Maria Elena Cicardi, PhD
Research Instructor
Contact Information
900 Walnut Street
Jefferson Hospital for Neurosciences, Suite 418A
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Research Instructor
Education
PhD, Biomedical Research, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy – 2018
BS/MS, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Technology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy – 2014
Publications
- NLS-binding deficient Kapβ2 reduces neurotoxicity via selective interaction with C9orf72-ALS/FTD dipeptide repeats
- The nuclear import receptor Kapβ2 modifies neurotoxicity mediated by poly(GR) in C9orf72-linked ALS/FTD
- ARID1A-BAF coordinates ZIC2 genomic occupancy for epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in cranial neural crest specification
- Glucose hypometabolism prompts RAN translation and exacerbates C9orf72-related ALS/FTD phenotypes
- Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches
Grants & Awards
Awarded
- Department of Defense (DoD) - Discovery Award - W81XWH-20-PRMRP-DA – Investigating the Role of EVs to Abate the Spreading of Neuroinflammation in FTD Linked to C9orf72 Aberrant Expansion - Feb 2021-Aug 2023
- IBRO/PERC InEurope Short Stay Grant- “=Characterizing the CRISPR/Cas9 system in hiPSCs models - Jan 2016
- Scholarship for participation at the scientific meeting, Motor neuron diseases: molecular and cellular basis of selective vulnerability - Milano - July 3-4, 2014
Pending
- NIH R21 – Evaluation of CNS cellular senescence as a therapeutic target in ALS/FTD models”– In resubmission Nov 2024 (first round scored 31 percentile)
- In preparation
- NIH R01 – Role of C9orf72 in innate and adaptive immunity in brain and spinal cord
- NIH R21 – Disentangling the role of microglia in neurodegeneration using cortico-motor assembloids
Previous – Not Funded
- ALS-FAC special grant – Develop and validate ALS Organoid Models – (January 2024)
- MDA developmental grant – Targeting cellular senescence as new therapeutic strategy for ALS (March 2024 – Second submission)
- NIH R03 – Nov 2023 – Disentangling the role of immunity in CNS by spatial transcriptomics.
Research & Clinical Interests
My research career has been dedicated to understanding the underlying mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a devastating neurodegenerative disease. My graduate and postdoctoral studies focused on the etiopathology of ALS, particularly investigating the molecular targets impacted by C9orf72 protein products. Currently, I am exploring the role of microglia-derived extracellular vesicles in mediating the interplay between central and peripheral immunity, and adaptive and innate immunity, as potential drivers of ALS progression.