Comparative Oncology

“Studiamo i tumori del cane per migliorare la salute sia del cane che dell’uomo”

Il principale argomento di ricerca del gruppo di Laura Bongiovanni è lo studio dei tumori spontanei negli animali domestici, in particolare del cane, come modello per lo studio dei tumori dell’uomo, come parte del concetto di “One Medicine” e con un approccio di ocnologia comparata. I progetti di ricerca attuali sono focalizzati sulo sviluppo di nuovi biomarker tumorali basati sulle biopsie liquide e sulle vescicole extracellulari per la diagnosi e il monitoraggio della progressione tumorale in risposta al trattamento, e sull’individuazione di nuovi approcci terapeutici che possano essere applicati sia a pazienti animali che uomani affetti da tumore. Il principale modello studiato è il melanoma mucosale del cane: come migliorare i trattamenti attualmente disponibili e risolvere il problema della resistenza.

• Laura Bongiovanni, Professore Associato

• Alice Musi, PhD 

• Utrecht University (NL), Prof Alain de Bruin, Dr Bart Westendorp

• University of Perugia (IT), Prof Chiara Brachelente, Dr Ilaria Porcellato

• IDEXX laboratories (UK), Dr Stefano Di Palma

• Princess Maxima Centre, Utrecht (NL), Prof Lieve Tytgat

• College Veterinary Medicine, Michigan University (USA), Dr Rebecca Smedley

• 2021 ISVD (International Society of Veterinary Dermatopathology) grant 2021, as Principal Investigator, Project “Unravelling The Spatial Profile Of Dna Methylation In Canine Malignant Melanoma ”. Co-PI: Bart Westendorp (Utrecht University, NL), Co-appilcant Chiara Brachelente (University of Perugia, IT).
• 2017-2018: Co-applicant: "Application of the 3D cell culture techniques to the study of canine melanoma as a comparative model for human melanoma” Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Perugia (Perugia, Italy).
• 2013-2014: As one of the principal investigators: "Analysis of the molecular pathways involved in metastatization of canine melanoma and its applicability in the study of human melanoma". Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Perugia (Perugia, Italy). PI Prof Chiara Brachelente, University of Perugia (Italy).

1. Lak NSM, Seijger A, van Zogchel LMJ, Gelineau NU, Javadi A, Zappeij-Kannegieter L, Bongiovanni L, Andriessen A, Stutterheim J, van der Schoot CE, de Bruin A, Tytgat GAM. Cell-Free RNA from Plasma in Patients with Neuroblastoma: Exploring the Technical and Clinical Potential. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Mar 31;15(7):2108. doi: 10.3390/cancers15072108.PMID: 37046768 Free PMC article.

2. Musi A, Bongiovanni L. Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Drug Resistance: Implications on Melanoma Therapy. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Feb 8;15(4):1074. doi: 10.3390/cancers15041074.PMID: 36831417 Free PMC article. Review.

3. Bongiovanni L, Brachelente C, Dow S, Bergman PJ. Editorial: Canine melanoma in comparative oncology: Translate research advances to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic options. Front Vet Sci. 2023 Jan 9;9:1127527. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1127527. eCollection 2022.PMID: 36699329 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

4. Smedley RC, Bongiovanni L, Bacmeister C, Clifford CA, Christensen N, Dreyfus JM, Gary JM, Pavuk A, Rowland PH, Swanson C, Tripp C, Woods JP, Bergman PJ. Diagnosis and histopathologic prognostication of canine melanocytic neoplasms: A consensus of the Oncology-Pathology Working Group. Vet Comp Oncol. 2022 Dec;20(4):739-751. doi: 10.1111/vco.12827. Epub 2022 Jul 4.PMID: 35522017 Free PMC article. Review.

5. Moccia V, Sammarco A, Cavicchioli L, Castagnaro M, Bongiovanni L, Zappulli V. Review. Extracellular Vesicles in Veterinary Medicine. Animals (Basel). 2022 Oct 10;12(19):2716. doi: 10.3390/ani12192716.PMID: 36230457 Free PMC article. 

6. Andriessen A, Bongiovanni L, Driedonks TAP, van Liere E, Seijger A, Hegeman CV, van Nimwegen SA, Galac S, Westendorp B, Nolte-'t Hoen ENM, de Bruin A. CDC6: A novel canine tumour biomarker detected in circulating extracellular vesicles. Vet Comp Oncol. 2022 Jun;20(2):381-392. doi: 10.1111/vco.12781. Epub 2021 Nov 17.PMID: 34743398 Free PMC article.

7. Bongiovanni L, Andriessen A, Wauben MHM, Nolte-'t Hoen ENM, de Bruin A. Extracellular Vesicles:  Novel Opportunities to Understand and Detect Neoplastic Diseases. Vet Pathol. 2021 May;58(3):453-471. doi: 10.1177/0300985821999328. Epub 2021 Apr 5.PMID: 33813952 Free PMC article. Review.

8. Bongiovanni L, Andriessen A, Silvestri S, Porcellato I, Brachelente C, de Bruin A. H2AFZ: A Novel Prognostic Marker in Canine Melanoma and a Predictive Marker for Resistance to CDK4/6 Inhibitor Treatment. Front Vet Sci. 2021 Aug 16;8:705359. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.705359. eCollection 2021.PMID: 34485433 Free PMC article.

9. Silvestri S, Porcellato I, Mechelli L, Menchetti L, Iussich S, De Maria R, Sforna M, Bongiovanni L, Brachelente C. E-Cadherin Expression in Canine Melanocytic Tumors: Histological, Immunohistochemical, and Survival Analysis. Vet Pathol. 2020 Sep;57(5):608-619. doi: 10.1177/0300985820934385. Epub 2020 Jun 24.PMID: 32578507

10. Porcellato I, Silvestri S, Menchetti L, Recupero F, Mechelli L, Sforna M, Iussich S, Bongiovanni L, Lepri E, Brachelente C. Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes in canine melanocytic tumours: An investigation on the prognostic role of CD3 +  and CD20 +  lymphocytic populations. Vet Comp Oncol. 2020 Sep;18(3):370-380. doi: 10.1111/vco.12556. Epub 2019 Dec 11.PMID: 31750993 Free article.

11. Brachelente C, Cappelli K, Capomaccio S, Porcellato I, Silvestri S, Bongiovanni L, De Maria R, Verini Supplizi A, Mechelli L, Sforna M. Transcriptome Analysis of Canine Cutaneous Melanoma and Melanocytoma Reveals a Modulation of Genes Regulating Extracellular Matrix Metabolism and Cell Cycle. Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 25;7(1):6386. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-06281-1.PMID: 28743863 Free PMC article.

12. Bongiovanni L, D'Andrea A, Porcellato I, Ciccarelli A, Malatesta D, Romanucci M, Della Salda L, Mechelli L, Brachelente C. Canine cutaneous melanocytic tumours: significance of β-catenin and survivin immunohistochemical expression. Vet Dermatol. 2015 Aug;26(4):270-e59. doi: 10.1111/vde.12211. Epub 2015 May 12.PMID: 25962968

13. Porcellato I, Sforna M, Lo Giudice A, Bossi I, Musi A, Tognoloni A, Chiaradia E, Mechelli L, Brachelente C. Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Canine Oral and Cutaneous Melanomas and Melanocytomas: Phenotypic and Prognostic Assessment. Front Vet Sci. 2022 Jul 22;9:878949. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.878949. eCollection 2022.PMID: 35937296 Free PMC article.