Ezio Laconi

Department of Biomedical Sciences

Telephone: +39 070675 8348

E-mail: elaconi@unica.it

Personal webpage: here

Main areas of expertise: Carcinogenesis; 

  

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♦ Main research topics and approaches

Mechanisms of carcinogenesis, with emphasis on:

1. the pathogenesis of focal proliferative lesions
2. the role of the tissue microenvironment
3. the role of the tumor microenvironment
4. the role of alterations in growth pattern

Models/Approaches:

Given that we consider cancer as a disease of tissues, not solely of cells, our approaches to the analysis of carcinogenesis is biological and molecular. An orthotopic transplantation system developed in our laboratory allows us to analyze the biological fate of normal, preneoplastic and neoplastic cell populations, giving a unique opportunity to dissect the molecular bases of their different biological behavior. In this context, the role of the tissue microenvironment can be analyzed with great accuracy. We are currently studying how aging and modulation of caloric intake can affect various stages of carcinogenesis, with specific emphasis on alterations induced in the tissue microenvironment.  

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Key publications:

1. Laconi E, Cheri S, Fanti M, Marongiu F. Aging and Cancer: The Waning of Community Bonds. Cells. 2021 Aug 31;10(9):2269. doi: 10.3390/cells10092269.
2. Marongiu F, Cheri S, Laconi E. Cell competition, cooperation, and cancer. Neoplasia. 2021 Sep 6;23(10):1029-1036. doi: 10.1016/j.neo.2021.08.001.
3. Laconi E, Marongiu F, DeGregori J. Cancer as a disease of old age: changing mutational and microenvironmental landscapes. Br J Cancer. 2020 Mar;122(7):943-952. doi: 10.1038/s41416-019-0721-1. Epub 2020 Feb 11.
4. Serra M, Marongiu F, Pisu MG, Serra M, Laconi E. Time-restricted feeding delays the emergence of the age-associated, neoplastic-prone tissue landscape. Aging (Albany NY). 2019 Jun 12;11(11):3851-3863. doi: 10.18632/aging.102021.
5. Marongiu F, Serra M, Laconi E. Development versus Evolution in Cancer Biology. Trends Cancer. 2018 May;4(5):342-348. doi: 10.1016/j.trecan.2018.03.007.
6. Marongiu F, Serra MP, Fanti M, Cadoni E, Serra M, Laconi E. Regenerative Medicine: Shedding Light on the Link between Aging and Cancer. Cell Transplant. 2017 Sep;26(9):1530-1537. doi: 10.1177/0963689717721224.
7. Cadoni E, Marongiu F, Fanti M, Serra M, Laconi E. Caloric restriction delays early phases of carcinogenesis via effects on the tissue microenvironment. Oncotarget. 2017 May 30;8(22):36020-36032. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.16421.
8. Marongiu F, Marongiu M, Contini A, Serra M, Cadoni E, Murgia R, Laconi E. Hyperplasia vs hypertrophy in tissue regeneration after extensive liver resection. World J Gastroenterol. 2017 Mar 14;23(10):1764-1770. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i10.1764.
9. Marongiu F, Serra MP, Doratiotto S, Sini M, Fanti M, Cadoni E, Serra M, Laconi E. Aging promotes neoplastic disease through effects on the tissue microenvironment. Aging (Albany NY). 2016 Dec 6;8(12):3390-3399. doi: 10.18632/aging.101128.
10. Serra MP, Marongiu F, Marongiu M, Contini A, Laconi E. Cell-autonomous decrease in proliferative competitiveness of the aged hepatocyte. J Hepatol. 2015 Jun;62(6):1341-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2015.01.015.