro, V. M. Bimonte, Z. Spinello, L. Coppola, T. M. Autilio, A. Asquino, Z.M. Besharat, A. Po, A. Vacca, S Migliaccio, E. Ferretti
10-11/12/2021 Italian Society of Pathology and Translational Medicine: “Hedgehog driven regulatory network sustains chemoresistance and mesenchymal phenotype in colorectal cancer cells.” A. Citarella, G. Catanzaro, S. ZM Besharat, F. Barbagallo, S. Trocchianesi, C. Sabato, T. M. Autilio, A. Asquino, A. Vacca, M. Venneri, E. Ferretti, A. Po
AWARD
Best Oral presentation: 35th AICC INTERNATIONAL MEETING – TRANSLATIONAL AND PRECISION MEDICINE, L’aquila, “Circulating CD137+ T cell subsets and MDCSs as Immune Biomarkers for Response to anti-PD1 Immunotherapy in NSCLC Patients” A. Asquino, L. Tuosto, F. Scirocchi, A. Pace, I. G. Zizzari, M. Siringo, E. Tramontano, A. Gelibterb, E.Cortesi, M. Nuti, A. Rughetti, C. Napoletano