Developed skills and lines of research
Paola Melotti earned her degree in Medicine and Surgery in 1990, followed by a specialization in Medical Genetics from the University of Verona. She subsequently obtained a PhD in Congenital Metabolic Pathophysiology from the same university.
Between 1992 and 1995, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Jefferson Cancer Institute in Philadelphia (USA). Over the years, she has cultivated scientific collaborations with research groups at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore (USA); Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam; and Utrecht Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands, where she also participated in training courses.
Since 2008, she has held a permanent position in Medical Genetics at the Integrated University Hospital of Verona (Regional Cystic Fibrosis Center).
Projects funded by FFC Ricerca as Principal Investigator or as Research Manager
FFC#9/2020
Theratyping of rare CFTR genotypes for treatment with CFTR modulators
FFC#7/2016
Human intestinal organoids for detecting CFTR rescue molecules in human plasma samples
FFC#3/2014
Testing CFTR in epithelial organoids for drug development and diagnosis of cystic fibrosis
FFC#4/2013
CFTR in epithelial organoids: relevance for drug development and diagnosis of cystic fibrosis
FFC#6/2010
Novel biomarkers for evaluation of efficacy of new therapies in cystic fibrosis
FFC#17/2006
Roles of azithromycin other than bactericidal: relevance for therapy of cystic fibrosis
FFC #10/2005
Roles of azithromycin other than bactericidal: relevance for therapy of cystic fibrosis
FFC#3/2002
Roles of azithromycin other than bactericidal : relevance for therapy of cystic fibrosis
Projects financed by FFC Ricerca as a partner
FFC#5/2009
Functional evaluation of CFTR in blood leukocytes in human subjects as a new tool for diagnostic and clinical research applications
Publications from FFC Research projects
Cigana C, Nicolis E, Pasetto M, et al. Anti-inflammatory effects of azithromycin in cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2006 Dec 1;350(4):977-82. Epub 2006 Oct 2.
Nicolis E, Pasetto M, Cigana C, et al. The GCC repeat length in the 5’UTR of MRP1 gene is polymorphic: a functional characterization of its relevance for cystic fibrosis. MC Med Genet, 2006 Feb 7;7:7.
Cigana C, Assael BM, Melotti P. Azithromycin selectively reduces tumor necrosis factor alpha levels in cystic fibrosis airwayepithelial cells. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2007 Mar;51(3):975-81. Epub 2007 Jan 8.
Cigana C, Nicolis E, Pasetto M, et al. Effects of Azithromycin on the Expression of ATP Binding Cassette Transporters in Epithelial Cells from the Airways of Cystic Fibrosis Patients. J Chemother, 2007 Dec;19(6):643-9.
Bergamini G, Cigana C, Sorio C et al. Effects of azithromycin on glutathione S-transferases in cystic fibrosis airway cells. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2009 Aug;41(2):199-206. doi: 10.1165/rcmb.2008-0013OC. Epub 2008 Dec 18
Rizzo R, Bergamini G, Bortolotti D, et al. HLA-G expression and regulation during Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis patients. Future Microbiol, 2016;11(3):363-73. doi: 10.2217/fmb.15.143. Epub 2016 Mar 2.
Paola Melotti. Human intestinal organoids for detecting CFTR rescue by molecules targeting CFTR mutations in human plasma samples. The Proceedings of the 16th Italian Convention of Investigators in Cystic Fibrosis. Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine, 2019, 14 (Suppl 1):5