DAVIDE VIGETTI, Ph.D.

Department of Surgical and Morphological Sciences

School of Medicine - University of Insubria

Via Dunant, 5 - 21100 Varese

ITALY

tel. ++39-0332-397170

fax. ++39-0332-397119

email: davide.vigetti@uninsubria.it

EDUCATION

• 2002 Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology, University of Milan, Italy.
• 1996 Degree in Biology (MS) cum laude, University of Milan, Italy.

  ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

• 2015-present Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Medicine and Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
• 2004-2014 Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, University of Insubria, Varese.
• National Scientific Qualification (ASN - Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale) to function as Full Professor in Bio/10 - Biochemistry (March 31st 2017 - March 31st 2023)

  SOCIETIES

• American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2014-present)
• Italian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2005-present)
• Italian Society of Connective Tissue Research (2005-present; secretary 2017-2019)
• International Society of Hyaluronan Sciences (2005-present; secretary 2018-2022)

Davide Vigetti has been in the scientific and organizing committees of several national and international meetings:

• Italian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology - Riccione 2007
• XXXVII meeting of the Italian Society for connective tissue research (SISC 2017 – Como)
• International Society for Hyaluronan Sciences (HA2013, Oklahoma City, USA; HA2015, Florence, Italy; HA2017, Cleveland, USA; HA2019, Cardiff, Wales, UK)
• Seven lakes International Conference on Proteoglycans 2017, Varese, Italy.

AWARDS

• 2013 FEBS Journal Top-cited paper Award
• 2008 Young Researcher Award from “Centro Insubre di Biotecnologie per la Salute Umana)”
• 2001 Postdoctoral fellowship from Dept. of Structural and Functional Biology, University of Insubria

  EDITORIAL APPOINTMENTS

• 2019 Editor of the book Methods in Molecular Biology – Extracellular Matrix - Method and Protocols – Springer
• 2014-2019 Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
• 2014- present Member of the Editorial Board of Clinical & Medical Biochemistry
• 2012-2013 Lead Guest Editor of the special issue entitled “Cellular microenvironment in human pathologies” in Biomedical Research International.
   

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

• 1994-1996 nutrient regulation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell cycle
• 1997-2003 nitrogen excretion pathway in Xenopus laevis
• 1997-2003 heavy metal ions toxicity in Xenopus laevis development
• 2004-present Set up of quantitative methods to quantify glycosaminoglycans.
• 2004- present Extracellular matrix metabolism in cultures of human cells in senescence.
• 2004-present Regulation of hyaluronic acid synthesis in in vitro models of human pathologies as atherosclerosis and cancers.
• 2014-present Epigenetic regulation of gene expression (long non-coding RNA biology).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Davide Vigetti is author of 78 peer reviewed papers with total impact factor of more than 250, more than 2100 citations, and a H-index is 26 (from Scopus database).

He attended more than 60 scientific meetings presenting about 20 talks as invited or selected speaker or chair.
Briefly:

• Gordon Research Conference on Proteoglycans 2012 (poster selected for oral presentation).
• International Conference on Hyaluronan Sciences 2003, 2007, 2013, 2019 (poster selected for oral presentation, invited speaker and session chair).
• FEBS Advanced Lecture Course Matrix Pathobiology 2013, 2015 (poster selected for oral presentation).
• FEBS Advanced Lecture Course Matrix Pathobiology 2018 (Discussion leader and invited speaker).
• Italian Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2003, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2015 (poster selected for oral presentation).
• Italian Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2007, 2013 (invited speaker).
• Italian Congress of Connective Tissue Studies 2006, 2016 (poster selected for oral presentation).
• Italian Congress of Connective Tissue Studies 2018 (invited speaker).
   

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

For a complete list of PubMed publications click here

1. Tezuka T, Ota A, Karnan S, Matsuura K, Yokoo K, Hosokawa Y, Vigetti D, Passi A, Hatano S, Umezawa K, Watanabe H. (2018) The plant alkaloid conophylline inhibits matrix formation of fibroblasts J Biol Chem. 293, 20214-20226
2. Vigetti D, Caon I, Passi A. (2018) A nutrient sentinel stands guard outside the cell. J Biol Chem. 293:16951-16952. Editors' Picks
3. Karamanos NK, Piperigkou Z, Theocharis AD, Watanabe H, Franchi M, Baud S, Brézillon S, Götte M, Passi A, Vigetti D, Ricard-Blum S, Sanderson RD, Neill T, Iozzo RV (2018) Proteoglycan Chemical Diversity Drives Multifunctional Cell Regulation and Therapeutics. Chem Rev. 118:9152-9232.
4. Filpa V, Bistoletti M, Caon I, Moro E, Grimaldi A, Moretto P, Baj A, Giron MC, Karousou E, Viola M, Crema F, Frigo G, Passi A, Giaroni C, Vigetti D. (2017) Changes in hyaluronan deposition in the rat myenteric plexus after experimentally-induced colitis. Sci Rep.;7:17644
5. Viola M, Karousou E, D'Angelo ML, Moretto P, Caon I, Luca G, Passi A, Vigetti D. (2017) Extracellular Matrix in Atherosclerosis: Hyaluronan and Proteoglycans Insights. Curr Med Chem. 23:2958-2971
6. Moretto P, Karousou E, Viola M, Caon I, D’Angelo ML, De Luca G, Passi A, Vigetti D (2015) Regulation of hyaluronan synthesis in vascular diseases and diabetes. Journal of Diabetes Research Article ID 167283, 9 pages
7. Vigetti D, Deleonibus S, Moretto P, Bowen T, Fischer JW, Grandoch M, Oberhuber A, Love DC, Hanover JA, Cinquetti R, Karousou E, Viola M, D’Angelo ML, HAscall VC, De Luca G, Passi A (2014) Natural antisense transcript for hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2-AS1) induces transcription of HAS2 via protein O-GlcNAcylation. J Biol Chem. 289:28816-28826
   (comment on Matrix Biology highlights)
8. Vigetti D, Viola M, Karousou E, Deleonibus S, Karamanou K, De Luca G, Passi A (2014) Epigenetic in extracellular matrix remodeling and hyaluronan metabolism. FEBS J. 281:4980–4992
9. Vigetti D, Karousou E, Viola M, Deleonibus S, De Luca G, Passi A (2014) Hyaluronan: biosynthesis and signaling. Biochim Biophys Acta - General Subjects 1840: 2452-2459
10. Viola M, Bartolini B, Vigetti D, Karousou E, Moretto P, Deleonibus S, Sawamura T, Wight TN, Hascall VC, De Luca G, Passi A. (2013) Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Affects Hyaluronan Synthesis in Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells. J Biol Chem. 288:29595-29603
11. Vigetti D, Deleonibus S, Moretto P, Karousou E, Viola M, Bartolini B, Hascall VC, Tammi MI, De Luca G, Passi A (2012) Role of UDP-N-Acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and O-GlcNAcylation of Hyaluronan Synthase 2 in the Control of Chondroitin Sulfate and Hyaluronan Synthesis. J Biol Chem. 287: 35544-35555
12. Vigetti D, Rizzi M, Moretto P, Clerici M, Dreyfuss JM, Karousou E, Viola M, Deleonibus S, Hascall VC, Ramoni MF, De Luca G, Passi A. (2011). Glycosaminoglycans and glucose prevent apoptosis in 4-methylumbelliferone-treated human aortic smooth muscle cells. J Biol Chem. 286:34497-34503
13. Vigetti D, Clerici M, Deleonibus S, Karousou E, Viola M, Moretto P, Heldin P, Hascall VC, De Luca G, Passi A. (2011) Hyaluronan synthesis is inhibited by adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase through the regulation of hyaluronan synthase 2 activity in human aortic smooth muscle cells. J Biol Chem. 286(10):7917-7924
14. Acquati F, Bertilaccio S, Grimaldi A, Monti L, Cinquetti R, BonettI P, Lualdi M,  Vidalino L, Fabbri M, Sacco MG, Van Rooijen N, Campomenosi P, Vigetti D, Passi A, Riva C, Capella C, Sanvito F, Doglioni C, Gribaldo L, Macchi P, Sica A, Noonan D, Ghia P, Taramelli R. (2011) Microenvironmental control of malignancy exerted by RNASET2, a widely conserved extracellular RNase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 108:1104-1109
15. Vigetti D, Genasetti A, Karousou E, Viola M, Clerici M, Deleonibus S, De Luca G, Hascall VC, Passi A. (2010) Proinflammatory cytokines induce hyaluronan synthesis and monocytes adhesion in human endothelial cells through has2 and NF-kB pathway. J Biol Chem. 285:24639-24645
16. Vigetti D, Genasetti A, Karousou E, Viola M, Clerici M, Bartolini B, Moretto P, De Luca G, Hascall VC, Passi A. (2009) Modulation of hyaluronan synthase activity in cellular membrane fractions. J Biol Chem. 284(44):30684-94.
17. Vigetti D, Rizzi M, Viola M, Karousou E, Genasetti A, Clerici M, Bartolini B, Hascall VC, De Luca G, Passi A. (2009) The effects of 4-methylumbelliferone on hyaluronan synthesis, MMP2 activity, proliferation, and motility of human aortic  smooth muscle cells. Glycobiology. 19(5):537-46.
18. Vigetti D, Viola M, Karousou E, Rizzi M, Moretto P, Genasetti A, Clerici M, Hascall VC, De Luca G, Passi A. (2008) Hyaluronan-CD44-ERK1/2 regulate human aortic smooth muscle cell motility during aging. J Biol Chem. 283(7):4448-58.
19. Vigetti D, Moretto P, Viola M, Genasetti A, Rizzi M, Karousou E, Pallotti F, De Luca G, Passi A. (2006) Matrix metalloproteinase 2 and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases regulate human aortic smooth muscle cell migration during in vitro aging. FASEB J. 20(8):1118-30.
20. Vigetti D, Ori M, Viola M, Genasetti A, Karousou E, Rizzi M, Pallotti F, Nardi I, Hascall VC, De Luca G, Passi A. (2006) Molecular cloning and characterization of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase from the amphibian Xenopus laevis and its involvement in hyaluronan synthesis. J Biol Chem. 281(12):8254-63.