Phd in LIFE SCIENCE

email: rossella.paolini@uniroma1.it
phone: 0649255670

Rossella Paolini, PhD

Present Appointment:
Full Professor of Immunology, Department of Molecular Medicine "Sapienza”, University of Rome.

EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC EXPERIENCE
Rossella Paolini graduated at the University of Rome “La Sapienza” in 1986 and she obtained a PhD in Experimental Medicine within the same Department in 1992. During the last 2 years of the PhD course as fellow and then as a post-doc research associate, she spent 5-year training at the Section of Molecular Immunology and Allergy at NIH in Bethesda (1990-1995).
From 1991 to 2001 she was Researcher at the Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”. From 2001 to 2015 she was Associate Professor, and from 2016 she is Full Professor, Chair of Immunology at the Medical School of University of Rome “La Sapienza”.
Over the last 20 years, the main interests of Dr. Paolini have been focused on the study of signal transduction pathways implicated in the regulation of different aspects of mast cell and NK cell biology.
Her studies have importantly contributed to elucidate the intracellular biochemical events leading to the activation of mast cell functional program. In particular, she first demonstrated that FcεRI subunits undergo reversible tyrosine phosphorylation upon antigen stimulation and proposed that cycles of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation serve to maintain the propagation of intracellular signalling.
More recently, she has been focused on the molecular pathways that regulate expression and function of activating receptors and their ligands on mast cells and on Natural Killer cells.
These studies highlighted a critical contribution of the ubiquitin and the SUMO pathway in limiting the rate and the extent of NK and mast cell functional responses. In a recent publication she has also proposed a novel mechanism to amplify a pro-inflammatory response orchestrated by mast cell-released exosome-like vesicles.
The results obtained by Dr. Paolini have been published in highly qualified international journals and presented at many national and international congresses.

Scientific activity:
She is author of 36 peer-reviewed papers in the last 10 years with over 1200 citations.
H index 21 (15 years)
ORCID orcid.org/0000-0001-7605-1531

FUNDING
She has been involved in several national and international research projects in the past.
She is presently involved in the following research projects:

1. PI in the Grant from Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti Call 2020: “Dissecting the role of mast cells during the transition from intestinal inflammation to colon cancer” Prot. 366. Timeline 2022-2023.
2. PI in the Grant from the Italian Association for Cancer Research: “Unraveling the role of mast cells in colorectal cancer”. Code 24955. Timeline 2021-2026.
3. Partner in the Special Program Molecular Clinical Oncology 5 per mille (AIRC 5xmille): “Immunity in Cancer Spreading and Metastasis (ISM)” (Code 21147). Timeline 2018-2025.

Selected PUBLICATION (20)

1. Molfetta R, Paolini R. The Controversial Role of Intestinal Mast Cells in Colon Cancer. Cells. 2023 Jan 31;12(3):459. doi: 10.3390/cells12030459. IF: 7.666
2. Milito ND, Zingoni A, Stabile H, Soriani A, Capuano C, Cippitelli M, Gismondi A, Santoni A, Paolini R, Molfetta R. NKG2D engagement on human NK cells leads to DNAM-1 hypo-responsiveness through different converging mechanisms. Eur J Immunol. 2023 Feb;53(2):e2250198. doi: 10.1002/eji.202250198. Epub 2022 Dec 8. IF: 6.688
3. Vulpis E, Loconte L, Peri A, Molfetta R, Caracciolo G, Masuelli L, Tomaipitinca L, Peruzzi G, Petillo S, Petrucci MT, Fazio F, Simonelli L, Fionda C, Soriani A, Cerboni C, Cippitelli M, Paolini R, Bernardini G, Palmieri G, Santoni A, Zingoni A. Impact on NK cell functions of acute versus chronic exposure to extracellular vesicle-associated MICA: Dual role in cancer immunosurveillance. J Extracell Vesicles. 2022 Jan;11(1):e12176. doi: 10.1002/jev2.12176. IF: 25.841
4. Petillo S, Capuano C, Molfetta R, Fionda C, Mekhloufi A, Pighi C, Antonangeli F, Zingoni A, Soriani A, Petrucci MT, Galandrini R, Paolini R, Santoni A, Cippitelli M Immunomodulatory effect of NEDD8-activating enzyme inhibition in Multiple Myeloma: upregulation of NKG2D ligands and sensitization to Natural Killer cell recognition. Cell Death Dis. 2021 Sep 4;12(9):836. IF: 8.5
5. Molfetta R, Zitti B, Lecce M, Milito ND, Stabile H, Fionda C, Cippitelli M, Gismondi A, Santoni A, Paolini R. CD155: A Multi-Functional Molecule in Tumor Progression. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jan 30;21(3):922. doi: 10.3390/ijms21030922. IF: 5.923
6. Molfetta R, Lecce M, Quatrini L, Caracciolo G, Digiacomo L, Masuelli L, Milito ND, Vulpis E, Zingoni A, Galandrini R, Santoni A, Paolini R. Immune complexes exposed on mast cell-derived nanovesicles amplify allergic inflammation. Allergy. 2020 May;75(5):1260-1263. doi: 10.1111/all.14103. Epub 2019 Nov 28. IF: 13.146
7. De Meo S, Dell'Oste V, Molfetta R, Tassinari V, Lotti LV, Vespa S, Pignoloni B, Covino DA, Fantuzzi L, Bona R, Zingoni A, Nardone I, Biolatti M, Coscia A, Paolini R, Benkirane M, Edfors F, Sandalova T, Achour A, Hiscott J, Landolfo S, Santoni A, Cerboni C. SAMHD1 phosphorylation and cytoplasmic relocalization after human cytomegalovirus infection limits its antiviral activity. PLoS Pathog. 2020 Sep 28;16(9):e1008855. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008855. eCollection 2020 Sep. IF: 6.5
8. Molfetta R, Milito ND, Zitti B, Lecce M, Fionda C, Cippitelli M, Santoni A, Paolini R. The Ubiquitin-proteasome pathway regulates Nectin2/CD112 expression and impairs NK cell recognition and killing. Eur J Immunol. 2019 Jun;49(6):873-883. doi: 10.1002/eji.201847848. IF: 4.404
9. Zingoni A, Molfetta R, Fionda C, Soriani A, Paolini R, Cippitelli M, Cerboni C, Santoni A. NKG2D and Its Ligands: "One for All, All for One". Front Immunol. 2018 Mar 12;9:476. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00476. eCollection 2018. Review. IF: 6.5
10. Zitti B, Molfetta R, Fionda C, Quatrini L, Stabile H, Lecce M, de Turris V, Ricciardi MR, Petrucci MT, Cippitelli M, Gismondi A, Santoni A, Paolini R. Innate immune activating ligand SUMOylation affects tumor cell recognition by NK cells. Sci Rep. 2017 Sep 5;7(1):10445. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-10403-0. IF: 4.44
11. Vulpis E, Cecere F, Molfetta R, Soriani A, Fionda C, Peruzzi G, Caracciolo G, Palchetti S, Masuelli L, Simonelli L, D'Oro U, Abruzzese MP, Petrucci MT, Ricciardi MR, Paolini R, Cippitelli M, Santoni A, Zingoni A. Genotoxic stress modulates the release of exosomes from multiple myeloma cells capable of activating NK cell cytokine production: Role of HSP70/TLR2/NF-kB axis. Oncoimmunology. 2017 Jan 13;6(3):e1279372. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2017.1279372. IF: 5.5
12. Molfetta R, Quatrini L, Zitti B, Capuano C, Galandrini R, Santoni A, Paolini R. Regulation of NKG2D Expression and Signaling by Endocytosis. Trends Immunol. 2016 Nov;37(11):790-802. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2016.08.015. IF: 13.287
13. Quatrini L., Molfetta R., Zitti B., Peruzzi G., Fionda C., Capuano C., Galandrini R., Cippitelli M., Santoni A., Paolini R. Ubiquitin-dependent endocytosis of NKG2D-DAP10 receptor complexes activates signaling and functions in human NK cells. Sci Signal. 2015 Oct 27; 8(400):ra108. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.aab2724. IF: 7.359
14. Molfetta R., Quatrini L., Capuano C., Gasparrini F., Zitti B., Zingoni A., Galandrini R., Santoni A., Paolini R. c-Cbl regulates MICA-but not ULBP2-induced NKG2D down-modulation in human NK cells. Eur J Immunol. 2014 Sep;44(9):2761-2770. Epub 2014 Jun 17. DOI: 10.1002/eji.201444512. IF: 4.034
15. Molfetta R, Quatrini L, Gasparrini F, Zitti B, Santoni A, Paolini R. Regulation of fc receptor endocytic trafficking by ubiquitination Front Immunol. 2014 Sep 18;5:449. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00449. eCollection 2014. IF: 5.00
16. Gasparrini F, Molfetta R, Quatrini L, Frati L, Santoni A, Paolini R. Syk-dependent regulation of Hrs phosphorylation and ubiquitination upon FcRI-engagement: impact on Hrs membrane/cytosol localization. Eur J Immunol. 2012 Oct;42(10):2744-2753. doi: 10.1002/eji.201142278. Epub 2012 Jul 25. IF: 4.970
17. Molfetta R., Gasparrini F., Peruzzi G., Vian L., Piccoli M., Frati L., Santoni A., Paolini R. Lipid-raft dependent FcRI ubiquitination regulates receptor endocytosis through the action of ubiquitin binding adaptors. PLos One, 2009 May 19;4(5):e5604. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005604. IF: 4.351
18. Peruzzi G., Molfetta R., Gasparrini F., Vian L., Morrone S., Piccoli M., Frati L., Santoni A., Paolini R. The adaptor molecule CIN85 regulates Syk tyrosine kinase level by activating the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway. J Immunol. 2007 Aug 15;179(4):2089-96. IF: 6.068
19. Molfetta R., Belleudi F., Peruzzi G., Morrone S., Leone L., Dikic I., Piccoli M., Frati L., Torrisi M.R., Santoni A., Paolini R. CIN85 regulates the ligand-dependent endocytosis of the IgE receptor: a new molecular mechanism to dampen mast cell function. J Immunol. 2005 Oct 1;175(7):4208-16. IF: 6.387
20. Paolini R., Molfetta R., Beitz, L.O., Zhang J., Scharenberg A.M., Piccoli M., Frati L., Siraganian R., Santoni A. Activation od Syk tyrosine kinase is required for c-Cbl-mediated ubiquitination of FcRI and Syk in RBL cells.. J Biol Chem. 2002 Oct 4;277(40):36940-7. Epub 2002 Jul 26. IF: 6.69