The Smooth Muscle Mechanics Lab

The Smooth Muscle Mechanics Laboratory (SMML) focuses on the study of smooth muscle at mechanical and morphological levels.
Smooth muscle is an involuntary, non-striated muscle tissue mainly present in:
- stomach and intestines, where it is involved in digestion and peristalsis
- the uro-genital tract, where it supports delivery contractions and ur> A number of pathogenic conditions produce impairments in the correct function of the smooth muscle, thus leading to often severe pathologies. Exampes are visceral myopathy, fibrosys, incontinence, vasocontriction, preterm contractions.
The goal of SMML research is to characterize such 'mechanical diseases' at cell and tissue levels, to support in the paths towards: 1. rapid and certain diagosis; 2. pharmacological treatment discovery.
Currently, our investigations on cell and tissue morpho-mecahnical phenotype rely on the following technologies and approaches :
- nanoindentation to explore the stiffness properties of single cells, tissues and > Moreover, molecular and cell biology facilities, as well as a variety of imaging techniques (fluorescence microscopy, confocal microscopy, calcium imaging) are available at our Institute. Bioinformatics background supports the study of the cell mechanical pathways involved in the impaired smooth muscle.

Research Group

Principal Investigator

Federica Viti

Researcher

Cv

Staff Members

Raffaella Magrassi

Researcher

Cv

Research Fellows

Mario Nizzari

Senior Scientist

Main Collaborators

Alumni

Links

• Institute of Biophysics (CNR)
• Visceral Myopathy

Main funded projects in the context

• [National] The calcium-triggered molecular scenario underlying mutant ACTG2-caused defective contraction.
  Funded by Telethon Foundation through '2021 Spring Seed Grant - CIPO' Call
• [International] European Forum on Visceral Myopathy (EFVM2022)
  Funded by European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases through 'Networking Support Scheme' Call
• [National] Approccio combinato di genetica molecolare e morfo-meccanica cellulare: uno studio pilota volto allo sviluppo di un possibile trattamento della miopatia viscerale (CIPO).
  Funded by Alessandra Bono Foundation
• [National] Whole Genome Sequencing into the diagnostic workflow of rare diseases: a cost-effectiveness evaluation in a heterogeneous population of patients with inconclusive Whole Exome.
  Funded by Italian Ministry of Health through '2018 Ricerca Finalizzata' Call
• [National] Sviluppo di una piattaforma per lo studio della meccanotrasduzione: dalla singola molecola alla cellula vivente.
  Funded by Italian Ministry of University and Research through '2013 Futuro in Ricerca' Call

Recent publications

• Exploration of Tools for the Interpretation of Human Non-Coding Variants.
  Tabarini N, Biagi E, Uva P, Iovino E, Pippucci T, Seri M, Cavalli A, Ceccherini I, Rusmini M, Viti F, 2022, 23 (21), 12977, .Int J Mol Sci
• Patient's dermal fibroblasts as disease markers for visceral myopathy
  Viti F, Pramotton FM, Martufi M, Magrassi R, Pedemonte N, Nizzari M, Zanacchi FC, De Michele B, Alampi M, Zambito M, Santamaria G, Bajetto A, Sardar S, Tomati V, Gandullia P, Giampietro C, Florio T, Beltrame F, Vassalli M, Ceccherini, 2023, 148, 213355, I.Biomater Adv.
• The Impact of Experimental Conditions on Cell Mechanics as Measured with Nanoindentation.
  Zambito, M.; Viti, F.; Bosio, A.G.; Ceccherini, I.; Florio, T.; Vassalli, M., 2023, Nanomaterials 13, 1190.
• Patient's dermal fibroblasts as disease markers for visceral myopathy.
  Viti F, Pramotton FM, Martufi M, Magrassi R, Pedemonte N, Nizzari M, Zanacchi FC, De Michele B, Alampi M, Zambito M, Santamaria G, Bajetto A, Sardar S, Tomati V, Gandullia P, Giampietro C, Florio T, Beltrame F, Vassalli M, Ceccherini I, 2023, Biomater Adv.;148:213355.
• Exploration of Tools for the Interpretation of Human Non-Coding Variants.
  Tabarini N, Biagi E, Uva P, Iovino E, Pippucci T, Seri M, Cavalli A, Ceccherini I, Rusmini M,Viti F., 2022, Int J.Mol.Sci., 23(21):12977.
• An Overview on Microfluidic Systems for Nucleic Acids Extraction from Human Raw Samples.
  Obino D...and Viti F., 2021, Sensors, 21(9):3058.
• Biophysical Phenotyping of Mesenchymal Stem Cells along the Osteogenic Differentiation Pathway.
  Gavazzo P., Viti F. et al., 2021, Cell Biology and Toxicology, 37(6):915-933.
  
• Development of label-free biophysical markers in osteogenic maturation.
  Bartolozzi A., Viti F. et al., 2020 J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 103(5):103581.
  
• Structure, Thermodynamics, and Kinetics of Plinabulin Binding to Two Tubulin Isotype.
  La Sala G...Viti F. et al., 2019 Chem, 2969(5):2986.
  
• Flow-induced mechanotransduction in skeletal cells
  Alfieri R...and Viti F., 2019, Biophys Reviews,11(5): 729–743.
  
• Quantifying Protein Copy Number in Super Resolution Using an Imaging-Invariant Calibration.
  Cella Zanacchi F...Magrassi R. et al, 2019, Biophysical journal 116 (11):2195.
  
• Single-molecule localization to study cytoskeletal structures, membrane complexes, and mechanosensors.
  Magrassi R. et al 2019, Light: Biophys.rev 11 (15):745.
  
• Repeated photoporation with graphene quantum dots enables homogeneous labeling of live cells with extrinsic markers for fluorescence microscopy.
  Liu J...Magrassi R. et al, 2018, Light: Science & Applications, 7:47.
  
• Controlled single-cell cyclic compression and transcription analysis: a pilot study.
  Gavazzo P...and Viti F., 2017, Biophysical Chemistry, 229:39-45.
  
• A biophysical approach to quantify skeletal stem cells trans-differentiation as a model for the study of osteoporosis.
  Petecchia L., Viti F. et al, 2017, Biophysical Chemistry, 229:84-92.
  

Contact information

• federica.viti AT ibf.cnr.it
• raffaella.magrassi AT ibf.cnr.it

• +39 0106475233
• +39 0106375571