Professor of Oncology, School of Medicine, Università di Genova.

Research interests
1. The immunodepressive effects of the anti-leukemic agent L-asparaginase. 2. Meta-analysis showing that in vitro transformation is not a simple somatic mutation. 3. Design and development of a completely original oscillating viscometer. 4. An original software programme for the detection of molecular fragments that tend to be associated with mutagenic/carcinogenic activities. 5. More recently, the group has investigated the possibility of interfering with the activity of the oncoprotein c-Myc.
Future projects aim at searching for new lead molecules, selective inhibitors of signaling proteins, whose excess of function is relevant in sustaining a specific malignant state.
Collaboration with industry regarding the ‘Medicinal Chemistry’ part of the project.

Selected publications
Giorello L, Clerico L, Pescarolo MP, Vikhanskaya F,
Salmona M, Colella G, Bruno S, Mancuso T,
Bagnasco L, Russo P, Parodi S. Inhibition of cancer
cell growth and c-Myc transcriptional activity by a c-
Myc helix 1-type peptide fused to an internalisation
sequence. Cancer Res 1998;58:3654-9.

Vikhanskaya F, Colella G, Valenti M, Parodi S,
D’Incalci M, Broggini M. Cooperation between
p53 and hMLH1 in a human colocarcinoma cell
line in response to DNA damage. Clin Cancer Res
1999;5:937-41.

Russo P, Ottoboni C, Falugi C, Reinhold W, Riou JF,
Parodi S, O’Connor PM. Cellular effects of a new
farnesyltransferase inhibitor, RPR-115135, in a
human isogenic colon cancer cell line model
system HCT-116. Annal NY Acad Sci 1999;886:252-6.

Alberti L, Barboro P, Barbesino M, Sanna P, Pisciotta L,
Parodi S, Nicolò G, Boccardo F, Galli S, Patrone E,
Balbi C. Changes in the expression of cytokeratins
and nuclear matrix proteins are correlated with the
level of differentiation in human prostate cancer. J
Cell Biochem 2000;79:471-85.

Pescarolo MP, Bagnasco L, Malacarne D, Melchiori
A, Valente P, Millo E, Bruno S, Basso S, Parodi S.
A retro-inverso peptide homologous to helix 1 of
c-Myc is a potent and specific inhibitor of
proliferation in different cellular systems. FASEB J
2001;15:31-3.