Claudio Luparello
Claudio Luparello
e-mail:
affiliation: Università di Palermo
research area(s): Cancer Biology, Stem Cells And Regenerative Medicine
Course: Cell Biology
University/Istitution: Università di Palermo
from Nov. 2010: Full professor of Cytology and Histology (Fac. Sciences, School of Biology, Univ. Palermo)
2008-09: Recipient of a grant from “Programma Vigoni”
2007: Editor of the volume “Novel Aspects of PTHrP physiopathology” published by Nova Scientific (Hauppauge/NY, USA)
2005-2006: Recipient of a Research Grant from the Italian Government (PRIN 2004)
from 2003: LLP-Erasmus departmental Coordinator for students of the School of Biological Sciences
from Aug. 2002: Associate Professor of Cytology and Histology (Fac. Sciences, School of Biology, Univ. Palermo)
1999-2000: Recipient of a research grant from the Italian Government (PRIN 1999)
from Nov. 1992: Ricercatore (Permanent University lecturer) of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Palermo (SSD BIO/06)
1992: Recipient of an annual fellowship from EEC "Europe against cancer". Supervisor: Dr.James A.Gallagher (Dept.Human Anat. & Cell Biology, Univ. Liverpool,UK).
1990(Sept.-Nov.): Recipient of a short-term fellowship from EEC "Europe against cancer". Supervisor:Dr.Peter Sheterline (Dept.Human Anatomy & Cell Biol., Univ.Liverpool, UK)
1989-91: Recipient of a three-year fellowship from Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC).
1986-88: Student of the Ph.D. course in Cell Biology (Univ. Palermo).
1984: Degree in Biological Sciences. 110/110 magna cum laude (Univ. Palermo)












Isolation of collagen types from biopsy fragments of ductal infiltrating carcinoma (d.i.c.) of the human breast and electrophoretic characterization and quantification.

Study on the effect of bidimensional and tridimensional collagen matrices on the survival, proliferative, locomotory and invasive behaviour of d.i.c. cells and on the expression levels of genes encoding for stress proteins and apoptosis−related factors and enzymes.

Study on the effect of different domains of parathyroid hormone−related protein on the survival, proliferative and invasive behaviour of d.i.c. cells in vitro and in vivo and on the expression levels of genes encoding for stress proteins and apoptosis−related factors and enzymes.

Study of the effect of cadmium on the survival and proliferative behaviour of d.i.c. cells and on the expression levels of genes encoding for stress proteins, MAP kinases and apoptosis−related factors and enzymes.

Study on the molecular markers of osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation pathways expressed by human mesenchymal stem cells.

Study on the effect of a new inhibitor of HDAC on estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer cells

Luparello C., Sirchia R. Type V collagen regulates the expression of apoptotic and stress response genes by breast cancer cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 202, 411-421 (2005). ISSN 0021-9541

Sirchia R., Luparello C., Collagen-induced differential expression of an RNA polymerase subunit by breast cancer cells. Biochimie 87, 669-672 (2005). ISSN 0300-9084

Cannino G., Di Liegro, C., Luparello C., Rinaldi A.M. Mitochondrial protein expression in Rattus norvegicus and in human cells. Caryologia 59, 375-378 (2006). ISSN 0008-7114.

Luparello C., Sirchia R., Paci L., Miceli V., Vella R., Scudiero R., Trinchella F.. Response to cadmium stress by neoplastic and immortalized human breast cells: evidence for different modulation of gene expression. In Meyers J. N. (ed.) Trends in Signal Transduction Research, pp. 87-114, Hauppauge, NY (USA): Nova Science Publishers, Inc. (2007). ISBN 1-60021-375-8

Luparello C., Sirchia R., Paci L., Miceli V., Vella R., Scudiero R., Trinchella F.. Response to cadmium stress by neoplastic and immortalized human breast cells: evidence for different modulation of gene expression. In Corvin A.J. (ed.) New Developments in Cell Apoptosis Research, pp. 213-239. Hauppauge, NY (USA): Nova Science Publishers, Inc. (2007). ISBN 1-60021-453-3

Sirchia R., Luparello C. Mid-region PTHrP and gene expression of MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells. Biol. Chem. 388, 457-465 (2007). ISSN 1431-6730.

Sirchia R., Priulla M., Sciandrello G., Caradonna F. Barbata G., Luparello C. Mid-region parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) binds chromatin of MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells and isolated oligonucleotides “in vitro”. Breast Cancer Res. Treat 105, 105-116 (2007). ISSN 0167-6806

Sirchia R., Gullo A., Luparello C. Aspects of the cytotoxic activity of PTHrP [38-94]-amide on human breast cancer cells. In Luparello C. (ed.) Novel Aspects of PTHrP Physiopathology. pp. 321-341. Hauppauge, NY (USA): Nova Science Publishers, Inc. (2007). ISBN 1-60021-857-1.

Luparello C., Sirchia R., Lo Sasso B. Midregion PTHrP regulates Rip1 and caspase expression in MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells. Breast Cancer Res. Treat. 111, 461-474 (2008). DOI: 10.1007/s10549-007-9816-0. ISSN 0167-6806

Cannino G., Ferruggia E., Luparello C., Rinaldi A.M. Effects of cadmium chloride on some mitochondria-related activity and gene expression of human MDA-MB231 breast tumor cells. J. Inorg. Biochem. 102, 1668-1676 (2008). DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2008.04.002. ISSN 0162-0134

Sirchia R., Longo A., Luparello C. Cadmium regulation of apoptotic and stress response genes in tumoral and immortalized epithelial cells of the human breast. Biochimie 90, 1578-1590 (2008). DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2008.06.011. ISSN 0300-9084

Cannino G., Ferruggia E., Luparello C., Rinaldi A.M. Mitochondrial compartment: a possible target of cadmium effects on breast epithelial cells. Mol. Cell. Biochem. 328, 75-84 (2009). DOI 10.1007/s11010-009-0076-7. ISSN 0300-8177.

Sirchia R., Luparello C. Short-term exposition to cadmium affects the expression of stress response- and apoptosis-related genes in immortalized epithelial cells from the human breast. Toxicol. In Vitro, 23, 943-949 (2009). DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2009.04.016

Cannino G., Ferruggia E., Luparello C., Rinaldi A.M. Cadmium and mitochondria. Mitochondrion, 9, 377-384 (2009). DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2009.08.009.

Carfì-Pavia F., Turturici G., Geraci F., Brucato V., La Carrubba V., Luparello C., Sconzo G. Porous poly (L-lactic acid) scaffolds are optimal substrates for internal colonization by A6 mesoangioblasts and immunocytochemical analyses. J. Biosci., 34, 873-879 (2009).

Casano C., Agnello M., Sirchia R., Luparello C. Cadmium effects on p38/MAPK isoforms in MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells. Biometals, 23, 83-92 (2010). DOI: 10.1007/s10534-009-9268-6.

Luparello C. Midregion PTHrP and human breast cancer cells. TheScientificWorldJOURNAL, 10, 1016-1028 (2010). DOI: 10.1100/tsw.2010.97

Luparello C. Collagen changes in the extracellular matrix of tumor-affected human breast: a tale of OF/LB and type V collagens. In Romero M.E. & Dashek L.M. (eds.) Breast Cancer: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment. pp. 117-137. Hauppauge, NY (USA): Nova Science Publishers, Inc. (2010). ISBN 978-1-60876-463-1.

Luparello C., Sirchia R., Longo A. Cadmium as a transcriptional modulator in human cells. Crit. Rev. Toxicol., 41, 75-82 (2011). DOI: 10.3109/10408444.2010.529104.

Luparello C., Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP): a key regulator of life/death decisions by tumor cells with potential clinical applications. Cancers, 3, 396-407 (2011). DOI: 10.3390/cancers3010396.

Luparello C., Sirchia R. Type V collagen-induced up-regulation of CAPN2 (large subunit of m-calpain) and DNA fragmentation in 8701-BC breast cancer cells. Biol. Chem. 392, 501-504 (2011).
Project Title:
Effect of a new derivative of SAHA on breast cancer cells (subject to availability of funds)
A new HDAC inhibitor, active on MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells, will be tested for its effect on cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle control, autophagy, mitochondrial activity and differential gene expression in order to have a defined panel of its influence on cell biological activities.


Project Title:
Differential gene expression during osteo- and adipo-differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (subject to availability of funds)
Human mesenchymal stem cells, induced to osteo- and adipo-differentiation, will be tested for their modifications of gene expression in the attempt to find new early molecular markers of the differentisative process. Extraccelular matrix components and tumor cell conditioned media will be assayed for their ability to interfere with the differentiation program.