Mauro Piacentini
Curriculum Vitae
Contact Information:
Department of Biology
University of Rome "Tor Vergata"
Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1,
00133 Rome, Italy
Tel : 39-06- 72594234
Fax: 39-06- 72594222
E-mail :
Personal Information
Date of Birth: 29 June 1953
City, Country of Birth: Rome, Italy
Citizenship: Italian
Languages: Italian, English, Spanish
Education
Date Degree Institution Subject
1976 degree cum laude. University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy Cell Biology
Appointments/Affiliations
Dates Title Organization City, Country
2000-present Full Professor University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
2005-present Board of Directors European Cell Death Organization Europe
2004-present President Biotechnology Programme
University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
1998-present Basic Research Director National Institute for Infectious
Diseases Rome, Italy
1994-2007 Board of Directors International Cell Death Society New York, USA
2004-2007 Program Coordinator Marie-Curie European Community Brussels, Belgium
2004-2007 Board of Directors SpaXen Italia Srl Rome-New York, USA
2002-2005 President European Cell Death Organization Europe
1994-2002 Vice President European Cell Death Organization Europe
1998-2000 Associate Professor Tuscia University Viterbo, Italy
1994-1997 Consultant LXR Biotechnology Inc Richmond, CA, Italy
1984-1986 Postdoctoral Fellow NIDR, NIH Bethesda, MD, USA
1984-1998 Assistant Professor University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
1978- Postdoctoral Fellow Dept of Pathology, Karolinska Stockholm, Sweden
1977-1984 Postdoctoral Fellow University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
Honors/Awards
Date Name Description
2010 Gordon Conference Elected Chair USA
2007 JSPS award Japanese Society for the
Promotion of Science Japan
2007 "Descartes Award" European Commission Europe
2007 Keynote speaker 7th International Meeting of the
Slovenian Biochemical Society Slovenia
2006 Member of Expert Group Ministery of Health Italy
2005 Keynote speaker International Immunology
and Reumathology Meeting Taiwan
1999-2005 Italian Representant EU Cost Action 844 Belgium
1995 ABCD Price Italian Society for Cell Biology Italy
Patents
Date Name Description
1998 US Patents n. 5750360 Method for quantitatively measuring apoptosis
The invention encompasses methods of detecting and/or quantifying
ε(γ-glutamyl)lysine isodipeptide by catalytically releasing lysine,
then measuring free lysine.
Memberships
Date Organization Position
2010 Cell Death Disease (Nature Publishing Group) Deputy Editor
2008 Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology Editor
2007 Methods in Enzymology Guest Editor
1993-present Cell Death Differentiation (Nature Publishing Group) Founder and Editor
2000-2005 European Science Foudation "Transglutaminasea and Protein
Crosslinking Programme" Board Member
1994-present European Cell Death Organization Founding Member
Research Grants:
International Agencies:
Prof Piacentini has received 9 grants from the Europen Commission for a total of about 3 millions Euro:
-1992-1995 Concerted Action Contract Nr. BMH1-CT92-1571 (Partner),
-1997-2000 EC Copernicus project Contract Nr. ICI-CT97-0901 (Partner)
-1995-1998 EU grant "IV Framework" Contract Nr. BI04-CT95-0207 (Partner)
"Increasing the cell culture productivity by control of programmed cell death (apoptosis)"
-1999-2003 EU grant "V Framework" Contract Nr. QLG1-CT-1999-00739 (Partner)
"Fundamental mechanisms of apoptosis/cell death regulation in normal and cancer cells"
Acronim: Apoptosis mechanisms
-2002-2005 EU grant "V Framework" Contract Nr. QLK3-CT-2002-02017 (Partner)
“Clearance of apoptotic cells: discovery of autoantigens and therapy for autoimmune diseases" Acronim: APOCLEAR
-2004-2008 Marie Curie Conferences and Training Courses, Contract Nr. MSCF-CT-2003-504454 (Co-ordinator)
"Euroconference on Programmed Cell Death"
-2006-2009 Marie Curie, Research Training Network, Contract Nr. MRTN – CT – 2006 – 036032. (Partner)
“Transglutaminases: role in pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy"
-2008-2012 EU grant "VII Framework" Contract Nr. FP7-Health-2007 A (Partner)
“Apoptosis biology system application to AIDS and cancer" Acronim: APOSYS
-20011-2015 Marie Curie, Research Training Network, Contract Nr. MRTN – CT –289964. (Partner)
“Transglutaminases: role in pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy"
National agencies:
Since 1988 Prof. Piacentini ha obtained numerous research grant from the following national agencies for a total of 2.5 millions Euro:
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
Ministero dell' Università
Ministero della Salute
Ministero degli Esteri
Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC)
Telethon
Banca San Paolo di Torino
Journal reviewer for: Plos One, Carcinogenesis, Brain Research, Cancer Research, Cancer Cell; Cell Death and Differentiation, Experimental Cell Reseach, European Journal of Cell Biology, FEBS Letter, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Cell Biology, Journal of Cell Science, Journal of Immunology, Journal of Neurochemistry, Journal of Physiology, International Immunology, International Journal of Cancer, Oncogene, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Nature, Neuroscience..
Grant reviewer for: Aids Fonds (The Netherlands), Ministry of Education and Science (Russia), National Science Foundation (NSF, USA), Medical Research Council" (MCR; U.K.), International Human Frontier Science Program (HFS; France), Wellcome Trust (U.K.), Science Foundation Ireland (Irlanda), Agence Nationel Recherche (France), Swiss Science Foundation (Svizzera), FWO (Belgio), Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC), Alzheimer's Research Trust (UK), Italian Ministery of Health, Italian Ministery of University and Research.
Organization of international meetings:
-"Apoptosis in AIDS and Cancer" december 1993, Paris, France.
-Advanced Courses on "Cell Differentiation and Death" May 1994, Erice, Italy.
-"Transglutaminases and Protein Cross-linkings Reactions" August 1994, Debrecen, Hungary.
-"New Cancer Strategies: Apoptotic Based-Therapies" september 1994, San Diego (CA), U.S.A.
-3nd Workshop "Biochemistry of Neuroectodermal Tumours" June1995 Roma, Italy.
-1st International Conference on "Apoptosis in Skeletal and Cardiac Muscles" June, Abano Terme, Italia.
-4th Euroconference on "Apoptosis or Programmed Cell Death" September 1996, Capri, Italy.
-1st Course on "Molecular Mechamisms of Apoptosis" May 1997, Tucuman, Argentina.
-"Transglutaminases and Protein Cross-linkings Reactions" September 2000, Lyon, France.
- 8-15th Euroconferences on "Apoptosis or Programmed Cell Death" held in: Davos 2000 (Switzerland); Vienna 2001 (Austria); Paris 2002 (France); Gent 2003(Belgium), Chania 2004, (Greece); Budapest 2005 (Hungary); Chia Lugana (Italy); Portoroz (2007), Slovenia.
-1st Workshop on Programmed Cell Death in Plants, Habana 2004.
-1st Curso on "Cellular and Molecular Basis of Cell Death" Habana June 2005.
-1st Workshop on "Proteomics in Translational Research" November 2005, Rome.
-14th Euroconference on "Apoptosis or Programmed Cell Death" September 2006, Chia Laguna (Ca), Italy.
-"Transglutaminases and Protein Cross-linkings Reactions" September 2007, Marrachesh, Morocco.
-1st Workshop "The Role of Autophagy in Infectious diseases and Cancer" June 2009 Roma, Italy.
-2nd Gordon Research Conference on "Transglutaminases in Human Diseases", July 2012, Charlotte, USA.
-20th Euroconferences on "Apoptosis or Programmed Cell Death" September 2012, Rome Italy.
Teaching:
Since 1990 is professor of "Cellular and Developmental Biology" at the Faculty of Science, University of Rome "Tor Vergata".
Chairman of the Marie Curie supporting the 12th-15th-Euroconference on Apoptosis (2004-2008) contract Nr. MSCF-CT-2003-504454 Marie Curie Conferences and Training Courses.
Italian representant of the COST844 action, a network to bring together apoptosis researchers in Europe, with 68 members from 17 countries and which organises workshops, conferences, student and researcher exchange.
Member of the Board of Directors of the European Science Foundation network project on Transglutaminases and Protein Crosslinking.
Since 2004 he is the President of the Biotechnology Course in the Faculty of Science, University of Rome "Tor Vergata".
Since 1992 he has been organizing several courses on the "Molecular Mechanisms of Programmed Cell Death" world wide, the last one in San Paulo, Brazil.
Editorial comments
on Prof. Piacentini's pubblications Editorials have been published in: Journal of National Cancer Institute September 1; 2004; Cell Death and Differentiation Vol. 11 (2004): S33-S36); Nature Cell Biology July 2007.
Selected Pubblications
Mauro Piacentini is author of more than 220 papers with a total number of citations above 8,000 and a total impact above 1,100. H-index of 51.
1. Gentile V, Thomazy V, Piacentini M, Fesus. L and Davies PJA.
"Expression of tissue transglutaminase in BALB-C 3T3 fibroblasts: effects
on cellular morphology and adhesion"
Journal of Cell Biology 119, 463-474, 1992.
2. Amendola A , Gougeon ML , Poccia F, Bondurand A, Fesus L and Piacentini M
"Induction of "Tissue" Transglutaminase in HIV-pathogenesis:Evidence for High Rate of Apoptosis of CD4+ T Lymphocytes and Accessory
Cells in Lymphoid Tissues"
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 93, 11057-11062, 1996.
3. Colizzi V and Piacentini M
“Tissue” Transglutaminase: Apoptosis versus Autoimmunity
Immunology Today 20, 134-138, 1999.
4. Garaci E., Caroleo M.C., Aloe L., Aquaro S,., Piacentini M., Costa N., Amendola A., Micera A., Caliò R., Perno C.F., Levi Montalcini R.
"Nerve growth factor is an autocrine factor essential for the survival of macrophages
infected by human immunodeficiency virus"
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 96 (24)/14013-14018, 1999.
5. Castedo M, Ferri KF, Blanco J, Roumier T, Larochette N, Barretina J, Amendola A,
Nardacci R, Metivier D, Este JA, Piacentini M and Kroemer. G
“ HIV-! Env-induced Apoptosis Involves mTOR/FRAP-mediated p53 phosphorylation”
Journal of Experimental Medicine 194, 1097-110, 2001.
6. Fesus L and Piacentini M
“Transglutaminase 2: a enigmatic enzyme with diverse functions”
Trends in Biochemical Science 27, 534-539, 2002.
7. Szondy Z, Sarang Z, Molnar P, Nemeth T, Piacentini M, Mastroberardino PG, Falasca L, Aeschlimann D, Kovacs J, Kiss I, Szegezdi E, Lakos G, Rajnavolgyi E, Birckbichler PJ, Melino G, Fesus L
Transglutaminase 2-/- mice reveal a phagocytosis-associated crosstalk between macrophages and apoptotic cells.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100, 7812-7817, 2003.
8. Perfettini JL, Roumier T, Castedo M, Larochette N, Boya P, Raynal B, Lazar V, Ciccosanti F, Nardacci R, Penninger J, Piacentini M*,
Kroemer G.
NF-{kappa}B and p53 Are the Dominant Apoptosis-inducing Transcription Factors Elicited by the HIV-1 Envelope.
Journal of Experimental Medicine 199:629-640, 2004.
9. Lovat PE, Di Sano F, Corazzari M, Fazi B, Donnorso RP, Pearson AD, Hall AG, Redfern CP, Piacentini M.
Gangliosides link the acidic sphingomyelinase-mediated induction of ceramide to 12-lipoxygenase-dependent apoptosis
of neuroblastoma in response to fenretinide.
Journal National Cancer Institute 96(17):1288-99, 2004.
10. Vahsen N, Candé C, Brière JJ, Bénit P, Joza N, Larochette N, Mastroberardino PG, Pequignot MO, Casares N, Lazar V, Feraud O, Debili N,
Wissing S, Engelhardt S, Madeo F, Piacentini M, Penninger JM, Schägger H, Rustin P, Kroemer G. AIF deficiency compromises oxidative phosphorylation.
The EMBO journal, 23(23):4679-89, 2004.
11. Perfettini JL, Castedo M, Nardacci R, Ciccosanti F, Boya P, Roumier T, Larochette N, Piacentini M*, Kroemer G.
Essential role of p53 phosphorylation by p38 MAPK in apoptosis induction by the HIV-1 envelope.
Journal of Experimental Medicine 201(2):279-89, 2005.
12. Obeid M, Tesniere A, Ghiringhelli F, Fimia GM, Apetoh L, Perfettini JL, Castedo M, Mignot G, Panaretakis T, Casares N, Metivier D,
Larochette N, van Endert P, Ciccosanti F, Piacentini M, Zitvogel L, Kroemer G.
Calreticulin exposure dictates the immunogenicity of cancer cell death.
Nature Medicine 13(1):54-61, 2007.
13. Fimia GM, Stoykova A, Romagnoli A, Giunta L, Di Bartolomeo S, Nardacci R, Corazzari M, Fuoco C,, Ucar A, Schwartz P,
Gruss P, Piacentini M, Chowdhury K, and Cecconi F
Ambra 1 regulates autophagy and development of the nervous system.
Nature 447(7148):1121-5, 2007.
14. Salazar M, Carracedo A, Salanueva IJ, Hernández-Tiedra S, Lorente M, Egia A, Vázquez P, Blázquez C, Torres S, García S, Nowak J, Fimia GM, Piacentini M, Cecconi F, Pandolfi PP, González-Feria L, Iovanna JL, Guzmán M, Boya P, Velasco G.
Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated cell death through stimulation of ER stress in human glioma cells.
Journal of Clinical Investigation 119(5):1359-72, 2009.
15. Di Bartolomeo S, Corazzari M, Nazio F, Oliverio S, Lisi G, Antonioli M, Pagliarini V, Matteoni S, Fuoco C, Giunta L, D'Amelio M, Nardacci R, Romagnoli A, Piacentini M*, Cecconi F, Fimia GM.
The dynamic interaction of AMBRA1 with the dynein motor complex regulates mammalian autophagy.
Journal of Cell Biology191(1):155-68. 2010.
(*) Co-senior author.