First name / Surname: Artem Smirnov
Address: Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome (RM)
Telephone: +39 06 7259 6469
E-mail: artem.smirnov@uniroma2.it
PEC: artem.smirnov@pec.it
Research area: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Scientific interests: My research activity has been mainly focused on the understanding of molecular mechanisms of cellular homeostasis and differentiation, as well as alteration of these pathways in tumours. Specifically, I have been studying the role p53 family of proteins in epithelial homeostasis and epithelial cancer tumorigenesis.
Research experience
2022-present Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology
p63 in bladder cancer
Lab: Professor Eleonora Candi | University of Rome "Tor Vergata" (Rome, Italy)
2019-2022 Postdoctoral researcher
p53 in EBV-associated epithelial cancer
Lab: Professor Xin Lu | University of Oxford (Oxford, UK)
2017-2018 Postdoctoral researcher
p63 in epithelial cancer
Lab: Professor Gerry Melino | University of Rome "Tor Vergata" (Rome, Italy)
2014-2017 PhD student
p63 in skin biology biology
Lab: Professor Eleonora Candi | University of Rome "Tor Vergata" (Rome, Italy)
2013-2014 MSc student
Cancer therapy via p53 reactivation
Lab: Professor Nick Barlev | St. Petersburg Institute of Technology (St. Petersburg, Russia)
2009-2013 BSc student
Visualisation of p53 in tumour cells
Lab: Professor Nick Barlev | St. Petersburg Institute of Technology (St. Petersburg, Russia)
TECHNIQUES:
- DNA purification, preparation and electrophoresis, molecular cloning, PCR, ChIP, luciferase assay
- RNA purification, preparation and electrophoresis, RT-PCR, qPCR
- Protein electrophoresis and western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, proximity ligation assay
- Human tumour and primary cell culture work, RNAi and DNA transfection in vitro
- Preparation and analysis of samples by FACS, cell sorting
- Human samples processing, IHC on Fr/FFPE human tissue sections, ICC/IF and confocal microscopy;
- High-throughput screening of therapeutic compounds in vitro;
- Basics of animal work (mouse) and tumour xenograft models
- Basics of analysis of genomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics processed data
- Multi-omics data visualisation in R and genome browsers
CONFERENCES:
(1) Oral presentations:
--05/2024 | Symposium on Cancer Challanges| Frascati, Italy Title: p63 targets in bladder cancer
--10/2023 | Inflammation and cancer international conference | Kazan, Russia Title: p63 and CTCF epigenetically control expression of a skin-restricted gene XP33 in normal cell and cancer
--06/2023 | SIBBM Conference | Bari, Italy Title: Epigenetic priming of an epithelial enhancer by p63 and CTCF controls expression of a skin-restricted gene XP33
--08/2017 | 10th Tuscany Retreat on Cancer Research | Sarteano-Siena, Italy Title: ZNF185 is p53 and p63 target gene involved in keratinocyte differentiation and DNA damage response
--08/2015 | 9th Tuscany Retreat on Cancer Research | Sarteano-Siena, Italy Title: FoxM1 in normal keratinocytes and cancer cells
(2) Posters:
--06/2024 | Forum Nazionale sulla Medicina di Precisione | Palermo, Italy Title: Mouse models of metabolism and inflammation: the role of p63 C-terminal domains
--05/2024 | The 19th p53 meeting | Trieste, Italy Title: p63, a p53 family member, acts as tumour suppressor in invasive bladder cancer regulating lipid metabolism
--12/2019 | Ludwig Retreat | Oxford, UK Title: p53 activation and HDAC inhibition act synergistically to reactivate latent EBV to lytic cycle
(3) Conference abstracts:
--06/2024 | The 48th FEBS Congress | Milan, Italy Title: The interplay between the transcriptional factor p63 and lipase MGLL affects bladder cancer progression (Franzese Canonico et al)
--09/2017 | 47th annual ESDR meeting | Salzburg, Austria Title: Ultra-conserved non-coding transcript T-UC291 controls keratinocyte differentiation by interfering with ACTL6A (Panatta et al)
--07/2017 | The 17th international p53 workshop | Singapore Title: Ultra-conserved non-coding transcript T-UC291 controls somatic tissue by interfering with p63-BAF activity and ACTL6A-BAF interaction (Panatta et al)
--06/2017 | 2nd International Symposium on Frontiers in Molecular Science | Basel, Switzerland Title: Ultra-conserved non-coding transcript T-UC291 controls somatic tissue by interfering with ACTL6A (Panatta et al)
EDITORIAL EXPERIENCE:
- Editorial Board member for Discover Oncology
- Peer reviewer for international journals: Cell Cycle, Molecular Oncology, Cell Death & Differentiation, Cell Death & Disease, Cell Death Discovery, and FEBS journal
TEACHING:
Teaching experience at University of Rome "Tor Vergata"
- Course of Molecular Biology for MSc in Biotechnology (10 lectures) - since 2022
- Practicals on Molecular Biology for MSc in Biotechnology - since 2022
- Course of Nutrigenomics for MSc in Pharmacology (3 lectures) - since 2023
PUBLICATIONS:
1. Smirnov, A., Lena, A. M., Tosetti, G., Yang, X., Cappello, A., Citterich, M. H., Melino, G. & Candi, E. (2023) Epigenetic priming of an epithelial enhancer by p63 and CTCF controls expression of a skin-restricted gene XP33, Cell Death Discov. 9, 446.
2. Cappello, A., Tosetti, G., Smirnov, A., Ganini, C., Yang, X., Shi, Y., Wang, Y., Melino, G., Bernassola, F. & Candi, E. (2023) p63 orchestrates serine and one carbon metabolism enzymes expression in head and neck cancer, Biol Direct. 18, 73.
3. Yang, X., Smirnov, A., Buonomo, O. C., Mauriello, A., Shi, Y., Bischof, J., Woodsmith, J., Tor, C., Melino, G., Candi, E. & Bernassola, F. (2023) A primary luminal/HER2 negative breast cancer patient with mismatch repair deficiency, Cell Death Discov. 9, 365.
4. Han, Y., Rovella, V., Smirnov, A., Buonomo, O. C., Mauriello, A., Perretta, T., Shi, Y., Woodmsith, J., Bischof, J., Tor, C., Melino, G., Candi, E. & Bernassola, F. (2023) A BRCA2 germline mutation and high expression of immune checkpoints in a TNBC patient, Cell Death Discov. 9, 370.
5. Yang, X., Zong, C., Feng, C., Zhang, C., Smirnov, A., Sun, G., Shao, C., Zhang, L., Hou, X., Liu, W., Meng, Y., Zhang, L., Shao, C., Wei, L., Melino, G. & Shi, Y. (2023) Hippo Pathway Activation in Aged Mesenchymal Stem Cells Contributes to the Dysregulation of Hepatic Inflammation in Aged Mice, Adv Sci (Weinh). 10, e2300424.
6. Smirnov, A., Magri, A., Lotz, R., Han, X., Yin, C., Harris, M., Osterburg, C., Dotsch, V., McKeating, J. A. & Lu, X. (2023) ASPP2 binds to hepatitis C virus NS5A protein via an SH3 domain/PxxP motif-mediated interaction and potentiates infection, J Gen Virol. 104.
7. Smirnov, A., Melino, G. & Candi, E. (2023) Gene expression in organoids: an expanding horizon, Biol Direct. 18, 11.
8. Smirnov, A. & Candi, E. (2023) Take a breath: oxygen sensing of epidermal differentiation, FEBS J. 290, 2029-2031.
9. Al Moussawi, K., Chung, K., Carroll, T. M., Osterburg, C., Smirnov, A., Lotz, R., Miller, P., Dedeic, Z., Zhong, S., Oti, M., Kouwenhoven, E. N., Asher, R., Goldin, R., Tellier, M., Murphy, S., Zhou, H., Dotsch, V. & Lu, X. (2022) Mutant Ras and inflammation-driven skin tumorigenesis is suppressed via a JNK-iASPP-AP1 axis, Cell Rep. 41, 111503.
10. Barbaglia, M. N., Harris, J. M., Smirnov, A., Burlone, M. E., Rigamonti, C., Pirisi, M., Minisini, R. & Magri, A. (2022) 17beta-Oestradiol Protects from Hepatitis C Virus Infection through Induction of Type I Interferon, Viruses. 14.
11. Lena, A. M., Rossi, V., Osterburg, S., Smirnov, A., Osterburg, C., Tuppi, M., Cappello, A., Amelio, I., Dotsch, V., De Felici, M., Klinger, F. G., Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli, M., Valensise, H., Melino, G. & Candi, E. (2021) The p63 C-terminus is essential for murine oocyte integrity, Nat Commun. 12, 383.
12. Montanaro, M., Meloni, M., Anemona, L., Giurato, L., Scimeca, M., Izzo, V., Servadei, F., Smirnov, A., Candi, E., Mauriello, A. & Uccioli, L. (2022) Macrophage Activation and M2 Polarization in Wound Bed of Diabetic Patients Treated by Dermal/Epidermal Substitute Nevelia, Int J Low Extrem Wounds. 21, 377-383.
13. Panatta, E., Lena, A. M., Mancini, M., Smirnov, A., Marini, A., Delli Ponti, R., Botta-Orfila, T., Tartaglia, G. G., Mauriello, A., Zhang, X., Calin, G. A., Melino, G. & Candi, E. (2020) Long non-coding RNA uc.291 controls epithelial differentiation by interfering with the ACTL6A/BAF complex, EMBO Rep. 21, e46734.
14. Nicolai, S., Pieraccioli, M., Smirnov, A., Pitolli, C., Anemona, L., Mauriello, A., Candi, E., Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli, M., Shi, Y., Wang, Y., Melino, G. & Raschella, G. (2020) ZNF281/Zfp281 is a target of miR-1 and counteracts muscle differentiation, Mol Oncol. 14, 294-308.
15. Piro, M. C., Ventura, A., Smirnov, A., Saggini, A., Lena, A. M., Mauriello, A., Bianchi, L., Melino, G. & Candi, E. (2020) Transglutaminase 3 Reduces the Severity of Psoriasis in Imiquimod-Treated Mouse Skin, Int J Mol Sci. 21.
16. Michaletti, A., Mancini, M., Smirnov, A., Candi, E., Melino, G. & Zolla, L. (2019) Multi-omics profiling of calcium-induced human keratinocytes differentiation reveals modulation of unfolded protein response signaling pathways, Cell Cycle. 18, 2124-2140.
17. Smirnov, A., Anemona, L., Novelli, F., Piro, C. M., Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli, M., Melino, G. & Candi, E. (2019) p63 Is a Promising Marker in the Diagnosis of Unusual Skin Cancer, Int J Mol Sci. 20.
18. Smirnov, A., Anemona, L., Montanaro, M., Mauriello, A., Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli, M., Campione, E., Melino, G. & Candi, E. (2019) Transglutaminase 3 is expressed in basal cell carcinoma of the skin, Eur J Dermatol. 29, 477-483.
19. Smirnov, A., Cappello, A., Lena, A. M., Anemona, L., Mauriello, A., Di Daniele, N., Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli, M., Melino, G. & Candi, E. (2018) ZNF185 is a p53 target gene following DNA damage, Aging (Albany NY). 10, 3308-3326.
20. Smirnov, A., Lena, A. M., Cappello, A., Panatta, E., Anemona, L., Bischetti, S., Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli, M., Mauriello, A., Melino, G. & Candi, E. (2019) ZNF185 is a p63 target gene critical for epidermal differentiation and squamous cell carcinoma development, Oncogene. 38, 1625-1638.
21. Panatta, E., Lena, A. M., Mancini, M., Affinati, M., Smirnov, A., Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli, M., Piro, M. C., Campione, E., Bianchi, L., Mazzanti, C., Melino, G. & Candi, E. (2018) Kruppel-like factor 4 regulates keratinocyte senescence, Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 499, 389-395.
22. Cassandri, M., Smirnov, A., Novelli, F., Pitolli, C., Agostini, M., Malewicz, M., Melino, G. & Raschella, G. (2017) Zinc-finger proteins in health and disease, Cell Death Discov. 3, 17071.
23. Candi, E., Smirnov, A., Panatta, E., Lena, A. M., Novelli, F., Mancini, M., Viticchie, G., Piro, M. C., Di Daniele, N., Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli, M. & Melino, G. (2017) Metabolic pathways regulated by p63, Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 482, 440-444.
24. Smirnov, A., Panatta, E., Lena, A., Castiglia, D., Di Daniele, N., Melino, G. & Candi, E. (2016) FOXM1 regulates proliferation, senescence and oxidative stress in keratinocytes and cancer cells, Aging (Albany NY). 8, 1384-97.
25. Peintner, L., Novelli, F., Smirnov, A., Maurer, U., Borner, C. & von Karstedt, S. (2016) 9th Tuscany Retreat on Cancer Research: genetic profiling, resistance mechanisms and novel treatment concepts in cancer, Cell Death Differ. 23, 183-4.