Simona Casazza, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Department of Neurology
University of California San Francisco
(415) 476-3136

Education and Training

• 2000-2002 Citology and histology.
  Department of Biology, Genoa University, Genoa, Italy
• 2002-2006 Ph.D. Candidate, Neuroscience.
  Department of Neurology, Ophtalmology and Genetics, Genoa University, Italy
  

Awards and Honors

• 1997-2002 Graduate Fellowship, Genoa University, Italy

Research experience

• 2000-2002 Genoa University - Dr. Grazia Tagliafierro, Ph.D.
• 2002-2007 Genoa University, Cell Biology, Histology, Neuropathology - Dr. Antonio Uccelli, MD

Research interest

Key words: Multiple Sclerosis, Mesenchymal Stem cells, EAE, Neuropathology, Neuroprotection

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have multi-lineage differentiation capacity. In addition, MSCs exert profound modulatory effect on immune cells by means of both soluble and cell-to-cell contact-dependent mechanisms. I’m interested in applying genetic, molecular and bioinformatics tools to isolate MSC and characterize the mechanisms responsible for their therapeutic properties.

A second project involves the analysis of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their role in the development of autoimmune demyelination and subsequent neurodegeneration.

Other

Recent Publications
Gerdoni E., Gallo B., Casazza S., Musio S., Bonanni I., Pedemonte E., Mantegazza R., Frassoni F., Mancardi G., Pedotti R., Uccelli A. Mesenchymal stem cells effectively modulate pathogenic immune response in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Ann Neurol. 2007

Pedemonte E., Benvenuto F., Casazza S., Mancardi G, Oksenberg JR., Uccelli A., Baranzini S. The molecular signature of therapeutic meesenchymal stem cells exposes the architecture of the hematopoietic stem cell niche synapse. BMC  Genomics 2007