LUIGIA CRISTINO

Luigia Cristino is Senior Researcher at ICB-CNR. She coordinates the research group “Neurochemistry and Cell Signaling” for studies in “Chemistry for Health” and biological evaluation of the effects of small bioactive organic molecules, natural or synthetic, by exploiting time-lapse integrated microscopy techniques (cell imaging and patch-clamp registration) and the IncuCyte® platform for preclinical research in medicinal chemistry applied to neuroscience and immunology.
Her research is focused on the study of chemical communication between cells and identification of molecular pathways of signal transduction at GCPRs receptors (mainly in particular (endo)cannabinoids, (endo)vanilloids, orexin, SCFAs and endocannabinoid-like metabolites produced by gut microbiota) with metabolic, morphological and functional effect on synaptic homeostasis and microbiota-gut-brain axis, in physiological or neuroinflammatory states (mainly obesity and aging), in mouse and cellular models. For research activity she has received funding from national and international research agencies (MIUR: PRIN_PNRR2022 “NeuroFood”; PON «R&I»ARS01_01270 IDF SHARID; PRIN2017 # 2017M42834_002; HORIZON 2020/Marie Curie Action INCIPIT; Canada Sentinelle Nord; Plantex; GW and Jazz Pharma).

Drug and food addiction


Orexin/hypocretin

hypothalamus

Cannabinoids

Cell signal trasduction

Immuno-cytochemistry

Immuno-histochemistry

Confocal and Electron Microscopy

Time lapese cell imaging

Elettrophysiology

1. “Cannabinoids and the expanded endocannabinoid system in neurological disorders” Cristino L, Bisogno T, Di Marzo V. NATURE REVIEW NEUROLOGY, 2020. 16:9-29. DOI: 10.1038/s41582-019-0284-z.

2. “Orexin-A and endocannabinoids are involved in obesity-associated alteration of hippocampal neurogenesis, plasticity, and episodic memory in mice”. Forte N, Boccella S, Tunisi L, Fernández-Rilo AC, Imperatore R, Iannotti FA, De Risi M, Iannotta M, Piscitelli F, Capasso R, De Girolamo P, De Leonibus E, Maione S, Di Marzo V, Cristino L. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS. 2021;12:6137. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26388-4.

3. “Orexin induces the production of an endocannabinoid-derived lysophosphatidic acid eliciting hypothalamic synaptic loss in obesity”. Fernández-Rilo AC, Forte N, Palomba L, Tunisi L, Piscitelli F, Imperatore R, Di Costanzo A, Di Marzo V, Cristino L.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM. 2023;72:101713. DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101713.

4. “Orexin-A represses satiety-inducing POMC neurons and contributes to obesity via stimulation of endocannabinoid signaling”. Morello G, Imperatore R, Palomba L, Finelli C, Labruna G, Pasanisi F, Sacchetti L, Buono L, Piscitelli F, Orlando P, Di Marzo V, Cristino L. PNAS 2016; 26,113:4759-64. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1521304113.

5. “Obesity-driven synaptic remodeling affects endocannabinoid control of orexinergic neurons”. Cristino L, Busetto G, Imperatore R, Ferrandino I, Palomba L, Silvestri C, Petrosino S, Orlando P, Bentivoglio M, Mackie K, Di Marzo V.
PNAS 2013; 110:E2229-38. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1219485110.

    Main office in Pozzuoli (NA)

  luigia.cristino@cnr.it

   (+39) 081 8675134