Castorina, Alessandro - University of Technology Sydney

个人简介

Dr Castorina began his academic journey at the Department of Anatomy "G.F. Ingrassia" in Catania (Italy) in 2004, where he worked on his Master Degree thesis entitled "Biomechanics of the coxo-femural joint - the positive effects of physical activity". In 2005 he started an internship at the same Department, and had the unique possibilty to receive research training on several molecular and cell biology techniques. Soon after he undertook PhD studies and early in 2009 he received his PhD in Neuropharmacology. For the subsequent 2 years he continued to pursue his molecular studies as a post-doctoral fellow, an appointment that was extended for a 3rd year thanks to his successful scientific achievements. In 2011 he was appointed as Lecturer in Human Anatomy and Neuroanatomy at the University of Catania, and his role was confirmed as Senior four years later. In 2014 he was awarded an International Research Collaborative Award from the University of Sydney to work in collaboration with the School of Molecular Bioscience. This award gave Dr Castorina the opportunity to also visit Sydney and appreciate this wonderful Country. As a consequence, in September 2015 he took a 1 year sabbatical to join the Discipline of Anatomy & Histology (University of Sydney) as a Research Fellow. In 2016 Dr Castorina took on a new challenge by deciding to move permanently to Australia and pursue his future academic career here in Sydney. In September 2016 he was appointed as Senior Lecturer in Human Anatomy by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Dr Castorina is now Deputy Discipline Leader for the discipline of Medical Science at UTS. He is also the Head of the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (LCMN). In 2019, Dr Castorina also joined the Australial Society for Medical Research NSW State committee, where he is the current Deputy Convenor for the ASM 2019.

研究领域

His research interests in the last ten years have been focused on investigating the broad function of two neuroprotective/immunomodulatory neuropeptides known as PACAP and VIP in cellular systems (in vitro) and experimental animals (in vivo), with the aim to get a better understanding of the potential therapeutical implications of these endogenously produced protective molecules in the treatment of neurodegenerative / neuroinflammatory / neurological / neurotraumatic conditions. A parallel line of research, carried out in collaboration with the Section of Pharmacology at the University of Catania (Italy), has been to comprehend the involvement of dopamine D3 receptors in the development or resilience to addictive behaviors and in mediating dopamine-driven acquisition of fear-related memories. Having identified many of the potential therapeutical benefits (but also drawbacks) arising from the use of PACAP and VIP in his past research activities, Dr Castorina is now planning to start a new series of investigations with the aim to identify novel upstream post-transcriptional mechanisms governing endogenous PACAP/VIP gene expression in neuronal cells and in rodent models of disease.

近期论文

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Castorina, A, Vogiatzis, M, Kang, JWM & Keay, KA 2019, 'PACAP and VIP expression in the periaqueductal grey of the rat following sciatic nerve constriction injury', NEUROPEPTIDES, vol. 74, pp. 60-69.View/Download from: Publisher's site Castrogiovanni, P, Di Rosa, M, Ravalli, S, Castorina, A, Guglielmino, C, Imbesi, R, Vecchio, M, Drago, F, Szychlinska, MA & Musumeci, G 2019, 'Moderate Physical Activity as a Prevention Method for Knee Osteoarthritis and the Role of Synoviocytes as Biological Key', INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES, vol. 20, no. 3.View/Download from: Publisher's site Szychlinska, MA, Di Rosa, M, Castorina, A, Mobasheri, A & Musumeci, G 2019, 'A correlation between intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and osteoarthritis', Heliyon, vol. 5, no. 1.View/Download from: Publisher's site Leggio, GM, Di Marco, R, Gulisano, W, D'Ascenzo, M, Torrisi, SA, Geraci, F, Lavanco, G, Dahl, K, Giurdanella, G, Castorina, A, Aitta-aho, T, Aceto, G, Bucolo, C, Puzzo, D, Grassi, C, Korpi, ER, Drago, F & Salomone, S 2019, 'Dopaminergic-GABAergic interplay and alcohol binge drinking', PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH, vol. 141, pp. 384-391.View/Download from: Publisher's site Al-Badri, G & Castorina, A 2018, 'Tackling dipeptidyl peptidase IV in neurological disorders', Neural Regeneration Research, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 26-34.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Musumeci, G, Leggio, GM, Marzagalli, R, Al-Badri, G, Drago, F & Castorina, A 2018, 'Identification of Dysregulated microRNA Networks in Schwann Cell-Like Cultures Exposed to Immune Challenge: Potential Crosstalk with the Protective VIP/PACAP Neuropeptide System.', International journal of molecular sciences, vol. 19, no. 4.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Al-Badri, G & Castorina, A 2018, 'Insights into the Role of Neuroinflammation in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis', Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1-13.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Szychlinska, MA, Yamakado, K, Castorina, A & Ljubisavljevic, M 2017, 'The 'Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology' Journal Club Series: Highlights on Recent Papers in Musculoskeletal Disorders', Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 1-6.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Castorina, A, Loreto, C, Vespasiani, G, Giunta, S, Musumeci, G, Castorina, S, Basic, D & Sansalone, S 2016, 'Increased aquaporin 1 expression in the tunica albuginea of Peyronie's disease patients: an in vivo pilot study', HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY, vol. 31, no. 11, pp. 1241-1249.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Musumeci, G, Loreto, C, Giunta, S, Rapisarda, V, Szychlinska, MA, Imbesi, R, Castorina, A, Annese, T, Castorina, S, Castrogiovanni, P & Ribatti, D 2016, 'Angiogenesis correlates with macrophage and mast cell infiltration in lung tissue of animals exposed to fluoro-edenite fibers', Experimental Cell Research, vol. 346, no. 1, pp. 91-98.View/Download from: Publisher's site Marzagalli, R, Leggio, GM, Bucolo, C, Pricoco, E, Keay, KA, Cardile, V, Castorina, S, Salomone, S, Drago, F & Castorina, A 2016, 'GENETIC BLOCKADE OF THE DOPAMINE D-3 RECEPTOR ENHANCES HIPPOCAMPAL EXPRESSION OF PACAP AND RECEPTORS AND ALTERS THEIR CORTICAL DISTRIBUTION', NEUROSCIENCE, vol. 316, pp. 279-295.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Musumeci, G, Castorina, A, Magro, G, Cardile, V, Castorina, S & Ribatti, D 2015, 'Enhanced expression of CD31/platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM1) correlates with hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) in human glioblastoma multiforme', EXPERIMENTAL CELL RESEARCH, vol. 339, no. 2, pp. 407-416.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Musumeci, G, Magro, G, Cardile, V, Coco, M, Marzagalli, R, Castrogiovanni, P, Imbesi, R, Graziano, ACE, Barone, F, Di Rosa, M, Castorina, S & Castorina, A 2015, 'Characterization of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and-9, ADAM-10 and N-cadherin expression in human glioblastoma multiforme', CELL AND TISSUE RESEARCH, vol. 362, no. 1, pp. 45-60.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Leggio, GM, Torrisi, SA, Castorina, A, Platania, CBM, Impellizzeri, AAR, Fidilio, A, Caraci, F, Bucolo, C, Drago, F & Salonnone, S 2015, 'Dopamine D3 receptor-dependent changes in alpha6 GABAA subunit expression in striatum modulate anxiety-like behaviour: Responsiveness and tolerance to diazepam', EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, vol. 25, no. 9, pp. 1427-1436.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Castorina, A, Szychlinska, MA, Marzagalli, R & Musumeci, G 2015, 'Mesenchymal stem cells-based therapy as a potential treatment in neurodegenerative disorders: is the escape from senescence an answer?', NEURAL REGENERATION RESEARCH, vol. 10, no. 6, pp. 850-858.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Marzagalli, R, Scuderi, S, Drago, F, Waschek, JA & Castorina, A 2015, 'Emerging Role of PACAP as a New Potential Therapeutic Target in Major Diabetes Complications', INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENDOCRINOLOGY.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Giunta, S, Castorina, A, Marzagalli, R, Szychlinska, MA, Pichler, K, Mobasheri, A & Musumeci, G 2015, 'Ameliorative Effects of PACAP against Cartilage Degeneration. Morphological, Immunohistochemical and Biochemical Evidence from in Vivo and in Vitro Models of Rat Osteoarthritis', INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 5922-5944.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Marzagalli, R & Castorina, A 2015, 'The seeming paradox of adenosine receptors as targets for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: agonists or antagonists?', NEURAL REGENERATION RESEARCH, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 205-207.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Castorina, A, Waschek, JA, Marzagalli, R, Cardile, V & Drago, F 2015, 'PACAP Interacts with PAC(1) Receptors to Induce Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) Expression and Activity in Schwann Cell-Like Cultures', PLOS ONE, vol. 10, no. 2.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Scuderi, S, D'Amico, AG, Castorina, A, Federico, C, Marrazzo, G, Drago, F, Bucolo, C & D'Agata, V 2014, 'Davunetide (NAP) Protects the Retina Against Early Diabetic Injury by Reducing Apoptotic Death', JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE, vol. 54, no. 3, pp. 395-404.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Castorina, A & Giunta, S 2014, 'Mucin 1 (MUC1) signalling contributes to increase the resistance to cell death in human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to nickel acetate', BIOMETALS, vol. 27, no. 6, pp. 1149-1158.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Giunta, S, Andriolo, V & Castorina, A 2014, 'Dual blockade of the A(1) and A(2A) adenosine receptor prevents amyloid beta toxicity in neuroblastoma cells exposed to aluminum chloride', INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY, vol. 54, pp. 122-136.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Leggio, GM, Camillieri, G, Platania, CBM, Castorina, A, Marrazzo, G, Torrisi, SA, Nona, CN, D'Agata, V, Nobrega, J, Stark, H, Bucolo, C, Le Foll, B, Drago, F & Salomone, S 2014, 'Dopamine D3 Receptor Is Necessary for Ethanol Consumption: An Approach with Buspirone', NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, vol. 39, no. 8, pp. 2017-2028.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site Castorina, A, Scuderi, S, D'Amico, AG, Drago, F & D'Agata, V 2014, 'PACAP and VIP increase the expression of myelin-related proteins in rat schwannoma cells: Involvement of PAC1/VPAC2 receptor-mediated activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathways', EXPERIMENTAL CELL RESEARCH, vol. 322, no. 1, pp. 108-121.View/Download from: UTS OPUS or Publisher's site D'Amico, AG, Castorina, A, Leggio, GM, Imbesi, R, Drago, F & D'Agata, V 2013, 'Dopamine D3 receptor knockout mice exhibit increased hippocampal cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) following acquisition of passive avoidance memory', Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology, vol. 118, no. 2 SUPPL.