Massa

Research Activities

The research activities at IFC-CNR Massa are very diversified and include:

 
1.    Biomaterials

The “Laboratory for Biomaterials” was born over to develop and characterize polymeric biomaterials and biomedical devices for cardiovascular applications. The most studied devices at the laboratory are cardiac valves, small-diameter vascular grafts and scaffolds for skin wound healing. The polymeric devices are fabricated through innovative technologies including spray, phase-inversion technology, electrospinning and 3D printing.

Within projects concerning innovative biocompatible materials and tissue engineering, the laboratory has gained experience in the culture of cell lines and in the isolation of human primary cells.

Currently the main activities concern the design and fabrication of bioactive materials for tissue regeneration and for local administration of drugs and bioactive agents in cardiovascular, osteo-articular and wound healing field. The research is carried on within national and international projects and collaborations with public institutions and biomedical companies.

2.    Congenital heart diseases

The scientific activities are carried out in collaboration with the pediatric cardiology/GUCH unit and pediatric cardiac surgery of FTGM (Tuscan tertiary center for the diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease from prenatal diagnosis to adulthood).

The research focuses on non-invasive evaluation in particular by means of cardiac magnetic resonance applied to congenital heart disease and acquired heart disease in pediatric age. A study on 3D models for the planning of intervention in complex congenital heart disease is ongoing.

Another study, during the last years, focalize on the usefulness of lung ultrasound in the evaluation of post-op pulmonary complications (the main causes of morbidity in intensive care) after pediatric cardiac surgery.

3.  Leuco-platelet pathophysiology

The research activities concern the cytofluorimetric evaluation of phenotypic and functional aspects of leukocytes and platelets of the peripheral blood of patients subjected to extracorporeal circulation by cardiac surgery (Project MINI-SEVO in collaboration with FTGM) and study of the phenotype of circulating monocytes, in the experimental model of pig (European ARTreat Project) and in clinical studies (SMARTool European Project, in collaboration with FTGM), in the progression of atherosclerotic disease.

Moreover, in collaboration with FTGM, other two studies are ongoing regards the phenotypic analyzes on thrombus aspirates and coronary circulation blood of patients with acute myocardial infarction, and correlation studies between the phenotype of circulating monocytes and coronary calcification level (Calcium score) in asymptomatic subjects aged 45 years (MHELP study).

4. Epidemiology and Biostatistics 

The research activities in the field of Epidemiology and Biostatistics are oriented to develop innovative biostatistical and epidemiological methods; to the design and statistical analysis of health surveys on current information flows, clinical trials, clinical and observational studies, through the application of advanced statistical methods.

The methodological research activity mainly concerns the development of statistical methods for spatio-temporal epidemiological surveillance and monitoring of the frequency of health events, methods for the evaluation of diagnostic tests and methods of capture-recapture for the estimation of hidden populations.

Epidemiological and biostatistical activity is oriented in particular to the following research areas: Screening on idiopathic hyposmia and on the relationship between idiopathic hyposmia and the development of Parkinson's disease; Innovative and sustainable diagnosis and management of Parkinson's disease through mHealth and ICT technologies; Prospective surveillance information system for the prevention and control of surgical site infections in cardiac surgery; Implementation of pathology registries regarding acute myocardial infarction, hemoglobinopathies and Parkinson's disease. The research activity is also oriented to the study of cardio and cerebrovascular diseases, psychiatric, tumoral, endocrinological, respiratory and clinical risk.

Scientific Production

•   Losi P, Mancuso L, Al Kayal T, Celi S, Briganti E, Gualerzi A, Volpi S, Cao G, Soldani G. Development of a gelatin-based polyurethane vascular graft by spray, phase-inversion technology. Biomed Mater. 2015 Aug 4;10(4):045014.

•   Al Kayal T, Panetta D, Canciani B, Losi P, Tripodi M, Burchielli S, Ottoni P, Salvadori PA, Soldani G. Evaluation of the effect of a gamma irradiated DBM-pluronic F127 composite on bone regeneration in Wistar rat. PLoS One. 2015 Apr 21;10(4):e0125110.

•   Barsotti MC, Al Kayal T, Tedeschi L, Dinucci D, Losi P, Sbrana S, Briganti E, Giorgi R, Chiellini F, Di Stefano R, Soldani G. Oligonucleotide biofunctionalization enhances endothelial progenitor cell adhesion on cobalt/chromium stents. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2015 Oct;103(10):3284-92.

•   Del Buffa S, Bonini M, Ridi F, Severi M, Losi P, Volpi S, Al Kayal T, Soldani G, Baglioni P. Design and characterization of a composite material based on Sr(II)-loaded clay nanotubes included within a biopolymer matrix. J Colloid Interface Sci. 2015 Jun 15;448:501-7.

•   Al Kayal T, Maniglio D, Bonani W, Losi P, Migliaresi C, Soldani G. A combined method for bilayered vascular graft fabrication. J Mater Sci Mater Med. 2015 Feb;26(2):96.

•   Vecoli C, Borghini A, Foffa I, Ait-Ali L, Picano E, Andreassi MG. Leukocyte telomere shortening in grown-up patients with congenital heart disease. Int J Cardiol. 2016 Feb 1;204:17-22.

•   Ait Ali L, Lunardini A, Festa P. Double-orifice mitral valve in Ebstein's anomaly. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2015 Dec;16(12):1410.

•   Aquaro GD, Barison A, Todiere G, Festa P, Ait-Ali L, Lombardi M, Di Bella G; Cardiac magnetic resonance 'virtual catheterization' for the quantification of valvular regurgitations and cardiac shunt.. the working group ‘Applicazioni della Risonanza Magnetica’ of the Italian Society of Cardiology. J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown). 2015 Oct;16(10):663-70.

•   Panesi P, Foffa I, Sabina S, Ait Ali L, Andreassi MG. Novel TGFBR2 and known missense SMAD3 mutations: two case reports of thoracic aortic aneurysms. Ann Thorac Surg. 2015 Jan;99(1):303-5

•   Ait-Ali L, Siciliano V, Passino C, Molinaro S, Pasanisi E, Sicari R, Pingitore A, Festa P. Role of stress echocardiography in operated fallot: feasibility and detection of right ventricular response. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2014 Dec;27(12):1319-28.

•   Del Turco S, Sartini S, Cigni G, Sentieri C, Sbrana S, Battaglia D, Papa A, Da Settimo F, La Motta C, Basta G. Synthetic analogues of flavonoids with improved activity against platelet activation and aggregation as novel prototypes of food supplements. Food Chem. 2015 May 15;175:494-499.

•   S Sbrana, G Pelosi, MR Puntoni, F Viglione, MG Trivella and O Parodi. Phenotype changes of circulating monocytes in a hypercholesterolemic swine model of coronary artery disease. J Cytol Histol 2014, 5(5).

•   Sbrana S, Della Pina F, Rizza A, Buffa M, De Filippis R, Gianetti J, Clerico A. Relationships between optical aggregometry (type Born) and flow cytometry in evaluating ADP-induced platelet activation. Cytometry B Clin Cytom. 2008 January 74(1):30-39.

•   Botto N, Sbrana S, Trianni G, Andreassi MG, Ravani M, Rizza A, Al-Jabri A, Palmieri C, Berti S. An increased platelet-leukocytes interaction at the culprit site of coronary artery occlusion in acute myocardial infarction: a pathogenic role for “no-reflow” phenomenon. Int J Cardiol. 2007 Apr 12;117(1):123-130.

•   Sbrana S, Bevilacqua S, Buffa M, Spiller D, Parri MS, Gianetti J, De Filippis R, Clerico A. Post-reperfusion changes of monocyte function in coronary blood after extracorporeal circulation. Cytometry B Clin Cytom. 2005 May 65(1):14-21.

•   Pepe A, Meloni A, Capra M, Cianciulli P, Prossomariti L, Malaventura C, Putti MC, Lippi A, Romeo MA, Bisconte MG, Filosa A, Caruso V, Quarta A, Pitrolo L, Missere M, Midiri M, Rossi G, Positano V, Lombardi M, Maggio A. Deferasirox, deferiprone and desferrioxamine treatment in thalassemia major patients: cardiac iron and function comparison determined by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging. Haematologica. 2011 Jan;96(1):41-7.

•   Maremmani C, Rossi G, Tambasco N, Fattori B, Pieroni A, Ramat S, Napolitano A, Vanni P, Serra P, Piersanti P, Zanetti M, Coltelli M, Orsini M, Marconi R, Purcaro C, Rossi A, Calabresi P, Meco G. The validity and reliability of the Italian Olfactory Identification Test (IOIT) in healthy subjects and in Parkinson's disease patients. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2012 Jul;18(6):788-93.

•   Pepe A, Meloni A, Rossi G, Cuccia L, D'Ascola GD, Santodirocco M, Cianciulli P, Caruso V, Romeo MA, Filosa A, Pitrolo L, Putti MC, Peluso A, Campisi S, Missere M, Midiri M, Gulino L, Positano V, Lombardi M, Ricchi P. Cardiac and hepatic iron and ejection fraction in thalassemia major: multicentre prospective comparison of combined deferiprone and deferoxamine therapy against deferiprone or deferoxamine monotherapy. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson. 2013 Jan 16;15:1.

•   Rossi G, Sarto SD, Marchi M. A new risk-adjusted Bernoulli cumulative sum chart for monitoring binary health data. Stat Methods Med Res. 2014 Apr 22.

•   Carpeggiani C, Rossi G, Landi P, Michelassi C, Brambilla M, Cortigiani L, Picano E. Long-term outcome and medical radiation exposure in patients hospitalized for cardiovascular disease. Int J Cardiol. 2015 Sep 15;195:30-6.

Staff

How to reach us

Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica (C.N.R.) - Section of Massa
Hospital Plant of Massa - "Ospedale del Cuore"
Via Aurelia Sud - Loc. Montepepe - 54100 Massa, Italy

By car

Autostrade:

A12 Genova-Rosignano: uscita Versilia

In città:

seguire le indicazioni per "Forte dei marmi" e successivamente per "Montignoso".

By plane and by bus

Areoporto Galilei di Pisa.

Stazione di Massa: si può raggiungere l'Istituto:

Taxi (0585 790500)

Mezzi pubblici- Linea 68 (Massa-Montignoso-Cerreto) - www.catspa.it