The Cellular and Molecular Pathophysiology Laboratory of the Department of Surgical and Oncological Sciences, University of Palermo, is a fully equipped laboratory with latest generation technologies that allow carrying out the main aims and research lines of our research group. In particular, PI’s research is focused on the study of the mechanisms underlying the molecular events of self-renewal and survival in cancer stem cells (CSCs) derived from colon, breast, thyroid and skin neoplasia.
Moreover, the established colon/breast metastatic preclinical models generated by orthotopic, subrenal capsule, intrasplenic or caudal vein injection of colon/breast CSCs ensure the experimental support for the main research focus of the laboratory. The availability of surgical samples is warranted by the collaboration with many surgeons, affiliated at the same Department and other regional health centers.
The laboratory includes an animal house (authorized in accordance with the Italian law DL #26, March 2014) equipped with a preclinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) 7.5 Tesla scan and whole-body bioluminescence- and fluorescence-based in vivo imaging system (WBIVIS), to monitor the tumorigenic and metastatic biological behavior by tracking the disseminating and metastatic cancer cells and to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of specific anti-cancer treatments. The WBIVIS permits the detection, localization and dynamic quantification of the optical signals.
A complete list of facilities and relative equipment is described below:
- Primary cell culture
- Molecular biology and biochemistry
- Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)
- Bacterial culture
- Flow cytometry
- Confocal microscope and optical imaging
- Histology and laboratory cleaning equipments
- Animal house and small animal imaging
- Additional resources (offices and meeting room)
- Cryopreservation Facility