Cinzia Di Pietro

CircRNAs are a class of non-coding RNAs able to regulate gene expression at multiple levels. Their involvement in physiological processes, as well as their altered regulation in different human diseases, both tumoral and non-tumoral, is wel…

The ovary is a major determinant of female reproductive health. Ovarian functions are mainly related to the primordial follicle pool, which is gradually lost with aging. Ovarian aging and reproductive dysfunctions share oxidative stress as …

Extracellular vesicles represent a large heterogeneous class of near and long-distance intercellular communication mediators, released by both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Specifically, the scientific community has shown growing intere…

The constant decline in fertility and older reproductive age is the major cause of low clinical pregnancy rates in industrialised countries. Epigenetic mechanisms impact on proper embryonic development in women undergoing in vitro fertilisa…

PURPOSE: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) control gene expression at multiple levels. By interacting with microRNAs (miRNAs), they regulate their mRNA targets creating dynamic regulatory networks involved in different cellular processes. Thei…

Advanced maternal age impairs reproductive performance, influencing the quantity and the quality of oocytes. Mitochondria dysfunction seems to play a decisive role in conditioning the quality of the female gamete. Different in vitro and in …

Ovarian aging affects female reproductive potential and is characterized by alterations in proteins, mRNAs and non-coding RNAs inside the ovarian follicle. Ovarian somatic cells and the oocyte communicate with each other secreting different…

The Human Genome Project led to the discovery that about 80% of our DNA is transcribed in RNA molecules. Only 2% of the human genome is translated into proteins, the rest mostly produces molecules called non-coding RNAs, which are a heterog…

PROBLEM: Chronic endometritis (CE) is a poorly investigated and probably underestimated pathology, which may cause abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), pain, and reproductive failures. Due to undefined symptoms and the normal presence of leukoc…

Studies on oocyte transcriptome are important to understand the biological pathways involved in oogenesis, totipotence and early embryonic development. Moreover, genes regulating physiological pathways in gametes could represent potential c…