DrLeandroCastellano

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery & Cancer

Visiting Reader

Contact

Location

ICTEM buildingHammersmith Campus

Summary

Within tumours, individual cells often differ genetically while also transitioning between specific cell states linked to disease progression and treatment failure.

Dr Castellano's group is investigating how non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) interacting with proteins and DNA control these phenotypes.

ncRNAs can be short (< 200bp) including the class of microRNAs or longer (> 200bp) and called long non-coding RNAs: both are often dysregulated in cancers, either enhancing or slowing oncogenesis by various mechanisms. By focusing on the roles of these non-coding RNAs in orchestrating transitions, such as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition that facilitates metastasis, and the differentiation of stem-like tumour cells into differentiated progeny, we hope to elucidate functions of this previously unrecognised layer of regulatory RNAs.

Non-coding RNAs implicated in maintaining these tumour cell states can then offer diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic potential once their contribution to tumour behaviour is established. Interested candidates with relevant skills and expertise may contact Dr Castellano.

Publications

Journals

Alexieva D, Long Y, Sarkar R, et al.Alexieva D, Long Y, Sarkar R, Dhayan H, Bruet E, Winston R, Vorechovsky I, Castellano L, Dibb NJ close, 2022, Background splicing as a predictor of aberrant splicing in genetic disease, Rna Biology, Vol:19, ISSN:1547-6286, Pages:256-265

Mirón-Barroso S, Correia JS, Frampton AE, et al.Mirón-Barroso S, Correia JS, Frampton AE, Lythgoe MP, Clark J, Tookman L, Ottaviani S, Castellano L, Porter AE, Georgiou TK, Krell J close, 2022, Polymeric carriers for delivery of RNA cancer therapeutics, Non-coding Rna, Vol:8, ISSN:2311-553X, Pages:58-58

Pinzon Cortes JA, El-Osta A, Fontemaggi G, et al.Pinzon Cortes JA, El-Osta A, Fontemaggi G, Delihas N, Miyazaki K, Goel A, Brazane M, Carre C, Dama P, Bayraktar S, Castellano L, Enguita FJ, Mitic T, Caporali A, Gerber AP, Amodio N close, 2022, The Non-Coding RNA Journal Club: Highlights on Recent Papers-10, Non-coding Rna, Vol:8

Pardo O, Chrysostomou S, Roy R, et al.Pardo O, Chrysostomou S, Roy R, Prischi F, Thamlikitkul L, Chapman KL, Mufti U, Peach R, Ding L, Hancock D, Moore C, Molina-Arcas M, Mauri F, Pinato DJ, Abrahams JM, Ottaviani S, Castellano L, Giamas G, Pascoe J, Moonamale D, Pirrie S, Gaunt C, Billingham L, Steven NM, Cullen M, Hrouda D, Winkler M, Post J, Cohen P, Salpeter SJ, Bar V, Zundelevich A, Golan S, Leibovici D, Lara R, Klug DR, Yaliraki SN, Barahona M, Wang Y, Downward J, Skehel JM, Ali MMU, Seckl MJ close, 2021, Repurposed floxacins targeting RSK4 prevent chemoresistance and metastasis in lung and bladder cancer, Science Translational Medicine, Vol:13, ISSN:1946-6234

Malczewska A, Frampton AE, Mato Prado M, et al.Malczewska A, Frampton AE, Mato Prado M, Ameri S, Dabrowska AF, Zagorac S, Clift AK, Kos-Kudła B, Faiz O, Stebbing J, Castellano L, Frilling A close, 2021, Circulating microRNAs in small-bowel neuroendocrine tumors: a potential tool for diagnosis and assessment of effectiveness of surgical resection, Annals of Surgery, Vol:274, ISSN:0003-4932, Pages:e1-e9

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