Thirty years of clinical practice and research.

From graduation in Perugia in 1992, the journey has spanned the United States (Animal Medical Center of New York, North Carolina State University), France (Institut Gustave-Roussy), and Bulgaria (Academy of Sciences), before consolidating in Rome as clinical practice and research consultancy at the Regina Elena National Cancer Institute.

Education

1992

Degree (DVM Degree)

Anatomy Department School of Veterinary Medicine University of Perugia. Perugia, Italy

1994

Intensive Post Graduate Course In Clinical Veterinary Medicine Part I + Part III

The Animal Medical Center USA 510 East 62nd Street New York, NY 10021, U.S.A.

1994 - 1996

Residency Program in Veterinary Oncology

North Carolina State University 4700 Hillsborough Street Raleigh, NC 27606, U.S.A.

1996

Staging at Institut Gustave-Roussy for Cancer Research to learn square pulses electrochemotherapy

39 Rue Camille Desmoulin 94800 Villejuif Val-de-Marne, France

1999

Staging at the Centre of Biomedical Engineering to learn biphasic pulses
electrochemotherapy

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences 1113 Acad G. Bonchev Str Sofia, Bulgaria

2004 - 2006

Ph D (Electrochemotherapy)

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Institute of Experimental Pathology and Parasitology 1113 Acad G. Bonchev Str Sofia, Bulgaria

2006

Diplomate American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Specialty of Oncology

American College of Veterinary
Internal Medicine 1997 Wadsworth Blvd, Suite A Lakewood, CO 80214-5293, U.S.A.

2006

Diplomate European College of Internal Medicine – Companion
Animals, Specialty of Oncology

Professional Experience

January 1993 January 1994

Free lance veterinarian at Ambulatorio Veterinario Associato Dr. Aleandri & C.

Via Caselli 51, Rome
Italy

January 1997 to date

Free lance veterinary oncologist

4 Veterinary practices and 1 Clinic in Rome, Italy

January 1997 to date

Veterinary Oncology Consultant and Responsible for laboratory animal welfare

Regina Elena Cancer Institute Via delle Messi d'Oro, 156 00158 Rome, Italy

January 1999 March 2001

Veterinary Oncology Consultant at National Research Council

CNR Viale Marx 186 Rome, Italy

September 2001 December 2001

Veterinary Oncology Consultant and Responsible for laboratory animal welfare at the animal facility

Istituto di Ricerche di Biologia Molecolare P. Angeletti (Merck Group)
Via Pontina Km 30,600
00040 Pomezia (Rome), Italy

January 2001
to date

Contract researcher

Regina Elena Cancer Institute Via delle Messi d'Oro, 156
00158 Rome, Italy

Research

Use of intralesional chemotherapy and local hyperthermia for the treatment of unresectable canine and feline tumors.
Investigation of pulse mediated chemotherapy (electrochemotherapy) for the treatment of down staged tumors in companion animals.
Evaluation of adjuvant electrochemotherapy (ECT) for the treatment of incompletely excised tumors in pets.
Collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and the Center of Biomedical Engineering of Sofia, Bulgaria for the development of new drug delivery systems and new protocols to be adopted for humans. Fifty human patients treated to date on the basis of canine-derived protocols.
Collaboration with Prof. A. Baldi (II University of Naples, Faculty of Medicine) for the investigation of new protocols in a canine mesothelioma model.
Identification of novel antiangiogenesis drugs for the treatment of canine hemangiosarcoma.
Identification of novel compounds to be used as chemosensitizers for electrochemotherapy. Studies performed on rodents and pets.
Histopathological and ultrastructural (freeze-fracturing, SEM, TEM electron microscopy) categorization of electrochemotherapy induced modifications.
Identification of possible prognostic patterns.
Characterization of patterns of electropermeabilization of human and pet neoplasms to develop novel protocols aimed at improving the delivery of DNA plasmids and oligoantisense molecules.
Development of novel clinical electroporation equipment as well as electrodes to be used in clinical settings.
Investigation of electrochemotherapy and electrogene therapy as a palliative therapy for advanced malignant mesothelioma.
Study of different chemotherapy protocols for the treatment of advanced prostatic carcinoma.
Development of mathematical models for the study of electrochemotherapy in rodents and pets
Use of proton pump inhibitors as chemosensitizers

Drug Studies

Collaboration with the Centre of Biomedical Engineering, Sofia, BG

Evaluation of Chemopulse equipment for the treatment of advanced cancer in pets.
Development of modified needle and caliper electrodes for electrochemotherapy of the oral district. Validation in pet models. Currently adopted by the division of head and neck cancer therapy of Sofia, BG.
Assessment of the therapeutic potential of hyaluronidase to ensure a more uniform drug disposition and a homogeneous electrical field for electrochemotherapy.

Collaboration with the Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy

Investigation of the efficacy of bleomycin as an agent suitable for electrochemotherapy in companion animals. The drug has been tested in cats with soft tissue sarcomas and dogs with malignant melanoma.
Platinum-based electrochemotherapy for the rescue and first protocol in cats and dogs with advanced neoplasms.
Development of novel delivery systems (and their combinations) for DNA plasmids and oligoantisense.

Professional Recognition

July 2006, Member of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Specialty of Oncology.
September 2006, Member of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ECVIM-CA), Specialty of Oncology.
January 2006, Board Member of the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research.
December 2007, Member of the Scientific Committee of the Italian Endometriosis Foundation.
August 2008, Board Member of The Open Drug Resistance Journal.

Scientific Journal Reviewer

Journal of Experimental and
Clinical Cancer Research
British Journal of Cancer
International Journal of Cancer
Melanoma Research
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Veterinary Research and Communications
International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics
Journal of Veterinary Science
Microscopy Research and Technique
Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy
Veterinarni medicina
The Open Drug Resistance Journal
Journal of Small Animal Practice

Lectures and Proceedings

July 1999

Companion Animals with advanced neoplasms as a model for their human counterparts.

National Cancer Institute
Sofia, Bulgaria

September 2002

Electrochemotherapy of Companion Animals with advanced neoplasms.

Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Illinois, Urbana
U.S.A.

September 2002

Combined surgery and electrochemotherapy for the treatment of feline sarcomas.

Regina Elena Cancer Institute
Rome, Italy

December 2002

Spontaneous cancer models: the role of companion animals

Regina Elena Cancer Institute Via delle Messi d'Oro, 156 00158 Rome, Italy

January 2003

Spontaneous cancer models: the role of companion animals

University of Salerno
Faculty of Pharmacology
Salerno, Italy

April 2003

Tumors in domestic animals as a model for humans: contribution to the development of novel electrochemotherapy protocols

Pascale Cancer Institute
Naples, Italy

May 2003

Myeloproliferative Syndromes in dogs and cats

Course of hematology for Veterinarians
Medical History Academy
Rome, Italy

May 2004

Development of chemotherapy protocols in companion animals: preclinical and epidemiological implications.

Workshop Veterinary Epidemiology: state of the art and novel trends. National Institute of Health,
Rome, Italy

December 2004

Animal models of apoptosis-mediated antitumor therapy (electrochemotherapy) and their translation to humans

Yearly symposium ONLUS-AICC (Italian branch of the European Tissue Culture Society) Naples, Italy

December 2004

Feline and canine lymphoma and leukemias: what's new

Continuing Education Course for Veterinarians
Rome, Italy

February 2005

Transition from laboratory to clinical application of a novel apoptosis-mediated cancer destruction technique.

The ILAR Preclinical/clinical interface conference.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

April 2005

Spontaneous neoplasms of pets: a preclinical model to develop and test novel therapeutic strategies

Oncology Seminars
University Campus Biomedico
Rome, Italy

September 2005

Analysis of COX-2 involvement in the pathogenesis and therapy of human mesothelioma. A. Baldi, E.P. Spugnini, et al.

National Congress SIAPEC-IAP
Chieti, Italy

October 2005

Use of the HIV protease inhibitor indinavir to block hepatocarcinoma growth in nude mice. V. Esposito, A. Baldi, E. Spugnini, V. Montesarchio, A.M. Groeger, A. De Luca, E. Palescandolo, G. Cortese, A. Chirianni (Naples, Italy) (15´).

The International Institute of Anticancer Research, yearly conference, Rome, Italy

December 2005

Delivery of anticancer drugs through biphasic pulses as a rescue for advanced tumors: first results in companion animals

Workshop Mechanisms of chemoresistance and radioresistance in tumor cells. National Institute of Health,
Rome, Italy

October 2006

Feline and canine sarcomas: diagnosis, prognosis and treatment

Veterinary Association of Viterbo, Italy

May 2007

Electrochemotherapy of solid tumors: an update on a novel anticancer therapy

Swiss Association of Small Animal Veterinarians

June 2007

Pulse-Mediated chemotherapy of solid tumors (electrochemotherapy): recent developments of a novel anticancer therapy

25th Annual ACVIM Meeting
Seattle, USA

June 2007

Oncology in companion animals: what's new?

Yearly AVULP (Association of Veterinary Practitioners of Umbria) meeting

January 2008

Pre-Clinical Models in Oncology

Presentation to the Scientific Advisory Board of the Regina Elena Cancer Institute

February 2008

Pulse-Mediated chemotherapy of solid tumors (electrochemotherapy): recent developments of a novel anticancer therapy

University of Glasgow (UK), Small Animal Hospital

March 2008

Adjuvant CDDP-based electrochemotherapy for the treatment of incompletely excised mast cell tumors in dogs

1st Worldvet Cancer Meeting
February 28th-March 1st
Copenhagen (DK)

May 2008

Electrochemotherapy: indirect evidence of involvement of the immune system. Preliminary findings from animal studies.

International Symposium "Immunotherapy of cancer – clinical results and future goals"
May 8 and 9, 2008, Sofia, Bulgaria

October 2008

Electrochemotherapy for the treatment of mast cell tumors in dogs

Meeting Sioncovet
October 12, 13, 2008, Cremona, Italy

October 2008

Pulse-Mediated chemotherapy of solid tumors in pets (electrochemotherapy): recent developments of a novel anticancer therapy

8th IIAR International Conference of Anticancer Research

March 2009

Research in animal models for endometriosis

High Tech in endometriosis and infertility
March 4, 2009, Rome
Italy

March 2009

Molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and progression in malignant mesothelioma: possible therapeutic applications from animal studies

University of Glasgow (UK), Small Animal Hospital
Italy

June 2009

Evaluation of Cisplatin (CDDP) as an electrochemotherapy agent for the treatment of incompletely excised mast cell tumors in Dogs

27th Annual ACVIM Meeting, 3-6 June 2009, Montreal, Canada

September 2009

Adnexal tumors of companion animals as a model for humans: results in the field of electrochemotherapy

Preclinical Oncology Models: scientific, technical and ethical
Aspects. September 20-21 2009, Genova, Italy

April 2010

Preclinical models in biomedicine, biomechanical prosthesis, ultrasonography, and electrochemotherapy in animals.

Centre of Biomedical Engineering "Ivan Daskalov"
Sofia - Bulgaria

April 2010

Pulse-mediated chemotherapy of solid tumors in pets (electrochemotherapy): recent developments of a novel anticancer therapy

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Sofia - Bulgaria

June 2010

Pulse-Mediated Chemotherapy Of Solid Tumors (Electrochemotherapy): Recent Developments Of A Novel Anticancer Therapy

ACVIM 2010 Forum
Anaheim - USA

September 2010

Proton pump inhibitors as anti vacuolar-ATPases drugs: preliminary findings in companion animals with spontaneous neoplasms

ISPDC Meeting
September 27, 28
Rome - Italy

November 2010

Paraneoplastic syndromes and oncology emergencies

AMVAC Meeting
November 12, 13
Sinaia - Romania

November 2010

Update on mast cell tumors in dogs and cats

AMVAC Meeting
November 12, 13
Sinaia - Romania

November 2010

Electrochemotherapy and electrogene therapy: new approaches in anti-cancer therapy in cats and dogs

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
University of Ghent
Ghent - Belgium

December 2010

Chemotherapy and tumor vaccine in veterinary oncology

Workshop "Human and veterinary oncology: comparative aspects and future applications"
December 3, 2010
Faculty of Medicine
University of Tor Vergata
Rome - Italy

May 2011

Novel strategies to modulate cancer microenvironment (tumor acidity) increasing chemo-response: electroporation and proton pump inhibitors

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
University of Nottingham
Nottingham - UK

June 2011

Anti vacuolar-ATPases drugs: a novel anticancer strategy

29th Annual ACVIM Meeting, 15-18 June 2011,
Denver - USA

June 2011

Electrochemotherapy: protocol considerations & research summary

29th Annual ACVIM Meeting, 3-6 June 2011,
Denver - USA

November 2011

Electroporation enhances bleomycin efficacy in a spontaneous feline head and neck carcinoma model

XXVII European Federation Congress of the International College of Surgeons, 11-12 November 2011,
Rome - Italy

March 2012

Electroporation enhances bleomycin efficacy in cats with advanced head and neck carcinoma

2nd World Veterinary Cancer Congress March 1-3 2012, Paris, France

April 2013

Proton pump inhibitors and alkalizing agents as rescue in chemoresistant tumors and as chemosensitizers in metronomic chemotherapy: a veterinary Phase I/II trial

Italy-Japan joint symposium on tumor acidity. April 27 2013, Kyoto, Japan

May 2013

Radiation therapy: principles, indications and complications, Part II

Practical clinical oncology of the dog and the cat. May 3-5, 2013 Perugia Italy

May 2013

Alternative therapies: electrochemotherapy and beyond

Practical clinical oncology of the dog and the cat. May 3-5, 2013 Perugia Italy

June 2013

Lymphoma in pet rabbits

Oncology, the new frontier of exotic animal medicine. SCIVAC National Meeting, 2 June 2013, Rimini, Italy

June 2013

Electrochemotherapy in exotic pets

Oncology, the new frontier of exotic animal medicine. SCIVAC National Meeting, 2 June 2013, Rimini, Italy

June 2013

Targeting Cancer Acid Environment: A Novel Anticancer Strategy

31st Annual ACVIM Meeting, 12-15 June 2013,
Seattle,
USA

June 2013

Electroporation in Veterinary Medicine: Riding the Electrical Waveform

31st Annual ACVIM Meeting, 12-15 June 2013,
Seattle,
USA