Marco Alberghini (MD)
Director of Pathology Department of the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute
Specialized in Bone and soft tissue pathology

Piero Picci (MD, PhD)
Research line leader of RL4
Coordinator for IOR
He has been the Director of the Laboratory of Oncologic Research since1994. Furthermore, he has been the Scientific Director of the Istituti Ortopedici Rizzoli since 2004.

• In addition Dr. Picci is:
- President of the Italian Sarcoma Group
- Ex-President of the European Musculoskeletal Oncology Society
- Member of the Board of Directors of the SARC Foundation

The Istituti Ortopedici Rizzoli is the main Italian centre for the study and the treatment of primary bone tumours. The vast majority of bone sarcomas diagnosed in Italy are treated at the Istituti Ortopedici Rizzoli. The four Research Units of the Laboratory of Oncologic Research are devoted to the following research areas:
• Biomolecular studies
• Genetics
• Growth factors and receptors
• Drug resistance

Dr. Katia Scotlandi
Work package leader of WP4.3
Katia Scotlandi is the Chief of the Operative Unit “Growth Factor and Receptors”, Laboratory of Oncologic Research. She is devoted to the study of sarcomas since the time of graduation and she has been working in Rizzoli Institute since 1994. The unit "Growth factors and receptors" research activity:
• preclinical studies on the development of targeted therapies for sarcomas with particular emphasis on the antimetastatic effects;
• biomolecolar analysis of the Ewing’s sarcoma;
• evaluation of the biological role of the CD99 molecule and Identification of its intracellular signaling pathways;
• genetic profile of sarcomas by Real Time quantitative PCR e cDNA microarray technologies;
• identification of new therapeutic targets crucial for the pathogenesis and tumor progression of bone affecting tumors

Dr. Massimo Serra
Work package leader of WP2.2
He is the Responsible for the Research Unit “Studies on drug resistance in musculoskeletal tumors” of the Laboratory of Oncologic Research. This Research Unit is focused on the identification of genetic and molecular bases responsible for the reduced sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drug in the most common musculoskeletal tumors, with particular regard to osteosarcoma. In particular, the most relevant investigation fields of this Research Unit are:
• analysis of genetic and molecular mechanisms responsible for resistance to doxorubicin, methotrexate and cisplatin in human osteosarcoma cells;
• preclinical assessment of the efficacy of new antitumour agents and of their interactions with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs;
• pharmacogenomic and pharmacogenetic characterisation of the most common musculoskeletal tumours, with particular regard to osteosarcoma.

Dr. Maria Serena Benassi
Since 1989 Biologist Researcher of the Laboratory of Oncologic Research - Istituti Ortopedici Rizzoli. Responsible for the Research Unit “Biomolecular Studies on Musculoskeletal Tumors”. Research activity is focused on molecular characterization of musculoskeletal sarcomas to associate molecular defects to different histological subtypes with different grades of malignancy. This is certainly useful for clinical purposes to improve prognosis and monitor treatment. In particular, this research unit is thus subdivided:
• identification and characterization of genes implicated in pathogenesis and malignant progression of sarcomas in order to correlate structural and functional alterations with the clinical aspects of the disease so as to recognize new prognostic factors;
• molecular classification of soft tissue sarcomas to biologically differentiate histotypes according to molecular defects
• Protein profile analyses of tissues and plasma to reveal within cellular processes deregulated pathways which represent “targets” for an aimed therapy;
• characterization of sarcoma cell lines and evaluation of biological response to compounds that sensitize tumor cells to conventional treatments.

Prof. Andrea Facchini
Prof. Andrea Facchini is the Director of the Laboratory of Immunology and genetics. From 1983 to 2001 he was Associate Professor Clinical Immunology, and since 2001 he is Full Professor of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology and Allergology at the School of Medicine of the University of Bologna. He has been Director of the Laboratory of Immunology and Genetics of IOR since 1987 (Medical area, Branch of Allergology and Clinical Immunology) and Vice-Scientific Director since 1999.
The Laboratory of Immunology and Genetics was set up at Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute in 1989. It obtains funds from Italian Health Ministry, MIUR, Bologna University and European Union. Since its establishment, the main research fields of the group have been
• the study of pathogenetic mechanisms of different rheumatic diseases,
• the development of innovative orthopaedic treatments, such as tissue engineering
• and the analysis of physiopathological modifications of the immune system during ageing.

Dr. Andrea Rizzi
Administrative collaborator for IOR. He takes care of the administrative and financial problems related to European projects and the Scientific Direction of the Rizzoli institute.

University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Maria Debiec-Rychter (MD, PhD)

Pepscan Systems BV, Lelystad, The Netherlands

MRC-Holland, Amsterdam The Netherlands

SOLVO Biotechnology Inc, Budapest, Hungary
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