Therapeutic Applications of Nitric Oxide in Cancer and Inflammatory Disease

Dr. Rapozzi is Associate Professor in Biochemistry at the Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Italy. She is Founder and Member of International Society for Nitric Oxide and Cancer and frequent speaker at the yearly International Workshops on Nitric Oxide and Cancer. Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of tumor response to oxidative stress induced by photodynamic therapy and chemotherapeutic agents. She is Member of Editorial Board for the Journal Critical Reviews TM in Oncogenesis. She published 84 journal articles and 9 book chapters.

Dr. Luigi Xodo is Full Professor of Biochemistry at the Department of Medicine of the University of Udine, Italy. His work focuses on unraveling the oncogenes involved in carcinogenesis and on the development of new cancer therapies. In particular, Dr. Xodo's work led to the discovery that the KRAS oncogene, a key player in cellular transformation towards malignancy, is intricately regulated by guanine-rich sequences that adopt unique G-quadruplex structures. This discovery paved the way for targeted interventions against KRAS-related cancers. Dr. Xodo developed effective anti-cancer drugs that could inhibit the KRAS oncogene. One notable approach has been the use of cationic porphyrins that specifically target G-quadruplexes in KRAS mRNA and trigger transcript degradation upon photoactivation. In addition, Dr. Xodo's studies contribute to the discovery of a metabolic reprogramming phenomenon in KRAS-related cancers by elucidating how arginine metabolism shifts to promote the production of polyamines, phosphocreatine and nitric oxide. He is the author of 120 publications in high quality peer-reviewed journals. His academic contributions are evidenced by 120 publications in peer-reviewed journals with high-impact factor, underlining his profound impact on the field of biochemistry and oncology.

Dr. Bonavida has vast expertise and various reported publications in the field of tumor cell sensitization to chemotherapy (a total of greater than 500 publications) and in particular the novel role of Nitric Oxide (NO) donors in chemo-sensitization and reversal of drug resistance. In addition, he was the first scientist to co-organize an international meeting on the topic (First International Workshop on NO and Cancer, 2005).