Franca Esposito

Franca Esposito, MD born in Naples, 30-06-1955 2006-present Full Professor of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II Teaching 2001-2009 Coordinator, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology course, Dentistry School, University of Naples Federico II. 2004-present Coordinator, Biochemistry courses, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II. 2009-present President of the BS degree course in Medical Laboratory Technician, School of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy Research activity 1981-1984 Regulation of tRNA methyltransferases in neoplastic transformation 1985-1986 Regulation of eukaryotic gene expression by DNA supercoiling 1986-1993 Regulation of brain-specific gene expression 1994-2005 Study of the redox regulation of gene expression and effects of reactive oxygen species on the: i) activity of some transcription factors; ii) expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins; iii) regulation of mitogenic signal transduction Present research activity: Study of TRAP1, a novel antiapoptotic gene involved in the resistance to anticancer therapy. Our group characterized the role of TRAP1, a mitochondrial heat shock protein, in favoring a drug-resistant phenotype in human malignancies. We demonstraed that cells from different tumor types, trasfected with TRAP1 expression vector show increased resistance to DNA damages and apoptosis induced by antiblastic agents. Recently our group's use of mass spectrometry analysis identified some TRAP1-interacting proteins and a structural/functional characterization of these interaction is under study: TRAP1 and its mitochondrial interactor, Sorcin, a calcium-binding protein involved in drug resistance, are co-upregulated in human colorectal carcinomas and in drug-resistant colorectal carcinoma cells and are both critical in inducing a phenotype resistant to multiple chemotherapeutics. It is clinically relevant the observation that agents which inhibits TRAP1 ATPase or the down-regulation of TRAP1 or Sorcin sensitize drug-resistant colorectal tumor cells to the antiproliferative activity of several antitumor agents. Remarkably TRAP1 is found co-expressed with some components of the translational apparatus (eIF4A, eIF4E and eEF1G) in human colorectal cancers, with potential new opportunities for therapeutic intervention in humans. Our future goal is to validate TRAP1 as new biomarker and drug target candidate in multiple human cancers and chemoresistance is under study. Collaborations Prof. Hani Gabra, Molecular Therapeutics, Imperial College, London Prof. Friedhelm Hildebrandt, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital Dr. Matteo Landriscina, Università di Foggia