Phd in MORPHOGENESIS AND TISSUE ENGINEERING

email: anna.riccioli@uniroma1.it
phone:
building: Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology
room: 2

Dr. Anna Riccioli
Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics -Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome
Nationality: Italian
Date of birth: 13th May 1964
Place of birth: Rome (Italy)
Positions and Employment
1989 Biological Sciences degree Sapienza University, Rome – with top marks 110/110 and honours
1994 Ph.D. degree Sapienza University, Rome – Medical Embryology
1997 Specialist degree in Microbiology and Virology University of Rome “Sapienza” with top marks: 70/70.
1998-2000: post-doc, Department of Histology and Medical Embryology, School of Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome
2001-2012: Researcher, Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics -Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology School of Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome
2012 to date: Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics -Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology School of Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome

Description of Research activities:
Dr Riccioli’s early studies were in the field of Reproductive Immunology focused on the mechanisms controlling the immune responses in the male reproductive system, and, specifically: 1) signal transduction pathways activated by inflammatory mediators on mouse primary Sertoli cells; 2) expression of apoptotic markers, in particular Fas-Fas ligand system, and biological mechanisms underlying apoptosis in mouse testis and in human spermatozoa; 3) expression and function of Toll Like Receptors in Sertoli cells; 4) mechanisms underlying cytokine and chemokine production by Sertoli cells;
Currently, she studies in the field of regulation of apoptosis and of immune responses in human prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines and in in vivo mouse models of prostate cancer. Role of Toll-like Receptors stimulation in the control of proliferation and production of immune modulators in human prostate and breast tumor cell lines. Study of cancer cell plasticity in PCa regarding stem cell markers to identify diagnostic biomarkers and, above all, the prognostic outcome as well as with the aim to designing therapeutic targets for advanced PCa. In particular, she focused on studying the mechanisms involved in radioresistance of bone metastasis in prostate cancer, also collaborating to identify the role of a specific CD44 variant in the metastatic prostate cancer progression.