Research areas
The research activities of the Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine encompass numerous aspects of preclinical, clinical, and translational biomedical research. Furthermore, they cover epidemiology, global health, healthcare and sports management, pedagogy, and healthcare sociology.
Research areas by discipline
Anatomy
- Morphological changes of the lung in a bleomycin-induced animal model of pulmonary fibrosis.
- Characterization of cardiac progenitor cells and analysis of the effects of the hormone relaxin.
- Morpho-functional and biochemical characterization of myoblastic cells.
- Skeletal muscle differentiation and the role played by bioactive lipids (sphingosine-1-phosphate).
- Neuroprotective effect of Zinc and the deglycosylated form of vitamin D-binding protein on damage induced in neuronal and glial cells by toxic agents.
- Investigation into the mechanisms responsible for pain sensations during neuropathy and the relationships between pain and neuroregenerative processes.
- Isolation and characterization of human cholinergic neurons from the fetal nucleus basalis of Meynert (Alzheimer's disease).
- Morphological study of the gastrointestinal and articular systems in humans and animal experimental models during chronic inflammatory diseases.
- Histopathological study of the synovium in patients with hemophilic arthropathy.
- Study of the metabolic, structural, and ultrastructural effects of exposure to environmental pollutants, particularly Cadmium and Platinum derivatives, in human neurons and neuroblasts.
- Study of the regulatory mechanisms of the reproductive axis.
- Study of the effects of platelet gel (PRP) adsorbed on artificial dermal matrices on experimental skin lesions in rats, in the presence of MSCs (Mesenchymal Stem Cells).
Cardiac Surgery
- Over the last three years, research activity has focused on various surgically relevant aspects of heart failure.
Cardiology
The main research lines focus on the cardiological aspects of amyloidosis and can be summarized as follows:
- Right ventricular involvement and its prognostic value.
- Psychological impact on the patient.
- Identification of echocardiographic markers in the early stage of the disease.
- The role of cardiac MRI as an indicator of cardiac involvement in different types of amyloidosis.
- Prognostic role of the fragmented QRS electrocardiographic pattern.
- The role of Technetium (Tc) and Bisphosphonate scintigraphy in differential diagnosis.
- Study of the geographical distribution of transthyretin mutations responsible for TTR amyloidosis in Tuscany.
- Use of the MELD score for prognostic purposes in patients with heart failure.
- Evaluation of novel cardiac biomarkers for heart failure.
Vascular Surgery
- Pathology of the extracranial carotid artery.
- Endovascular treatment of thoracoabdominal aneurysmal disease using fenestrated and branched endoprostheses.
- Surgical or endovascular treatment of peripheral arterial diseases.
Histopathological and Molecular Diagnostics
- Morphological and molecular characterization of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).
- Study of emerging prognostic factors related to epithelial tumors of the thymus.
- Study of high-sensitivity and high-specificity markers in the positive diagnosis of mesothelioma.
- Molecular study of malignant epithelial tumors.
Hepatology
- Molecular mechanisms of oncogenesis induced by chronic infections.
- Genetic and epigenetic analysis of infection-related lymphoproliferative disorders.
- Definition, characterization, diagnosis, treatment, and pathogenesis of various systemic manifestations of hepatitis viruses.
- Innovative therapies with antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibodies in mixed cryoglobulinemia and HCV-related low-grade lymphomas.
- Study of biological rhythms and the central and peripheral oscillators regulating all functions, from organ levels (liver and psychoneuroendocrine system) to subcellular levels.
Physiology
- Animal behavior analysis, with particular focus on the neural correlates underlying learning and memory processes.
- Study of the nervous and hormonal control of smooth muscle, with special reference to gastrointestinal motor phenomena.
- Neurophysiology studies, focusing on the central nervous mechanisms involved in motor and rhythmic activities, as well as learning, memory, and plasticity mechanisms in animals and humans.
- Study of the mechano-chemical coupling and excitation-contraction mechanisms, with particular reference to the cardiac muscle and its alterations during disease.
- Study of the molecular force-generation mechanism of skeletal muscle, with special focus on muscle fatigue and static stiffness.
- Study of the role of medullary regions involved in the generation and regulation of respiratory rhythm and the cough reflex induced by mechanical and chemical stimulation of the tracheobronchial tree.
- Study of motor behavior and subsequent morpho-functional remodeling; study of chronic pain.
- Study on eye movement alterations in neurodegenerative diseases.
- Study on the relevance of sensorimotor integration in the aging process: physiology and function.
Health Services Research
- Preventive, epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, healthcare-assistance, healthcare management, healthcare economics, sports management, and healthcare marketing aspects.
- Definition of surveillance and control protocols for infectious and chronic-degenerative diseases.
- Evaluations in the care setting, healthcare pathways, and patient management.
- Economic-healthcare evaluations, identification of health and pathology determinants, as well as historical and contextual elements of the health/disease system.
Immunology & Allergology
- Cellular and molecular characterization and the role of different immune response components in physiological and pathological conditions.
- Immunomodulatory components and both solid and hematological tumors.
- Immunodeficiencies.
- Reproductive immunology.
- Immunology of infectious diseases.
- Autoimmune syndromes.
Histology
- Ion channels of the urothelium.
- Morphological and functional characteristics of cells within the muscular tunics of visceral organs, pacemaker cells, enteric neurons, and intestinal smooth muscle cells.
- In vitro differentiation of dendritic cells.
- In vivo distribution and intercellular relationships of cells responsible for tissue response to localized damage, specifically mast cells and dendritic cells, and possible practical implications in forensic medicine diagnostics.
- Mechanisms of protection against cellular damage from hypoxia-reoxygenation.
- Role of different reception and signal transduction pathways in conditions of experimental tissue damage and disease.
Critical Care and Specialized Medicine
- Genetic/molecular basis of extracellular matrix pathologies, with particular regard to Marfan syndrome, thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms, Bethlem myopathy, and Ullrich dystrophy.
- Characterization and molecular epidemiology, mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, virulence, and host-pathogen interactions in pathogenic bacteria, and development of new antibacterial drugs.
- Identification and clinical significance of hypercoagulability markers in cardiovascular pathology.
- Identification of early markers of vascular damage using ultrasound techniques, and evaluation of systemic inflammatory activation and cellular oxidation mechanisms within the systemic, tissue, and cellular renin-angiotensin systems.
- Impact of innovative therapies on the molecular profile of patients and identification of pathogenetic mechanisms associated with mutations that may represent targets for new drugs to develop new diagnostic procedures and pathways.
- Pathophysiological mechanisms and genetic/molecular bases of atherosclerotic disease in various districts (coronary, peripheral, cerebral, and large vessel arterial disease) and thromboembolic disease.
- Individual response mechanisms to antiplatelet, anticoagulant, and antihypertensive therapies, and identification of genetic/molecular/cellular determinants of residual platelet reactivity.
- Viral drug resistance and development of innovative antivirals.
- Role of inflammation and circulating endothelial progenitor cells in vascular pathology.
- Study of Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms through the analysis of mutational profile changes during the course of the disease.
- Study of the predictive value of peripheral leukemic blast clearance in myeloid leukemia, genotype/phenotype correlation, and the role of minimal residual disease (MRD) in acute myeloid leukemia.
- Evaluation of global vascular risk in women with a history of gender-specific disorders through cellular, biomolecular, and clinical-instrumental assessment of vascular function.
- Evaluation of the role of nutrition and lifestyle in the prevention of chronic-degenerative, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases, and in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Oncology
- Analysis of macromolecular complexes capable of triggering signaling cascades that induce an invasive phenotype, based on the interaction between ion channels (e.g., hERG1) and other membrane proteins (e.g., integrins, growth factor receptors).
- Interaction between tumor cells and both innate and adaptive immune response cells.
- Study of alterations at the plasma membrane level that differentiate tumor cells from healthy counterparts.
- Study of the lipid structure of neoplastic cells (particularly gangliosides and sulfatides) and its correlation with the onset of a metastatic phenotype.
Otolaryngology
- Study of the biological, clinical, and surgical aspects of malignant tumors of the head and neck region, with particular interest in squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity and larynx.
- Study of the clinical phenotyping of acute and chronic rhinosinusitis, with particular reference to the correlation between inflammatory endotype and nasal polyposis.
- Study of the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for chemosensory alterations secondary to infectious agents, trauma, and degenerative processes of the CNS.
Respiratory Diseases
- Characterization of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
- Patient phenotyping and severity scoring using a standardized model.
- Use of lung imaging techniques with CT densitometry to study lung parenchyma and intrathoracic airways.
- Screening for biomarkers in serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and excised lung tissue indicative of lung parenchymal destruction and inflammatory airway changes.
- Study of comorbidity prevalence in COPD patients classified by clinical phenotype and disease severity.
Exercise and Sports Sciences
- The role of adapted physical activity for promoting psychophysical well-being and quality of life in target individuals with complex, multidimensional needs.
- Study of the morpho-functional prerequisites of motor performance in subjects with disabilities to promote integration and quality of life through sports.
Urology & Andrology
- Andrology and kidney tumors.
- Application of new technologies in the focal surgical treatment of renal and prostate malignancies.
- Prostate Carcinoma.
- Radiation cystitis
- Urodynamic investigations for studying lower urinary tract, bladder, and urethral function, alongside a new surgical technique involving prostheses for pelvic floor reconstruction in female pelvic organ prolapse.
- Bladder cancer.
Specific research lines of the Department
The Department's experimental and clinical research activities are carried out across numerous laboratories equipped with traditional and innovative technologies. Beyond the technologies themselves, these laboratories possess core competencies and excellence in knowledge, positioning the Department among the most advanced national and international organizations.
The comprehensive, non-exhaustive list of research lines is as follows:
- Antimicrobial agents
- Pathology (Anatomia patologica)
- Clinical and experimental angiology
- Antimicrobial stewardship
- Molecular and cellular biology of aging
- Molecular and cellular oncology
- Molecular and cellular biology of rheumatic diseases
- Molecular and cellular biology of digestive system diseases
- Vascular diagnostics
- Healthcare Business Economics
- Geriatric epidemiology
- Electrophysiology
- Physiology
- Pathophysiology of liver injury and repair
- Molecular genetics and cell biology for atherothrombotic, hemorrhagic, and cardiovascular diseases
- Microbial genomics
- Identification of peripheral biomarkers of tumor evolution (lymphoma and/or hepatocellular carcinoma) in hepatitis virus infections
- Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI)
- Clostridioides difficile infection
- Infections and cystic fibrosis
- Hygiene and Public Health
- Immunology
- Histology
- Clinical Microbiology
- Infectious diseases
- Respiratory diseases
- Occupational medicine
- Sports medicine
- Physical and rehabilitation medicine
- Emergency medicine
- Nanomedicine
- Renal oncology
- Optimization of Antimicrobial Stewardship pathways
- General and Social Pedagogy
- Cardiovascular rehabilitation
- Sports sciences / Kinesiology
- History of medicine
- Study of urological diseases
- Nutritional sciences
- Hypertension research
- Stem cell research
- Autoimmunity research
- Study of inflammatory joint diseases
- Study of degenerative joint diseases
- Pulmonary hypertension research
- Interstitial lung disease research
- Study of neuro-hormonal systems
- Hematological diseases research
- Myeloproliferative neoplasms research
- Quality of life assessment and educational programs for patients with pulmonary hypertension
- Quality of life assessment in patients with HCV-related lymphoproliferative disorders before and after IFN therapy
- Virology
Last update
03.06.2026