The major research interests of this Unit are: 1) the study of the mechanisms underlying liver cell proliferation following treatment with ligands of nuclear receptors of the steroid/thyroid receptor superfamily; 2) the study of the mechanisms by which thyroid hormone exerts an antitumoral effect on preneoplastic hepatic lesions induced by chemical carcinogens; the polymorphisms associated with development and progression of lung and colon cancer. These studies involve cDNA cloning and expression, micro and macroarrays technology, northern, western and southern blots. The long-term goal is to improve design of drugs capable to stimulate proliferation in quiescent organs and to induce a return towards a differentiated state of preneoplastic hepatocytes.

Amedeo Columbano has been Professor of Pathology since November 1990. Prior to that he was a Post-doc at the Department of Pathology of the University of Toronto (1978-81), and a Research Associate in the Institute of Pharmacology and Biochemical Pathology at the University of Cagliari from 1981-1990. A. Columbano was the President of the Dental School Degree in 1998 and the President of the Medicine and Surgery Degree form 1999 to 2006.

M.Pibiri, G.M.Ledda-Columbano, C.Cossu, G.Simbula, M.Menegazzi, H.Shinozuka, A.Columbano. Cyclin D1 is an early target in hepatocyte proliferation induced by thyroid hormone (T3) The FASEB J, 15, 1006-1013, 2001.
A.Columbano, G.M.Ledda-Columbano. Mitogenesis by ligands of nuclear receptors: an attractive model for the study of the molecular mechanisms implicated in liver growth. Cell Death.Differ., 10, S19-S21, 2003.
J.Locker, J.Tian, R.Carver, D.Concas, C.Cossu, G.M.Ledda-Columbano, A.Columbano. A common set of immediate-early response genes in liver regeneration and hyperplasia. Hepatology, 38: 314-325, 2003.
G.M.Ledda-Columbano, M.Pibiri. F.Molotzu, C.Cossu, L.Sanna, G.Simbula, A.Perra, A.Columbano. Induction of hepatocyte proliferation by retinoic acid. Carcinogenesis, 25: 2061-2066, 2004.
G.M.Ledda-Columbano, M.Pibiri, C.Cossu, F.Molotzu, J.Locker, A.Columbano. Aging does not reduce the hepatocyte proliferative response of mice to the primary mitogen TCPOBOP. Hepatology 40:981-988, 2004.
Ledda-Columbano GM, Perra A, Pibiri M, Molotzu F, Columbano A. Induction of acinar cell proliferation by thyroid hormone. J Endocrinol. 185:393-399, 2005.
Columbano A, Ledda-Columbano GM, Pibiri M, Cossu C, Menegazzi M, Moore DD, Huang W, Tian J, Locker J Gadd45beta is induced through a CAR-dependent, TNF-independent pathway in murine liver hyperplasia, Hepatology 42:1118-1126, 2005.
Ledda-Columbano GM, Molotzu F, Pibiri M, Cossu C, Perra A, Columbano A. Thyroid hormone inuces cyclin D1 nuclear translocation and DNA synthesis in adult rat cardiomyocytes. FASEB J 1:87-94, 2006.
Columbano A, Pibiri M, Deidda M, Cossu C, Scanlan TS, Chiellini G, Muntoni S, Ledda-Columbano GM. The thyroid hormone receptor-beta agonist GC-1 induces cell proliferation in rat liver and pancreas. Endocrinology, 147:3211-3218, 2006.
Simbula G, Columbano A, Ledda-Columbano GM, Sanna L, Deidda M, Diana A, Pibiri M. Increased ROS generation and p53 activation in alpha-lipoic acid-induced apoptosis of hepatoma cells, Apoptosis, 1:113-123, 2007.