Assistant Professor of General Pathology, Dipartimento di Patologia Generale, Seconda Università di Napoli.

Research
Laboratory work focuses on the mechanisms by which steroid hormones regulate proliferation and survival of target cells. The cytosolic-coupled signaling pathways, which once activated by steroids lead to cell growth and survival, have been identified. The molecular details of how steroid-receptors activate the Src/Ras/Erks and PI3-kinase pathways and how they transmit their signal to the cell through direct binding to multiple effector proteins, including Src and PI3 kinase, have been extensively analyzed. Steroid activation of these pathways has profound effects on nuclear events, which ultimately lead to cell proliferation.
Currently, the laboratory aims to gain a better understanding of the pathways by which steroids regulate cell proliferation and transformation, placing particular attention on the signaling mechanisms that promote invasiveness of target cells. The laboratory is studying a number of key protein complexes that are involved in steroid-stimulated cell cycle progression. Ultimately, we would like to be able to selectively interfere with steroid-activated signaling pathways in in vivo models.

Selected publications
Castoria G, Barone MV, Di Domenico M, Bilancio A, Ametrano D, Migliaccio A, Auricchio F. Non transcriptional action of oestradiol and progestin triggers DNA synthesis. EMBO J 1999; 18:2500-10.

Migliaccio A, Castoria G, Di Domenico M, de Falco A, Bilancio A, Lombardi M, Barone MV, Ametrano D, Zannini MS, Abbondanza C, Auricchio F. Steroid-induced androgen receptor-oestradiol receptor ß-Src complex triggers prostate cancer cell proliferation. EMBO J 2000;19:5406-17.

Castoria G, Migliaccio A, Bilancio A, Di Domenico M, de Falco A, Lombardi M, Fiorentino R, Varricchio L, Barone MV, Auricchio F. PI3-K in concert with Src promotes the S-phase entry of oestradiol-stimulated MCF-7 cells. EMBO J 2001;20:6050-9.

Castoria G, Lombardi M, Barone MV, Bilancio A, Di Domenico M, Bottero D, Vitale F, Migliaccio A, Auricchio F. Androgen-stimulated DNA synthesis and cytoskeletal changes in fibroblasts by a nontranscriptional receptor action. J Cell Biol 2003;161:547-56.

Castoria G, Migliaccio A, Di Domenico M, Lombardi M, de Falco A, Varricchio L , Bilancio A, Barone MV, Auricchio F. Role of atypical protein kinase C in estradiol-triggered G1/S progression of MCF-7 cells. Mol Cell Biol 2004;24:7643-53.