Publications by authors named "F Merigo"
SARS-CoV-2 infection has been recently shown to induce cellular senescence in vivo. A senescence-like phenotype has been reported in cystic fibrosis (CF) cellular models. Since the previously published data highlighted a low impact of SARS-CoV-2 on CFTR-defective cells, here we aimed to investigate the senescence hallmarks in SARS-CoV-2 infection in the context of a loss of CFTR expression/function.
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- Richter's syndrome (RS) is a severe form of cancer resulting from the evolution of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) into a high-grade B-cell malignancy, characterized by decreased reliance on BCL-2, a key protein that prevents apoptosis (cell death).
- Studies comparing CLL and RS revealed that RS cells display lower apoptotic priming and may depend on different anti-apoptotic proteins, complicating treatment strategies like using BH3 mimetics that target cell death pathways.
- Transcriptomic analyses showed that as CLL transforms into RS, there is a downregulation of pro-apoptotic factors and changes in mitochondrial structure that contribute to enhanced resistance to apoptosis, making it harder to target RS directly.
SARS-CoV-2 replicates in host cell cytoplasm. People with cystic fibrosis, considered at risk of developing severe symptoms of COVID-19, instead, tend to show mild symptoms. We, thus, analyzed at the ultrastructural level the morphological effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on wild-type (WT) and F508del (ΔF) CFTR-expressing CFBE41o- cells at early and late time points post infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeople with cystic fibrosis should be considered at increased risk of developing severe symptoms of COVID-19. Strikingly, a broad array of evidence shows reduced spread of SARS-CoV-2 in these subjects, suggesting a potential role for CFTR in the regulation of SARS-CoV-2 infection/replication. Here, we analyzed SARS-CoV-2 replication in wild-type and CFTR-modified human bronchial epithelial cell lines and primary cells to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infection in people with cystic fibrosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMultipotent stem cells persist within the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of adipose tissue during adulthood. These cells, commonly referred to as adipose-derived stromal cells (ASC), have been extensively investigated over the past years as a promising therapeutic tool based on their regenerative and immunomodulatory properties. However, how ASC might mirror the age-related alteration of the fat they reside in remains unclear.
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