- Research Groups
About
Diaferia Lab
Diaferia Lab
The Molecular Oncology laboratory focuses on the dissection of the molecular mechanisms regulating pancreatic cancer histological heterogeneity.
Through the application of high-resolution laser capture microdissection coupled with transcriptomic profiling, we have successfully mapped three distinct transcriptional tumor states to precise histological features. We have termed these "morpho biotypes" which are defined as combined morphological, molecular, and functional patterns. These morpho-biotypes coexist in various proportions in nearly all patient tumors analyzed. Importantly, their distinct gene expression programs confer differential sensitivity to various therapeutic agents.
Our goal is to leverage a deep understanding of the interplay between these tumor cell states and their microenvironment to develop and validate novel combinatorial therapies that overcome therapeutic resistance by targeting tumor heterogeneity.
Get in touch
To find out more about our lab, contact Giuseppe R. Diaferia via email.
Projects
Diaferia Lab
Team
Diaferia Lab
Know our Team
Giuseppe R. Diaferia, PhD
Group Leader
Vera Oliveira, MD
Clinical PhD Student
Xu Zhou, PhD
PostDoctoral Researcher,
Publications
Diaferia Lab
Research Articles
Di Chiaro P, Nacci L, Arco F, Brandini S, Polletti S, Palamidessi A, Donati B, Soriani C, Gualdrini F, Frigè G, Mazzarella L, Ciarrocchi A, Zerbi A, Spaggiari P, Scita G, Rodighiero S, Barozzi I, Diaferia GR* & Natoli G*. (2024). Mapping functional to morphological variation reveals the basis of regional extracellular matrix subversion and nerve invasion in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Cell, 42(4), 662-681.e10. [*last authors]
Del Poggetto E, Ho IL, Balestrieri C, Yen EY, Zhang S, Citron F, Shah R, Corti D, Diaferia GR, Li CY, Loponte S, Carbone F, Hayakawa Y, Valenti G, Jiang S, Sapio L, Jiang H, Dey P, Gao S, … Viale A. (2021). Epithelial memory of inflammation limits tissue damage while promoting pancreatic tumorigenesis. Science, 373(6561).
Milan M, Balestrieri C, Alfarano G, Polletti S, Prosperini E, Nicoli P, Spaggiari P, Zerbi A, Cirulli V, Diaferia GR* & Natoli G*. (2020). Pancreatic Cancer Cells Require the Transcription Factor MYRF to Maintain ER Homeostasis. Developmental Cell, 55(4), 398-412.e7. [*last authors]
Balestrieri C, Alfarano G, Milan M, Tosi V, Prosperini E, Nicoli P, Palamidessi A, Scita G, Diaferia GR*, & Natoli*, G. (2018). Co-optation of Tandem DNA Repeats for the Maintenance of Mesenchymal Identity. Cell, 173(5), 1150-1164.e14. [*last authors]
Diaferia GR, Balestrieri C, Prosperini E, Nicoli P, Spaggiari P, Zerbi A, Natoli G. (2016). Dissection of transcriptional and cis ‐regulatory control of differentiation in human pancreatic cancer. EMBO J, 35(6), 595–617.
Review
Milan M*, Diaferia GR*, & Natoli G*. (2021). Tumor cell heterogeneity and its transcriptional bases in pancreatic cancer: a tale of two cell types and their many variants. EMBO J, 40(13). [*corresponding authors]
