Curriculum: Biomedical

Supervisor: Tiziana Cabras

Co-Supervisor: Barbara Manconi

Curriculum Vitae

Greca holds a Master’s Degree in Pharmacy from the University of Cagliari, awarded with the highest honors (110 e lode) on February 2023.

Greca has gained valuable research experience both in Italy and abroad. Notably, she carried out an Erasmus+ Traineeship at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden (April–July 2023), where she contributed to a project aimed at investigating the pathophysiological role of the kinesin-like protein KIF1A in a novel Alzheimer’s disease mouse model.

In Italy, she collaborated with Professor Tiziana Cabras at the University of Cagliari from February 2022 to February 2023, conducting experimental work for her thesis titled “Optimization of a top-down proteomic approach for the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid in multiple sclerosis patients.”

She joined the XXXIX Cycle of PhD program in Life, Environment and Drug Sciences at the University of Cagliari, under the supervision of Professor Tiziana Cabras. Her project focus on Identification and characterization of potential peripheral diagnostic biomarkers of Alzheimer’s diseases and of potential therapeutic targets, through top-down/shot-gun integrated proteomic and immuno-detection approaches (PNRR Grant M.D. 118/2023 M4C1 - Inv. 4.1 CUPF22B23000410007 for the expansion of the number of innovative PhD programmes).

Research Topic

Identification and characterization of potential peripheral diagnostic biomarkers of Alzheimer’s diseases and of potential therapeutic targets, through top-down/shot-gun integrated proteomic and immuno-detection approaches

Abstract

Greca Lai's research project focuses on the identification and characterization of potential peripheral biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and prospective therapeutic targets, using integrated proteomic approaches. Alzheimer's Disease, a common form of dementia, is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta protein and Tau protein in the central nervous system, leading to progressive loss of memory and cognitive functions. The research aims to overcome limitations of current diagnoses, which rely on invasive methods, by targeting saliva as an ideal biofluid for biomarker discovery due to its accessibility, non-invasiveness, and low cost.

The project proposes to study the salivary proteome in AD patients at different stages and in healthy controls, with a particular emphasis on oxidized protein forms, typical of oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases. Various proteomic approaches will be applied: top-down, shot-gun, untargeted, and targeted (specifically for nitrosylated and glutathionylated protein derivatives). Analysis will be performed using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS and MS/MS), for the identification and quantification of peptides, proteins, and their post-translational modifications (PTMs).

Proteomic data will be statistically analyzed to identify significantly altered and discriminant components among groups, also considering pharmacological treatments. Functional networks and involved biological processes will be studied, with technical validation of results via western-blot or ELISA. Furthermore, the project will include a study in murine models to identify parallels that may suggest new experimental therapies. The study is expected to provide candidate biomarkers for reliable early diagnosis, patient classification, and the identification of novel therapeutic targets.

Publications

IRIS: https://iris.unica.it/cris/rp/rp92793

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6908-3433