Prof. Francesca Bernassola

Francesca Bernassola is Principal Investigator for the Dissecting the role of WWP1 in cancer

Biography
Francesca Bernassola, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Rome ”Tor Vergata”. Over the past years, she has gained significant knowledge in the field of the p53 family proteins, particularly p73 and p63. More recently, her research efforts have been directed towards the investigation of the contribution of the E3 ubiquitin ligase WWP1 to the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukaemia. She has published 61 peer-reviewed journal articles (H-index 36; Citations 9300). She acts as a reviewer for key journals in the cancer field (Oncogene, Cancer Research, Oncogenesis, Molecular Oncology, Cell Death and Differentiation, Cell Death and Disease).

Representative Publications
Bernassola F, Salomoni P, Oberst A, Di Como CJ, Pagano M, Melino G, Pandolfi PP. Ubiquitin-dependent degradation of p73 is inhibited by PML. J Exp Med. 2004 Jun 7;199(11):1545-57.
Memmi EM, Sanarico AG, Giacobbe A, …, Bernassola F. p63 Sustains self-renewal of mammary cancer stem cells through regulation of Sonic Hedgehog signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Mar 17;112(11):3499-504.
Sanarico AG, Ronchini C, Croce A, …, Bernassola F. The E3 ubiquitin ligase WWP1 sustains the growth of acute myeloid leukaemia. Leukemia. 2018 Apr;32(4):911-919.
Frezza V, Fierro C, Gatti E, …, Bernassola F. ΔNp63 promotes IGF1 signalling through IRS1 in squamous cell carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY). 2018 Dec 28;10(12):4224-4240.
Bernassola F, Chillemi G, Melino G. HECT-Type E3 Ubiquitin Ligases in Cancer. Trends Biochem Sci. 2019; Dec;44(12):1057-1075.