Associate Professor of Medical Oncology, Università di Napoli Federico II.

Research
a) The mechanisms by which certain signaling molecules affect tumor growth, angiogenesis and apoptosis. b) Development of selective inhibitors of these signaling molecules and of more selective, cytotoxic agents for therapeutic strategies aimed at the long-term control of tumor growth. In recent years we studied the growth factors of the EGF family and their receptors, cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA), proteins involved in the control of apoptosis such as bcl-2 and mdm2, and angiogenic factors such as VEGF. We have established their role and functional interactions in the control of neoplastic transformation, apoptosis and angiogenesis.

Future projects
To study the functional interplay among EGFR, PKA, bcl-2, mdm2, and VEGF and its receptor KDR with the aim of developing novel therapeutic agents to be used with conventional treatments. We are also investigating the clinical application of several agents developed in our laboratory, some of which will shortly undergo testing in cancer patients.

Ciardiello F, Caputo R, Bianco R, Damiano V, Pomatico G, De Placido S, Bianco AR, Tortora G. Antitumor effect and potentiation of cytotoxic drugs activity in human cancer cells by ZD-1839 (Iressa), an EGFR-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Clin Cancer Res 2000;6:2053–63.

Ciardiello F, Tortora G. A novel approach in the treatment of cancer: targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor. Clin Cancer Res 2001;7:2958–70.

Tortora G, Caputo R, Damiano V, Caputo R, Melisi D, Bianco R, Fontanini G, Veneziani BM, De Placido S, Bianco AR, Ciardiello F. Combination of a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor ZD1839 (‘Iressa’) and Protein Kinase A antisense causes a cooperative antitumor and antiangiogenic effect. Clinical Cancer Research 2003;9:1566–72.

Ciardiello F, Caputo R, Damiano V, Caputo R, Troiani T, Vitagliano D, Carlomagno F, Veneziani BM, Fontanini G, Bianco AR, Tortora G. Antitumor effects of ZD6474, a small molecule Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, with additional activity against Epidermal Growth Factor. Clinical Cancer Research 2003;9: 1546–56.