CHARACTERIZATION OF NEW MEMORY CD8+ T CELL SUBSETS FOR FUTURE IMMUNOTHERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS

CD8+ T cells represent the most proficient defense against malignant processes and infections. To date, the most successful long-term antitumor therapeutic strategies rely on immunotherapy. However, in order to make immunotherapy accessible to every cancer patient and to guarantee its successfulness to a broader number of patients, it is mandatory to fill the gaps in the knowledge of the mechanisms of CD8+ T cell differentiation and plastic properties. This study indeed aims at unraveling and...

Eco-Sustainable Friction Materials: Optimization of Environmental Performances guided by Life Cycle assessment and Tribological properties

The PhD project, developed through a collaboration between the University of Turin and ITT Motion Technologies, investigates the environmental sustainability of friction materials used in automotive braking systems. As the automotive sector is facing increasing pressure to reduce emissions and resource consumption, the project aims to integrate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with tribological performance analysis to guide the development of eco-sustainable friction materials. The study identifie...

Development and Characterization of a Pan-PI3K Inhibitor for the Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Other PI3K-Driven Diseases

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by excessive extracellular matrix deposition, aberrant fibroblast proliferation, and irreversible loss of lung function. Despite the availability of antifibrotic agents such as Pirfenidone and Nintedanib, current therapies merely slow disease progression and are often discontinued due to dose-limiting toxicities. Aberrant activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signalling pathway is inc...

Inflammatory Pathways and Emerging Biomarkers in Single Large-Scale Mitochondrial DNA Deletions and Mitochondrial Depletion Syndrome: Implications for Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targeting

Mitochondrial diseases (MDs) are considered the most common inborn errors of metabolism causing dysfunction in the energy metabolism, due to mutations in both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or nuclear genes. Their high clinical and genetic heterogeneity makes difficult the diagnosis and the therapeutic approach. Recent research highlights the critical interplay between mitochondrial dysfunction and immune dysregulation, with both innate and adapative immune. Defects in mtDNA replication and mainte...

Survey for ‘Candidatus Liberibacter’ spp. and relative putative vectors in north-western Italy

‘Candidatus Liberibacter’ spp. are fastidious, phloem-limited bacteria within the alphaproteobacterial family Rhizobiaceae. Psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) are the primary vectors of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter’ species, playing an important role for their spread. These phloem-feeding insects acquire the bacteria while feeding on infected plants. ‘Candidatus Liberibacter europaeus’ (CLeu) was first recorded in Italy in plants of the rosaceous family and in psyllids belonging to the Cacopsylla g...

Integrating genetic, epigenetic, and machine learning–based computational pathology approaches for refining molecular and prognostic classification of meningiomas

Recent advances in the molecular understanding of meningiomas have challenged traditional morphology-based grading, particularly for CNS WHO grade 2 tumors, which exhibit heterogeneous clinical behavior. The fifth edition of the WHO CNS Tumour Classification integrates key molecular markers, such as TERT promoter mutations and CDKN2A/B homozygous deletions as criteria for high-grade meningioma designation. However, these alterations remain uncommon in lowergrade tumors, necessitating improved...

Characterization of the mechanisms of endocrine resistance in luminal A breast cancer cell lines

Background: Endocrine therapy based on Tamoxifen (Tam) is the standard treatment for luminal A breast cancer (BC). Its efficacy, however, is often compromised by acquired resistance, leading to relapse and disease progression. The fine mechanisms accounting for the onset of drug resistance are still only partially understood, which hinders the development of effective strategies to prevent or overcome it. Aims of the study: This research investigates the molecular mechanisms of Tam resistance...

Social robot in educazione

L’uso della robotica sociale nell’educazione rappresenta una innova-zione promettente per il futuro dell’apprendimento inclusivo e persona-lizzato. Questa ricerca esplora il ruolo dei robot sociali, con particolare attenzione al social robot Nao, nella didattica e nei processi educativi, analizzando il loro impatto sull’interazione tra studenti, insegnanti e tecnologie intelligenti. La tesi si inserisce nel contesto delle teorie della sociomaterialità e dell’Actor-Network-Theory (ANT), per co...

Analysis of the first data taken with the CMS-TOTEM Precision Proton Spectrometer (CT-PPS)