Francesca Bruzzese

About

Qualified biologist and Director of the Experimental Animal Unit at the National Cancer Institute-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, with a strong background in oncology research and translational studies.
Expertise includes research and development, quality control standards, team building, and dynamic decision-making.
Spent a short period (2007-2008) of professional life, at the Cancer Center Dept. of Oncology-Patology, Karolinska Institutet, in Stockholm to study the reciprocal interaction between tumor cells and tumor stroma cells and the ability of the latter to influence tumor growth and progression as well as the ability to metastasize.
Played a pivotal role in establishing the institute's second animal facility and currently supervises 20 Ministry of Health-approved projects.
Active member of AISAL society since 2015 and certified through the FELASA cat-B course.
Since 2020 animal-welfare manager responsible for the welfare and care of the animals used for scientific research.
Committed to advancing ethical research practices while fostering innovation in cancer studies.

Employment

• Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS "Fondazione G. Pascale" Chief of Experimental Animal Unit
  2021 - Present

Education

• Second University of Naples PhD in Cellular Biochemistry
  2005 - 2008
• Second University of Naples Residency in Clinical Biochemistry
  2001 - 2005
• University Federico II Degree in Biology
  1993 - 2000

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (53)

• Valproic acid improves the efficacy of oxaliplatin/fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy by targeting cancer stem cell via β-Catenin modulation in colorectal cancer.
  Cell death & disease 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-025-07902-8
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• Drug-like molecules targeting androgen receptor's allosteric binding sites selected by augmented AI and high-throughput screening as antitumor agents against prostate cancer.
  Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2025.118403
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• The Use of Antimicrobials in Animal Husbandry as a Potential Factor for the Increased Incidence of Colorectal Cancer: Food Safety and Kinetics in a Murine Model
  Animals 2025 DOI: 10.3390/ani15030315
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• Cardio-Renal and Systemic Effects of SGLT2i Dapagliflozin on Short-Term Anthracycline and HER-2-Blocking Agent Therapy-Induced Cardiotoxicity.
  Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) 2025 DOI: 10.3390/antiox14050612
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• Genomic profiling of a collection of patient-derived xenografts and cell lines identified ixabepilone as an active drug against chemo-resistant osteosarcoma.
  Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR 2025 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-025-03440-5
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• Testicular Tumors and Environmental Pollution: A Comparative Oncoepidemiology Study in the Campania Region from 2020 to 2023.
  Veterinary sciences 2025 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci12080695
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• Raf kinase inhibitor protein modulator of gut microbiota and immunotherapy responses in cancer.
  Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189364
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• Integrated proteomics and metabolomics analyses reveal new insights into the antitumor effects of valproic acid plus simvastatin combination in a prostate cancer xenograft model associated with downmodulation of YAP/TAZ signaling
  Cancer Cell International 2024 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-024-03573-1
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• Randomized phase 2 study of valproic acid combined with simvastatin and gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel-based regimens in untreated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients: the VESPA trial study protocol
  BMC Cancer 2024 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12936-w
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• Harnessing Nitric Oxide-Donating Benzofuroxans for Targeted Inhibition of Carbonic Anhydrase IX in Cancer
  Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2024 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01563
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