1
CURRICULUM VITAE
NAME
Francesca Ficara
POSITION TITLE
CNR researcher
E-MAIL: [email protected]; francesca.ficara@irgb.cnr.it
ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1873-1189
Google Scholar ID: https://scholar.google.it/citations?user=gZaaKogAAAAJ&hl
EDUCATION/TRAINING
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION
DEGREE
(if applicable)
Completion
Date
FIELD OF STUDY
University of Milan, Italy
Baccalaureate,
110/110 cum laude
02/1998
Biological Sciences
University of Ancona, Italy
PhD
03/2003
Immunological Sciences
Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy
(HSR-TIGET), Milan, Italy
07/2004
Gene Therapy
Stanford University School of Medicine,
Stanford, CA, USA
Postdoctoral in
Pathology
08/2009
Stem Cell Biology
Positions and Honors
1996-1998
Undergraduate Student, HSR-TIGET, Milan, Italy
1998-1999
Telethon Research Fellow, HSR-TIGET
1999-2003
Graduate Student, University of Ancona, and HSR-TIGET
2003-2004
Postdoctoral Fellow, HSR-TIGET
2004-2009
Postdoctoral Scholar, Dept. of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine
2009-2010
Research Associate, Dept. of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine
2010-2017
Research Associate, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano (MI), Italy
2011-present
Tenured Researcher, Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research (IRGB), UOS
of Milan, National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
2017-present
CNR Principal Investigator, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano
(MI), Italy
Awards
2006
2008
Junior Investigator Poster Award at the 4th ISSCR Annual Meeting inToronto
Travel Award for the 6th ISSCR Annual Meeting in Philadelphia
Research Topics
Hematopoietic stem cells and factors affecting regulation of the balance between self-renewal and
differentiation, including transcription factors, micro-RNAs, interaction with different elements of the bone
marrow microenvironment; myeloproliferative disorders ; osteopetrosis and regenerative medicine.
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Contribution to Science
Publications: 27 peer-reviewed papers in international journals, total impact factor 206; average: 7.6
(InCite Journal Citation Report 2019). These publications received to date 2088 citations.
H Index 16 (ISI Web of Science).
Abstracts accepted as oral presentations in international conferences such as ASH (American Society of
Hematology), European Society of Gene Therapy (ESGT), International Congress of Immunology (ICI),
European School of Immunology (ESH) meetings and EMBO/SEMM workshops, or accepted as poster
presentations.
Recent abstracts (as last author):
• Pbx1 genetic ablation inhibits tumor growth in a mouse model of myeloproliferative neoplasm.
International Society of Experimental hematology (ISEH) 2020 Virtual Scientific Meeting, August
2020 (poster presentation)
• Pbx1-directed stem cell transcriptional program drives tumor progression in JAK2V617F+
myeloproliferative neoplasm. Alliance Against Cancer (AAC) 5th annual meeting
• Lack of miR-127 down-regulation in the transition from hematopoietic stem cells to multi-potent
progenitors leads to pancytopenia and defective self-renewal. 21st Congress of the European-
Hematology-Association (EHA), 2016 (poster presentation)
Other Activities
Teaching
Mentorship
Referee
Lectures: BIOMETRA PhD Program, International Medical School, Milan
University; International PhD Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Vita
Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
Tutoring and PhD thesis supervisor: BIOMETRA PhD Program, International
Medical School.
Teacher, School for Biomedical Laboratory Technicians, University of Milan
I supervised the activity of graduate and postgraduate research students.
External Reviewer for PhD dissertations, Milano BICOCCA University – DIMET;
Ad-hoc Reviewer MIUR (PRIN 2012 and SIR 2014 Grants), Italy; Ad-hoc Reviewer
for international journals (Stem Cell Research & Therapy, Life Sciences, Cellular &
Molecular Biology Letters, Journal of Molecular Medicine, Cells, Cell Death and
Differentiation)
Current professional memberships
• EHA (European Hematology Association), Member
• ISEH (International Society for Experimental Hematology), Member
Research Support
2005-2007
American-Italian Cancer Foundation Fellowship (Salary Award)
2008-2009
American Society of Hematology (ASH) Award (Salary Award)
2010-2014
Marie Curie International Reintegration Grant from the European Commission (FP7
program) (#256452)
2012-2015
Ricerca Finalizzata Giovani Ricercatori, Italian Ministry of Health (#GR-2010-
2307975).
2015-2016
AIRC-Fondazione Cariplo Grant (TRIDEO#15822).
2020-2023
Ricerca Finalizzata, Italian Ministry of Health (RF-2018-12367680, as co-PI)
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Publications
1) Expanded circulating hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells as novel cell source for the treatment of TCIRG1 osteopetrosis.
Capo V, Penna S, Merelli I, Barcella M, Scala S, Basso-Ricci L, Draghici E, Palagano E, Zonari E, Desantis G, Uva P,
Cusano R, Sergi Sergi L, Crisafulli L, Moshous D, Stepensky P, Drabko K, Kaya Z, Unal E, Gezdirici A, Menna G,
Serafini M, Aiuti A, Locatelli SL, Carlo-Stella C, Schulz AS, Ficara F, Sobacchi C, Gentner B, Villa A. Haematologica.
2020 Jan 16;106(1):74-86
2) Generation of an immunodeficient mouse model of tcirg1-deficient autosomal recessive osteopetrosis. Palagano E,
Muggeo S, Crisafulli L, Tourkova IL, Strina D, Mantero S, Fontana E, Locatelli SL, Monari M, Morenghi E, Carlo-Stella C,
Barnett JB, Blair HC, Vezzoni P, Villa A, Sobacchi C, Ficara F. Bone Rep. 2020 Jan 7;12:100242
3) MicroRNA-127-3p controls murine hematopoietic stem cell maintenance by limiting differentiation. Crisafulli L, Muggeo S,
Uva P, Wang Y, Iwasaki M, Locatelli S, Anselmo A, Colombo FS, Carlo-Stella C, Cleary ML, Villa A, Gentner B, Ficara F.
Haematologica. 2019 Sep;104(9):1744-1755
4) Chromosome Transplantation: Correction of the Chronic Granulomatous Disease Defect in Mouse Induced Pluripotent
Stem Cells. Castelli A, Susani L, Menale C, Muggeo S, Caldana E, Strina D, Cassani B, Recordati C, Scanziani E, Ficara
F, Villa A, Vezzoni P, Paulis M. Stem Cells. 2019 Jul;37(7):876-887
5) ACKR2 in hematopoietic precursors as a checkpoint of neutrophil release and anti-metastatic activity. Massara M, Bonavita
O, Savino B, Caronni N, Mollica Poeta V, Sironi M, Setten E, Recordati C, Crisafulli L, Ficara F, Mantovani A, Locati M,
Bonecchi R. Nat Commun. 2018 Feb 14;9(1):676
6) Fusion between cancer cells and macrophages occurs in a murine model of spontaneous neu+ breast cancer without
increasing its metastatic potential. Lizier M, Anselmo A, Mantero S, Ficara F, Paulis M, Vezzoni P, Lucchini F, Pacchiana
G. Oncotarget. 2016 Sep 20;7(38):60793-60806
7) Targeted Gene Correction in Osteopetrotic-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for the Generation of Functional Osteoclasts.
Neri T, Muggeo S, Paulis M, Caldana ME, Crisafulli L, Strina D, Focarelli ML, Faggioli F, Recordati C, Scaramuzza S,
Scanziani E, Mantero S, Buracchi C, Sobacchi C, Lombardo A, Naldini L, Vezzoni P, Villa A, Ficara F. Stem Cell
Reports. 2015 Oct 13;5(4):558-68
8) MLL becomes functional through intra-molecular interaction not by proteolytic processing. Yokoyama A, Ficara F, Murphy
MJ, Meisel C, Hatanaka C, Kitabayashi I, Cleary ML. PLoS One. 2013 Sep 10;8(9):e73649
9) Pbx1 restrains myeloid maturation while preserving lymphoid potential in hematopoietic progenitors. Ficara F, Crisafulli L,
Lin C, Iwasaki M, Smith KS, Zammataro L, Cleary ML. J Cell Sci. 2013 Jul 15;126(Pt 14):3181-91
10) Osteopetrosis rescue upon RANKL administration to Rankl(-/-) mice: a new therapy for human RANKL-dependent ARO.
Lo Iacono N, Blair HC, Poliani PL, Marrella V, Ficara F, Cassani B, Facchetti F, Fontana E, Guerrini MM, Traggiai E,
Schena F, Paulis M, Mantero S, Inforzato A, Valaperta S, Pangrazio A, Crisafulli L, Maina V, Kostenuik P, Vezzoni P,
Villa A, Sobacchi C. J Bone Miner Res. 2012 Dec;27(12):2501-10
11) Anti-CD3ε mAb improves thymic architecture and prevents autoimmune manifestations in a mouse model of Omenn
syndrome: therapeutic implications. Marrella V, Poliani PL, Fontana E, Casati A, Maina V, Cassani B, Ficara F, Cominelli
M, Schena F, Paulis M, Traggiai E, Vezzoni P, Grassi F, Villa A. Blood. 2012 Aug 2;120(5):1005-14
12) Proteolytically cleaved MLL subunits are susceptible to distinct degradation pathways. Yokoyama A, Ficara F, Murphy
MJ, Meisel C, Naresh A, Kitabayashi I, Cleary ML. J Cell Sci. 2011 Jul 1;124(Pt 13):2208-19
13) GSK-3 promotes conditional association of CREB and its coactivators with MEIS1 to facilitate HOX mediated transcription
and oncogenesis. Wang Z, Iwasaki M, Ficara F, Lin C, Matheny C, Wong SH, Smith KS, Cleary ML. Cancer Cell. 2010
Jun 15;17(6):597-608
14) The miR-17-92 microRNA polycistron regulates MLL leukemia stem cell potential by modulating p21 expression. Wong P,
Iwasaki M, Somervaille TC, Ficara F, Carico C, Arnold C, Chen CZ, Cleary ML. Cancer Res. 2010 May 1;70(9):3833-42
15) Pbx1 regulates self-renewal of long-term hematopoietic stem cells by maintaining their quiescence. Ficara F, Murphy MJ,
Lin M, Cleary ML. Cell Stem Cell. 2008 May 8;2(5):484-96
16) Molecular purging of multiple myeloma cells by ex-vivo culture and retroviral transduction of mobilized- blood CD34+
cells. Deola S, Scaramuzza S, Birolo RS, Cergnul M, Ficara F, Dando J, Voena C, Vai S, Monari M, Pogliani E, Corneo
G, Peccatori J, Selleri S, Bordignon C, Roncarolo MG, Aiuti A, Bregni M. J Transl Med. 2007 Jul 12;5:35
4
17) IL-3 or IL-7 increases ex vivo gene transfer efficiency in ADA-SCID BM CD34+ cells while maintaining in vivo lymphoid
potential. Ficara F, Superchi DB, Hernández RJ, Mocchetti C, Carballido-Perrig N, Andolfi G, Deola S, Colombo A,
Bordignon C, Carballido JM, Roncarolo MG, Aiuti A. Mol Ther. 2004 Dec;10(6):1096-108.
18) Efficient gene transfer into primitive hematopoietic progenitors using a bone marrow microenvironment cell line
engineered to produce retroviral vectors. Dando JS*, Ficara F*, Deola S, Roncarolo MG, Bordignon C, Aiuti A. *Co-first.
Haematologica. 2004 Apr;89(4):462-70
19) Mobilized blood CD34+ cells transduced and selected with a clinically applicable protocol reconstitute lymphopoiesis in
SCID-Hu mice. Deola S, Scaramuzza S, Birolo RS, Carballido-Perrig N, Ficara F, Mocchetti C, Dando J, Carballido JM,
Bordignon C, Roncarolo MG, Bregni M, Aiuti A. Hum Gene Ther. 2004 Mar;15(3):305-11
20) A T-cell epitope encoded by a subset of HLA-DPB1 alleles determines nonpermissive mismatches for hematologic stem
cell transplantation. Zino E, Frumento G, Marktel S, Sormani MP, Ficara F, Di Terlizzi S, Parodi AM, Sergeant R,
Martinetti M, Bontadini A, Bonifazi F, Lisini D, Mazzi B, Rossini S, Servida P, Ciceri F, Bonini C, Lanino E, Bandini G,
Locatelli F, Apperley J, Bacigalupo A, Ferrara GB, Bordignon C, Fleischhauer K. Blood. 2004 Feb 15;103(4):1417-24
21) Gene therapy for adenosine deaminase deficiency. Aiuti A, Ficara F, Cattaneo F, Bordignon C, Roncarolo MG. Curr Opin
Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003 Dec;3(6):461-6
22) Developmental expression of the T-box transcription factor T-bet/Tbx21 during mouse embryogenesis. Faedo A, Ficara
F, Ghiani M, Aiuti A, Rubenstein JL, Bulfone A. Mech Dev. 2002 Aug;116(1-2):157-60
23) Correction of ADA-SCID by stem cell gene therapy combined with nonmyeloablative conditioning. Aiuti A, Slavin S, Aker
M, Ficara F, Deola S, Mortellaro A, Morecki S, Andolfi G, Tabucchi A, Carlucci F, Marinello E, Cattaneo F, Vai S, Servida
P, Miniero R, Roncarolo MG, Bordignon C. Science. 2002 Jun 28;296(5577):2410-3
24) Immune reconstitution in ADA-SCID after PBL gene therapy and discontinuation of enzyme replacement. Aiuti A, Vai S,
Mortellaro A, Casorati G, Ficara F, Andolfi G, Ferrari G, Tabucchi A, Carlucci F, Ochs HD, Notarangelo LD, Roncarolo
MG, Bordignon C. Nat Med. 2002 May;8(5):423-5
25) Optimisation of retroviral supernatant production conditions for the genetic modification of human CD34+ cells. Dando JS,
Aiuti A, Deola S, Ficara F, Bordignon C. J Gene Med. 2001 May-Jun;3(3):219-27
26) Recovery of hematopoietic activity in bone marrow from human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected patients during
highly active antiretroviral therapy. Isgrò A, Mezzaroma I, Aiuti A, De Vita L, Franchi F, Pandolfi F, Alario C, Ficara F,
Riva E, Antonelli G, Aiuti F. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2000 Oct 10;16(15):1471-9
27) Expression of CXCR4, the receptor for stromal cell-derived factor-1 on fetal and adult human lympho- hematopoietic
progenitors. Aiuti A, Tavian M, Cipponi A, Ficara F, Zappone E, Hoxie J, Peault B, Bordignon C. Eur J Immunol. 1999
Jun;29(6):1823-31.
RESEARCH INTERRUPTIONS
Oct 2007 – Mar 2008
Maternity leave
Feb 2012 – Oct 2012
Maternity leave
Milan, 26/01/2021
