An ambitious EC-funded research initiative on epigenetics advancing towards systems biology

The rapidly expanding information on the structural and functional characteristics of the human genome allows the development of comprehensive, genome-wide approaches to the understanding of the molecular circuitry wiring stem cell genetic and epigenetic programs. The aim of my project is the genome-wide definition of the entire set of promoters and regulatory sequences used by rare human hematopoietic, neural and epidermal stem/progenitor cells and their lineage-restricted early progeny (erythroblasts, myelomonoblasts, neurons and keratinocytes). Data coming from three different approaches, (retroviral scanning, ChIP-Seq and CAGE), are analyzed by bioinformatic and biostatistic tools, and integrated to define genome-wide the set of common and lineage-specific regulatory regions and transcripts, and to generate models of molecular circuitry with a systems biology-like approach. The expected outcome of this research is a better understanding of the molecular basis of stemness and commitment of clinically relevant stem cells, which will provide a knowledge basis for safer and more efficient usage of stem cells in cell and gene therapy.

People involved in research:

• Oriana Romano

Collaborators (CNR, Milan, Italy):

• Ingrid Cifola
• Clelia Peano
• Luca Petiti
• Ermanno Rizzi
• Marco Severgnini
• Gianluca De Bellis

Collaborators (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy)

• Fulvio Mavilio
• Guidantonio Malagoli Tagliazucchi
• Silvio Bicciato