SILVIA DI ANGELANTONIO

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
NAME: Silvia Di Angelantonio

POSITION TITLE: Associate Professor of Physiology
EDUCATION/TRAINING
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION DEGREE
(if applicable)
Completion
Date
MM/YYYY
FIELD OF STUDY
“La Sapienza” University, Rome
International School for Advanced
Studies, SISSA Trieste.
NIEHS-NIH Research Triangle Park,
North Carolina
B.S./M.S.
Ph.D
01/1997
03/2002
Visiting student
PostDoc
03/2000
Physics
Biophysics -
Neurophysiology
Biophysics
Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome
Sapienza University, Rome
PostDoc
07/2003
02/2008
Neurophysiology
Biophysics -
Neurophysiology
A. Personal Statement
I am a biophysicist with extensive experience in electrophysiology and imaging. My current
research project involves the production and functional characterization of 2D and 3D brain
models using human cells from healthy individuals or patients. The goal of these new
biological models is to develop physiologically relevant in vivo platforms for the study of
cell-cell interactions. My past research in neurophysiology has focused on synaptic
transmission and Alzheimer's disease. With my background in physics, I have played a
crucial role in the development of multidisciplinary projects in collaboration with engineers,
medical doctors, biologists, and SMEs, resulting in several publications. In recent years, my
research interests have shifted towards the impact of neuroinflammation on brain
pathologies, with a particular focus on the role of microglia cells in neuron/microglial
crosstalk using a combination of electrophysiology, imaging, molecular and cellular
biology, and bio-fabrication techniques.
B. Positions, Scientific Appointments, and Honors
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Positions and Scientific Appointments:
2002-2002 2002-2003 Postdoctoral fellow. Supervisor Prof. Andrea Nistri. SISSA, Trieste, Italy.
Postdoctoral fellow. Supervisor Prof. Nicola Mercuri. Fondazione Santa
Lucia, Roma, Italy.
2003-2006 Postdoctoral fellow. Supervisor Prof. Davide Ragozzino. Sapienza
University, Roma, Italy.
2005-2006 2006-2007 Reasearch fellow. Neuromed Institute, Pozzilli, Italy.
Reasearch fellow C.O.N.I. Science and Sport Medicine Institute, Roma,
Italy.
2006-2008 Research assistant in Physiology. Supervisor Prof. Fabrizio Eusebi.
Sapienza University, Roma Italy.
2008-2019 Winner of the competition for the post of Researcher, Sapienza University,
Roma, Italy.
2015-present Affiliated researcher Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Life Nano
Science
2018-present Scientific advisor CrestOptics SPA
2019-present Associate Professor of Physiology, Department of Physiology and
Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome.
2021-present Scientific advisor D-tails srl
Honors and Awards:
2003 “Young research award”. National meeting of Italian league against
epilepsy (LICE).
2008 “Selected speaker award” 5th Meeting of Molecular Mechanism in
Neuroscience.
2017 2017 2017 2018 Equal Opportunities Award – PNICube 2017
Equal Opportunity Award – StartCup Lazio 2017
StartCup Lazio 2017 (1st Classified)
Best Presentation Award in Biotechnology National Roadshow BioInItaly
Lazio Innova 2017
2018 2024 National Scientific Qualification for Full Professor of Physiology
2022 Nanonstring SFN travel award
Selected member of the Ethical committee University Milano Bicocca
C. Contributions to Science
Functional properties and modulation of neuronal nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) in
homeostasis and disease. As a PhD and Postdoc, I studied nAChRs using patch-clamp and
confocal imaging, contributing to 14 papers. I developed CGRP-derived peptides enhancing
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nAChR activity (Eur. patent PCT/IT01/00477), linking cholinergic transmission to ALS and
b) DMD.
a) Giniatullin R, Di Angelantonio S, Marchetti C, Sokolova E, Khiroug L, Nistri A.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide rapidly downregulates nicotinic receptor function and
slowly raises intracellular Ca2+ in rat chromaffin cells in vitro. J Neurosci. 1999 Apr
15;19(8):2945-53.
Di Angelantonio S, Bernardi G, Mercuri NB. Donepezil modulates nicotinic receptors of
substantia nigra dopaminergic neurones. Br J Pharmacol. 2004 Feb;141(4):644-52.
c) Di Angelantonio S, De Stefano ME, Piccioni A, Lombardi L, Gotti C, Paggi P. Lack of
dystrophin functionally affects α3β2/β4-nicotinic acethylcholine receptors in sympathetic
neurons of dystrophic mdx mice. Neurobiol Dis. 2011 Feb;41(2):528-37.
d) Di Angelantonio S, Piccioni A, Moriconi C, Trettel F, Cristalli G, Grassi F, Limatola C.
Adenosine A2A receptor induces protein kinase A-dependent functional modulation of
human (alpha)3(beta)4 nicotinic receptor. J Physiol. 2011 Jun 1;589(Pt 11):2755-66.
GABA Receptors in Homeostasis and Disease. As a Postdoc with Prof. Fabrizio Eusebi and
Prof. Davide Ragozzino, I studied GABAA receptors in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE),
contributing to 9 papers. I developed a method to record neurons and glial cells in human
TLE tissue and demonstrated how glioma-released glutamate disrupts Cl⁻ equilibrium,
leading to GABA-mediated hyperexcitability in tumor-associated epilepsy.Functional
properties of GABA receptors in homeostasis and disease.
a) Palma E, Ragozzino DA, Di Angelantonio S, Spinelli G, Trettel F, Martinez-Torres A,
Torchia G, Arcella A, Di Gennaro G, Quarato PP, Esposito V, Cantore G, Miledi R, Eusebi
F. Phosphatase inhibitors remove the run-down of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A
receptors in the human epileptic brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Jul 6;101(27):10183-
8.
b) Ragozzino D, Palma E, Di Angelantonio S, Amici M, Mascia A, Arcella A, Giangaspero
F, Cantore G, Di Gennaro G, Manfredi M, Esposito V, Quarato PP, Miledi R, Eusebi F.
Rundown of GABA type A receptors is a dysfunction associated with human drug-
resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Oct
18;102(42):15219-23.
c) Di Angelantonio S, Murana E, Cocco S, Scala F, Bertollini C, Molinari MG, Lauro C,
Bregestovski P, Limatola C, Ragozzino D. A role for intracellular zinc in glioma alteration
of neuronal chloride equilibrium. Cell Death Dis. 2014 Oct 30;5:e1501.
Microglia-Neuron Interaction in Health and Disease As a researcher with Prof. Cristina
Limatola and Prof. Davide Ragozzino, I studied neuroinflammation and microglia-neuron
crosstalk using electrophysiology, imaging, and molecular biology, contributing to 16
papers. I characterized microglial function in immune surveillance, highlighting their role
in tissue homeostasis and injury response.
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c) a) Ragozzino D, Di Angelantonio S, Trettel F, Bertollini C, Maggi L, Gross C, Charo IF,
Limatola C, Eusebi F. Chemokine fractalkine/CX3CL1 negatively modulates active
glutamatergic synapses in rat hippocampal neurons. J Neurosci. 2006 Oct
11;26(41):10488-98.
b) Di Angelantonio S, Bertollini C, Piccinin S, Rosito M, Trettel F, Pagani F, Limatola C,
Ragozzino D. Basal adenosine modulates the functional properties of AMPA receptors in
mouse hippocampal neurons through the activation of A1R A2AR and A3R. Front Cell
Neurosci. 2015 Oct 12;9:409.
Basilico B, Pagani F, Grimaldi A, Cortese B, Di Angelantonio S, Weinhard L, Gross C,
Limatola C, Maggi L, Ragozzino D. Microglia shape presynaptic properties at developing
glutamatergic synapses. Glia. 2019 Jan;67(1):53-67.
d) Pagani F, Testi C, Grimaldi A, Corsi G, Cortese B, Basilico B, Baiocco P, De Panfilis S,
Ragozzino D, Di Angelantonio S. Dimethyl Fumarate Reduces Microglia Functional
Response to Tissue Damage and Favors Brain Iron Homeostasis. Neuroscience. 2019 Nov
15. pii: S0306-4522(19)30740-7.
Microglia and Microtubule Dynamics in Neurodegeneration. As an independent
investigator, I focus on microglia morphology and function in the brain and retina, exploring
their role in immune surveillance and neurodegeneration. My research investigates
microtubule remodeling in microglia as a key factor in neuroinflammation and disease
progression. As PI in the IIT–CrestOptics JointLab and Life 2020-MARBEL, I contributed to
developing advanced microscopy for detecting protein aggregates in the retina, identifying
new biomarkers for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases (11 papers).
a) Grimaldi A, Brighi C, Peruzzi G, Ragozzino D, Bonanni V, Limatola C, Ruocco G, Di
Angelantonio S. Inflammation, neurodegeneration and protein aggregation in the retina
as ocular biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease in the 3xTg-AD mouse model. Cell Death
Dis. 2018 Jun 7;9(6):685. Oct 11;26(41):10488-98.
Grimaldi A, Pediconi N, Oieni F, Pizzarelli R, Rosito M, Giubettini M, Santini T, Limatola
C, Ruocco G, Ragozzino D, Di Angelantonio S. Neuroinflammatory Processes, A1
Astrocyte Activation and Protein Aggregation in the Retina of Alzheimer's Disease
Patients, Possible Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis. Front Neurosci. 2019 Sep 4;13:925.
Latina V, Giacovazzo G, Cordella F, Balzamino BO, Micera A, Varano M, Marchetti C,
Malerba F, Florio R, Ercole BB, La Regina F, Atlante A, Coccurello R, Di Angelantonio S,
Calissano P, Amadoro G. Systemic delivery of a specific antibody targeting the
pathological N-terminal truncated tau peptide reduces retinal degeneration in a mouse
model of Alzheimer's Disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2021 Mar 9;9(1):38. doi:
10.1186/s40478-021-01138-1. PMID: 33750467; PMCID: PMC7942014.
d) Rosito M, Sanchini C, Gosti G, Moreno M, De Panfilis S, Giubettini M, Debellis D,
Catalano F, Peruzzi G, Marotta R, Indrieri A, De Leonibus E, De Stefano ME, Ragozzino
D, Ruocco G, Di Angelantonio S, Bartolini F. Microglia reactivity entails microtubule
remodeling from acentrosomal to centrosomal arrays. Cell Reports 2023 Feb 28 42(2):
112104.
b) c) 4
3D Bioprinted and Self-Assembled Neuronal Constructs I develop and characterize 3D in
vitro models of the human brain and retina using reprogrammed stem cells from patients
and healthy controls. My work focuses on microglia integration and microtubule dynamics
in these models to study neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. As PI in the FSE-POR
Bio3DBrain project, I aim to create humanized neural constructs for drug testing and
diagnostic advancements (8 papers).
a) Salaris F, Colosi C, Brighi C, Soloperto A, Turris V, Benedetti MC, Ghirga S, Rosito M, Di
Angelantonio S*, Rosa A*. 3D Bioprinted Human Cortical Neural Constructs Derived
from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. J Clin Med. 2019 Oct 2;8(10). pii: E1595. *equal
contribution
b) Steimberg N, Bertero A, Chiono V, et al. iPS, organoids and 3D models as advanced tools
for in vitro toxicology. ALTEX. 2020;37(1):136–140. doi:10.14573/altex.1911071
c) Brighi C, Cordella F, Chiriatti L, Soloperto A, Di Angelantonio S. Retinal and Brain
Organoids: Bridging the Gap Between in vivo Physiology and in vitro Micro-Physiology
for the Study of Alzheimer's Diseases. Front Neurosci. 2020 Jun 17;14:655. doi:
10.3389/fnins.2020.00655. PMID: 32625060; PMCID: PMC7311765.
d) Brighi C, Salaris F, Soloperto A, Cordella F, Ghirga S, de Turris V, Rosito M, Porceddu
PF, D'Antoni C, Reggiani A, Rosa A, Di Angelantonio S. Novel fragile X syndrome 2D
and 3D brain models based on human isogenic FMRP-KO iPSCs. Cell Death Dis. 2021
May 15;12(5):498. doi: 10.1038/s41419-021-03776-8. PMID: 33993189; PMCID:
PMC8124071.
D. Ongoing Research Support
2022CFP7RF MUR-PRIN 2022 2023-2025
TARDIS: TArgeting misfolded Retinal tau for early AlzheimeR’s DIsease diagnosiS
Total amount (including Indirect Costs): 239.000 €
PNRR - M4, C2 – MUR B83C22004960002 Human - DaNS :Building an electrophysiological dataset of
neurons and synapses from the adult human brain.
Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): € 235.000,00
2024-2025
FISA-2023-00045 FISA - MUR (Italian Ministry of Research and University) ROAD: Retina Observation for Alzheimer Diagnostic
Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): 5.056.250,00 €
2025-2030
Complete list of Publications:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/silvia.di%20angelantonio.1/bibliogra...
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