Genetic alterations underlying the metastatic dissemination processes have not been identified thus far. Therefore, it is currently not possible to discriminate which patients are at higher risk of developing metastasis or to design targeted therapies to prevent this process. The main goal of my research is to increase survival of pancreatic and colorectal cancer patients by exploring the contribution of the tumour microenvironment to the failure of presently available oncological treatments.

SERS Quantification of Galunisertib Delivery in Colorectal Cancer Cells by Plasmonic-Assisted Diatomite Nanoparticles. Managò S, Tramontano C, Delle Cave D, Chianese G, Zito G, De Stefano L, Terracciano M, Lonardo E, De Luca AC, Rea I.Small. 2021 Aug;17(34):e2101711. doi: 10.1002/smll.202101711. Epub 2021 Jul 24.PMID: 34302422

Nodal-induced L1CAM/CXCR4 subpopulation sustains tumor growth and metastasis in colorectal cancer derived organoids. Cave DD, Hernando-Momblona X, Sevillano M, Minchiotti G, Lonardo E.Theranostics. 2021 Mar 31;11(12):5686-5699. doi: 10.7150/thno.54027. eCollection 2021.PMID: 33897875 

The Revolutionary Roads to Study Cell-Cell Interactions in 3D In Vitro Pancreatic Cancer Models. Delle Cave D, Rizzo R, Sainz B Jr, Gigli G, Del Mercato LL, Lonardo E.Cancers (Basel). 2021 Feb 23;13(4):930. doi: 10.3390/cancers13040930.PMID: 33672435 

A synergic approach to enhance long-term culture and manipulation of MiaPaCa-2 pancreatic cancer spheroids. Cavo M, Delle Cave D, D’Amone E, Gigli G, Lonardo E, Del Mercato LL.Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 23;10(1):10192. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66908-8.PMID: 32576846 

TGF-β1 secreted by pancreatic stellate cells promotes stemness and tumourigenicity in pancreatic cancer cells through L1CAM downregulation. Cave DD, Di Guida M, Costa V, Sevillano M, Ferrante L, Heeschen C, Corona M, Cucciardi A, Lonardo E.Oncogene. 2020 May;39(21):4271-4285. doi: 10.1038/s41388-020-1289-1. Epub 2020 Apr 14.PMID: 32291413 

Determinants of metastatic competency in colorectal cancer. Tauriello DV, Calon A, Lonardo E, Batlle E.Mol Oncol. 2017 Jan;11(1):97-119. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.12018. Epub 2017 Jan 3.PMID: 28085225 

Studying Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics for Developing New Treatment Strategies. Lonardo E, Cioffi M, Sancho P, Crusz S, Heeschen C.J Vis Exp. 2015 Jun 20;(100):e52801. doi: 10.3791/52801.PMID: 26132091 

The miR-17-92 cluster counteracts quiescence and chemoresistance in a distinct subpopulation of pancreatic cancer stem cells. Cioffi M, Trabulo SM, Sanchez-Ripoll Y, Miranda-Lorenzo I, Lonardo E, Dorado J, Reis Vieira C, Ramirez JC, Hidalgo M, Aicher A, Hahn S, Sainz B Jr, Heeschen C.Gut. 2015 Dec;64(12):1936-48. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2014-308470. Epub 2015 Apr 17.PMID: 25887381 

Stromal gene expression defines poor-prognosis subtypes in colorectal cancer. Calon A, Lonardo E, Berenguer-Llergo A, Espinet E, Hernando-Momblona X, Iglesias M, Sevillano M, Palomo-Ponce S, Tauriello DV, Byrom D, Cortina C, Morral C, Barceló C, Tosi S, Riera A, Attolini CS, Rossell D, Sancho E, Batlle E.Nat Genet. 2015 Apr;47(4):320-9. doi: 10.1038/ng.3225. Epub 2015 Feb 23.PMID: 25706628

Intracellular autofluorescence: a biomarker for epithelial cancer stem cells. Miranda-Lorenzo I, Dorado J, Lonardo E, Alcala S, Serrano AG, Clausell-Tormos J, Cioffi M, Megias D, Zagorac S, Balic A, Hidalgo M, Erkan M, Kleeff J, Scarpa A, Sainz B Jr, Heeschen C.Nat Methods. 2014 Nov;11(11):1161-9. doi: 10.1038/nmeth.3112. Epub 2014 Sep 28.PMID: 25262208

Metformin targets the metabolic achilles heel of human pancreatic cancer stem cells. Lonardo E, Cioffi M, Sancho P, Sanchez-Ripoll Y, Trabulo SM, Dorado J, Balic A, Hidalgo M, Heeschen C.PLoS One. 2013 Oct 18;8(10):e76518. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076518. eCollection 2013.PMID: 24204632 

Pancreatic stellate cells form a niche for cancer stem cells and promote their self-renewal and invasiveness. Lonardo E, Frias-Aldeguer J, Hermann PC, Heeschen C.Cell Cycle. 2012 Apr 1;11(7):1282-90. doi: 10.4161/cc.19679. Epub 2012 Apr 1.PMID: 22421149

Nodal/Activin signaling drives self-renewal and tumorigenicity of pancreatic cancer stem cells and provides a target for combined drug therapy. Lonardo E, Hermann PC, Mueller MT, Huber S, Balic A, Miranda-Lorenzo I, Zagorac S, Alcala S, Rodriguez-Arabaolaza I, Ramirez JC, Torres-Ruíz R, Garcia E, Hidalgo M, Cebrián DÁ, Heuchel R, Löhr M, Berger F, Bartenstein P, Aicher A, Heeschen C.Cell Stem Cell. 2011 Nov 4;9(5):433-46. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2011.10.001.PMID: 22056140

Pancreatic cancer stem cells: new insights and perspectives. Dorado J, Lonardo E, Miranda-Lorenzo I, Heeschen C.J Gastroenterol. 2011 Aug;46(8):966-73. doi: 10.1007/s00535-011-0422-x. Epub 2011 Jun 23.PMID: 21698355 Review.

Pancreatic cancer stem cells – update and future perspectives. Lonardo E, Hermann PC, Heeschen C.Mol Oncol. 2010 Oct;4(5):431-42. doi: 10.1016/j.molonc.2010.06.002. Epub 2010 Jun 9.PMID: 20580623 

February 12^nd 2017 – present: Head of Gastrointestinal Cancer Laboratory at the Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “A. Buzzati Traverso” (IGB, Naples, Italy)

 November 1^st 2012 – 31^st January 2017: Postdoctoral fellow in Colorectal Cancer Laboratory led by Prof. Eduard Batlle at Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB, Barcelona, Spain)

May 1^st 2009- April 30^rd 2012:  Postdoctoral fellow in Stem Cells and Cancer Research Group led by Prof. Christopher Heeschen at Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO, Madrid, Spain)

January 12^nd 2008- April 30^th  2009: Postdoctoral fellow in the group of Dr. Gabriella Minchiotti at the Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “A. Buzzati Traverso” (IGB, Naples, Italy)

2004-2008:  PhD student in the group of Dr. Gabriella Minchiotti at the Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “A. Buzzati Traverso” (IGB, Naples, Italy)

2001-2003:  Master Student in the group of Dr. Roderto Defez at the Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “A. Buzzati Traverso” (IGB, Naples, Italy)