Cancer, Fibrosis and Coagulation

The research focuses on the role of coagulation in cancer, with particular emphasis on tumor-expressed proteins that regulate the cross-talk between tumor cells and platelets, and more broadly on the mechanisms of the coagulation cascade. A central objective of the project is the development of novel biological drugs capable of selectively inhibiting coagulation on the surface of tumor cells while preserving systemic coagulation. In parallel, the role of these proteins and their ability to interact with the coagulation cascade are also investigated on the surface of immune cells, in order to understand their contribution to the modulation of antitumor immune activity. My research group, recently established, employs preclinical in vivo and ex vivo models and makes use of state-of-the-art experimental methodologies. In particular, the biological drugs developed within the project will be tested on human tumor biopsies using advanced microfluidic systems and subsequently analyzed through single-cell analysis technologies.