Staff Profile

Part of the Biosciences Institute and the Centre for Cancer.

Our Faculty is also structured in research themes; I am part of the Cells, Genes and Molecules Theme and the Vascular Biology and Medicine Theme

Research Experience

Faculty Fellow, Newcastle University (United Kingdom), January 2025 - Present

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Newcastle University (United Kingdom), February 2020 - December 2024

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Newcastle University (United Kingdom), July 2019 - December 2019

PhD student, Newcastle University (United Kingdom), March 2016 - June 2019

Research Assistant, Institut Curie (France), October 2014 - February 2016

Postgraduate student, Sapienza University (Italy), September 2012 - September 2014

Undergraduate student, Sapienza University (Italy), April 2012 - July 2012

Grants and awards

JGW Patterson Foundation Research Grant (Lead PI), September 2024

Newcastle University Faculty Fellowship (Faculty of Medical Sciences), July 2024

BSCB/CoB Travel Award, January 2024

Newcastle University FMS Research Excellence Development Award, October 2023

BBSRC Responsive Mode Research Grant (Co-investigator), August 2021

JGW Patterson Foundation Research Grant (Co-awardee), May 2020

Newcastle University Research Travel Fund, February 2019

Post-submission PhD Scholarship, February 2019

Newcastle University PhD Studentship, September 2015 

Education

2019 - PhD, Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University (United Kingdom)

2014 - Master's, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Sapienza University (Italy)

2012 - BSc, Biological Sciences, Sapienza University (Italy)

Social media

Linkedin - X - Bluesky

CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS

Regulation of gene expression in cardio-oncology

Some cancers are fuelled by hormones like androgens and oestrogens to grow and spread, making hormone-targeting therapies a very common treatment option. Despite their efficacy in tackling cancer, these therapies often cause a panel of side effects such as heart disease and blood clots. As Fellow, I will investigate how cancer hormone therapy affects gene expression within the cardiovascular system. The final aim of my research is to shed the light on the possible causes of cardiovascular disease in cancer patients treated with hormone therapy.

Control of 3'-end formation in human cancer cells

Proper maturation of the 3' terminus of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) is essential to ensure functional gene expression. Most eukaryotes employ alternative polyadenylation (APA) to increase the number of RNA isoforms transcribed from one gene, thus allowing not only production of different proteins but also tissue-specific diversification of the protein function. However, aberrant APA leads to disruption of gene expression with severe consequences on genome stability, and can cause human disease and cancer. I am studying the mechanisms regulated by RNA binding proteins that prevent aberrant APA in breast cancer cells, which can help identify possible therapeutic targets for cancer treatment/prevention.

Funders: JGW Patterson Foundation, BBSRC (co-investigator)

Hormone-dependent alternative splicing in breast and prostate cancer

Breast and prostate cancer are amongst the most frequent types of cancers in the UK and worldwide. Initially these cancers strongly depend on hormones to grow, so a common treatment is endocrine therapy. Nevertheless, patients often relapse because the cancer becomes resistant to this type of therapy and likely to metastasise. I have recently found that different stages of cancer express alternative versions of an important splicing factor implicated in epithelial-mesenchymal transitions, a process that promotes metastasis. Abundance of these alternative proteins depends on hormones in both breast and prostate cancer cells, and could have different impact on cancer metastasis.

Funder: Newcastle University FMS Research Excellence Development Award (PI)

PREVIOUS RESEARCH INTERESTS

Role of meiotic-specific RNA binding proteins in spermatogenesis

RNA splicing plays an essential role in spermatogenesis, and mutations within genes that encode for splicing regulators have been associated with male infertility. Some RNA binding proteins that control splicing during spermatogenesis are only expressed in the testis, and derive from X-linked genes via retrotransposition. These factors have probably evolved to replace the function of their X-linked mother genes, which get inactivated during male meiosis through a process called meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). Part of my research looked at the conservation between an X-linked gene and its meiotic-specific retrogene in splicing regulation, and at the implications in male fertility.

Funder: BBSRC (co-investigator)

Regulation of transcriptional pausing by RNA binding proteins in breast cancer cells

Transcription across most human genes is generally paused near the start, both to allow quality control of the newly synthesised RNA and to regulate transcription levels. Disruption of this pathway has been linked to human disease and cancer. Several protein factors with a known role in cancer biology have been identified as regulators of transcription pausing (including c-myc). My research investigated a possible role for oncogenic RNA binding proteins in this process, in order to understand their contribution to cancer progression and metastasis.

Funder: JGW Patterson Foundation (co-awardee)

Chromatin regulation of transcription in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

During my 5 years in Dr Manolis Papamichos-Chronakis' group I described a mechanism of RNA quality control through premature transcription termination that depends on the chromatin remodeller INO80. A preprint of this study is currently deposited on biorXiv.

Funder: Newcastle University

Integrity of human telomeres upon exposure to X-radiation

During my BSc and Master's in Dr Stefano Cacchione's group I found that the coenzyme Q10 has a role in protecting human telomeres from radiation-induced DNA damage. Part of my findings were published in Microgravity Science and Technology

Funder: ASI (Italian Space Agency)

Teacher for BGM3063 (Biochemistry of Gene Expression) - 2021 to present

Supervision of undergraduate students (2nd and 3rd stage) and postgraduate students (MRes, PhD) - 2016 to present

Lab demonstrator - 2018

• Articles

  • Walker L, Duncan R, Adamson B, Kendall H, Brittain N, Luzzi S, Jones D, Chaytor L, Peel S, Crafter C, O'Neill DJ, Gaughan L. Defining splicing factor requirements for androgen receptor variant synthesis in advanced prostate cancer. Molecular Cancer Research 2024, 22(12), 1128-1142.
  • Siachisumo C, Luzzi S, Aldalaqan S, Hysenaj G, Dalgliesh C, Cheung K, Gazzara M, Yonchev ID, James K, Kheirollahi Chadegani M, Ehrmann I, Smith GR, Cockell SJ, Munkley J, Barash Y, Wilson SA, Elliott DJ. An anciently diverged family of RNA binding proteins maintain correct splicing of a class of ultra-long exons through cryptic splice site repression. eLife 2024, 12, RP89705.
  • Adamson B, Brittain N, Walker L, Duncan R, Luzzi S, Rescigno P, Smith GR, McGill S, Burchmore RJS, Willmore E, Hickson I, Robson CN, Bogdan D, Jimenez-Vacas JM, Paschalis A, Welti J, Yuan W, McCracken SR, Heer R, Sharp A, de Bono J, Gaughan L. The catalytic subunit of DNA-PK regulates transcription and splicing of AR in advanced prostate cancer. Journal of Clinical Investigation 2023, 133(22), e169200.
  • Luzzi S, Szachnowski U, Greener S, Gautier C, Han KH, Darke J, Piccinno R, Lafon A, Pugh BF, Morillon A, Papamichos-Chronakis M. The INO80 remodeler couples premature termination of mRNA synthesis with transcription elongation. bioRxiv 2020.

• Reviews

  • Advani R, Luzzi S, Scott E, Dalgliesh C, Weischenfeldt J, Munkley J, Elliott DJ. Epithelial specific splicing regulator proteins as emerging oncogenes in aggressive prostate cancer. Oncogene 2023, 42, 3161–3168.
  • Aldalaqan S, Dalgliesh C, Luzzi S, Siachisumo C, Reynard LN, Ehrmann I, Elliott DJ. Cryptic splicing: common pathological mechanisms involved in male infertility and neuronal diseases. Cell Cycle 2022, 21(3), 219-227.