Publications by authors named "Francesco Farris"

SP140, a lymphocytic-restricted protein, is an epigenetic reader working as a corepressor of genes implicated in inflammation and orchestrating macrophage transcriptional programs to maintain cellular identity. Reduced SP140 expression is associated both to autoimmune diseases and blood cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms that link SP140 altered protein levels to detrimental effects on the immune response and cellular growth, as well as the interactors through which SP140 promotes gene silencing, remain elusive.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the role of extracellular amyloid fibrils in the tumor microenvironment and their connection to cancer progression and drug resistance through the activation of the YAP transcriptional co-activator.
  • It identifies the glycocalyx protein Agrin as a key player that binds to amyloid fibrils, initiating a mechano-signaling process observed in melanoma and pancreatic cancer cells.
  • The research sheds light on how amyloid fibrils enhance cancer cell migration and invasion, paving the way for potential new strategies to control YAP activation and its negative impact on cancer growth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

BACE1 and BACE2 belong to a class of proteases called β-secretases involved in ectodomain shedding of different transmembrane substrates. These enzymes have been extensively studied in Alzheimer's disease as they are responsible for the processing of APP in neurotoxic Aβ peptides. These proteases, especially BACE2, are overexpressed in tumors and correlate with poor prognosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Melanoma progression is generally associated with increased transcriptional activity mediated by the Yes-associated protein (YAP). Mechanical signals from the extracellular matrix are sensed by YAP, which then activates the expression of proliferative genes, promoting melanoma progression and drug resistance. Which extracellular signals induce mechanotransduction, and how this is mediated, is not completely understood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF