Position:

Professor of Cellular Physiology (6CFU/year) and Biophysics (3CFU/year) for the master degree course of Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB, University of Torino).

Professor of Evolutionary Physiology (6CFU/year) for the master degree course of Evolution of Animal and Human Behavior (ECAU, University of Torino).

Professor of History of Evolutionary Theory (section of ‘Astronave Terra’, 6 hours) for Scuola di Studi Superiori Ferdinando Rossi (SSST, University of Torino).

 

Affiliation:

Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino.

 

Topics of interest

Cellular and molecular angiogenesis and vascularization

Tumor angiogenesis: Intracellular signaling in tumor-derived endothelial cells.

Skin vascularization: in vitro approaches for testing natural products of dermatological interest.

Bone vascularization: in vitro evaluation of biocompatibility of biomaterials for bone implants.

Mathematical Modeling

Biomathematical models for vascularization and angiogenesis

Nanobiotech

Use of functionalized nanotubes for drug delivering against tumor vascularization. Effects of nanoparticles on cellular physiology.

 

Biography:

Luca Munaron graduated ‘cum laude’ in Biology in 1990 at the University of Turin, with a Thesis on Cellular Oncology, obtained his PhD in Physiological Sciences in 1994 (Univ of Milan) and is currently Associate Professor in Physiology at the University of Turin. During his career, he held courses on Cell Physiology, Evolutionary Physiology, General Physiology, Didactics on Natural Sciences and Hystory and Philosophy of Sciences. He is author of more than 80 full papers on peer-reviewed international journals and books, invited speaker and chairman at national and international meetings, member of the Editorial Board of international journals and of the scientific committe ‘Complex systems life sciences’ PhD program (Univ of Torino). Munaron founded and is currently the Chief of Cellular and Molecular Angiogenesis Laboratory at the Department of Life Sciences & Systems Biology (Univ Torino). His research is focused on the physiology and pathology of tissue vascularization, mainly by the use of in vitro technology. The experimental data from his lab were successfully employed to provide mathematical models for the quantitative description of vascular remodeling. In the last years, his basic research was integrated with more applied topics in the fields of dermatology, nutraceutics and bone remodeling and repair.

 

Recent works:

 

  • Bassino E, Gasparri F, Munaron L. Pleiotropic effects of white willow bark and 1,2 decanediol on human adult keratinocytes. Skin Pharm Physiol, in press.
  • Petrillo S, Chiabrando D, Genova T, Fiorito V, Ingoglia G, Vinchi F , Mussano F, Carossa S, Silengo L, Altruda F, Merlo GR, Munaron L, Tolosano E. Heme Accumulation in Endothelial Cells Impairs Angiogenesis by Triggering Paraptosis. Cell Death Diff, in press.
  • Bianco S, Mancardi D, Merlino A, Bussolati B, Munaron L. Hypoxia and hydrogen sulfide differentially affect normal and tumor-derived vascular endothelium. Redox Biol. 2017; 12:499-504. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2017.03.015.
  • Genova T, Grolez GP, Camillo C, Bernardini M, Bokhobza A, Richard E, Scianna M, Lemonnier L, Valdembri D, Munaron L, Philips MR, Mattot V, Serini G, Prevarskaya N, Gkika D, Pla AF. TRPM8 inhibits endothelial cell migration via a non-channel function by trapping the small GTPase Rap1. J Cell Biol. 2017 Jul 3;216(7):2107-2130. doi: 10.1083/jcb.201506024.
  • Mussano F, Genova T, Falzacappa E Verga, Scopece P, Munaron L, Rivolo P, Mandracci P, Benedetti A, Carossa S, Patelli, A. In vitro characterization of two different atmospheric plasma jet chemical functionalizations of titanium surfaces.  Appl Surf Sci. 2017;409:314-324. doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2017.02.035
  • Scianna M, Bassino E, Munaron L. An Innovative Assay for the Analysis of In Vitro Endothelial Remodeling: Experimental and Computational Evidence. J Cell Physiol. 2017 Feb;232(2):243-248. doi: 10.1002/jcp.25468.
  • Mussano F, Genova T, Rivolo P, Mandracci P, Munaron L, Faga MG, Carossa S. Role of Surface Finishing on the in vitro Biological Properties of a Silicon Nitride-Titanium Nitride (Si3N4-TiN) Composite. J Mater Sci 2017;52:467–77. doi:10.1007/s10853-016-0346-1.
  • Bassino E, Vallariello E, Gasparri F, Munaron L. Dermal-Epidermal Cross-Talk: Differential Interactions With Microvascular Endothelial Cells. J Cell Physiol. 2017 May;232(5):897-903. doi: 10.1002/jcp.25657.
  • Scianna M, Munaron L. Computational Approaches For Translational Oncology: Concepts And Patents. Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov. 2016;11(4):384-392. doi:10.2174/15748928116661610031115 43
  • Avanzato D, Genova T, Fiorio Pla A, Bernardini M, Bianco S, Bussolati B, Mancardi D, Giraudo E, Maione F, Cassoni P, Castellano I, Munaron L. Activation of P2X7 and P2Y11 purinergic receptors inhibits migration and normalizes tumor-derived endothelial cells via cAMP signaling. Sci Rep. 2016 Sep 2;6:32602. doi: 10.1038/srep32602.