Elena Ciccone

Self-presentation:

Elena is a veterinarian specialized in Infectious diseases, prophylaxis and veterinary police. She is currently affiliated with the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production of the University of Naples Federico II, where she carries out research in the field of parasitology, and in particular on the cestode E. granulosus.

Project:

The general objective is to develop RNA technologies to improve the control of cystic echinococcosis (CE), a parasitic infection highly endemic in Italy and worldwide caused by the cestode helminth Echinococcus granulosus. The specific aims are to identify and characterize non-coding RNA, e.g. microRNAs (miRNAs), involved in different parasitic stages, in order to detect potential novel targets for the development of a new diagnostic and therapeutic approach against CE.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most widespread parasitic diseases, caused by the larval stages of Echinococcus granulosus, a small cestode of the intestine of dogs and other canids (definitive hosts) and organs/tissues of sheep, goats, cattle, pigs and other animals as well as humans (intermediate hosts), where the larval form of the parasite develops into an hydatid cyst. In the framework of the research activity envisaged by WP5.4 of Spoke 5 (Task 5.4.2) of the National Center for Gene Therapy and Drugs based on RNA Technology (Inflammatory and infectious disease), non-coding RNA, e.g. microRNAs (miRNAs) are being identified as potential diagnostic targets and therapeutic candidates for parasitic infections. Thus, this PhD project is aimed at improving the knowledge of these RNA that regulate key target genes and pathways identifying and characterizing non-coding RNA, involved in different parasitic stages (such as eggs, adults and hydatid cysts), in order to detect potential novel targets for the development of a new therapeutic and diagnostic approach against CE. This will be achieved through an approach articulated in several Work Packages (WPs): 1) Samples collection (hydatid cysts in sheep, goats, cattle and buffalo; eggs and adults in canids); 2) Sample preparation and extraction of miRNAs from the different developmental states of the parasite (egg, adult, hydatid cyst); 3) Quality verification of extracted RNA by spectrophotometer and electrophoretic run on agarose gel; 4) Bioinformatic analysis and identification of miRNAs most commonly present at various developmental stages; 5) Real-Time PCR to quantify miRNAs identified in the various developmental stages; 6) Cell culture miRNA overexpression/silencing to identify the role in the biological cycle of E. granulosus. Finally, using Echinococcus as a “model parasite”, the new control strategies developed could be adopted also for other parasitic infections.

Supervisior:

Prof.ssa Laura Rinaldi, University of Naples Federico II, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production