2023-2026 fellowship winner: Fabio Mazza

Dr. Fabio Mazza carried out the project ‘Exploring the complex interactions between somatic and germline coding variants in cancer’, coordinated by Prof. Alessandro Romanel (CIBIO Department) and Prof. Gianluca Lattanzi (Department of Physics, UNITN).

In other words, it is the study of the interactions between inherited (germline) genetic mutations and those acquired by the tumour (somatic), in order to understand how they alter proteins and drive the progression of cancer.

Supporting a fellowship means looking towards a future in which treatments will no longer be the same for everyone, but will be customised and more effective.

Take action today for a future free from cancer: DONATE NOW

—

What does Fabio’s project involve?

Every person has a unique set of genes. We know that these hereditary traits can directly influence the way cancer develops and changes as it spreads through the body.
This research project focuses on studying vast amounts of patients’ genetic data to understand how a person’s initial DNA might ‘drive’ or contribute to the development of more aggressive tumours.

Thanks to the Pezcoller-Casse Rurali Trentine PhD Fellowship, Dr. Fabio Mazza is studying the impact of mutations on protein stability, using advanced bioinformatics analyses and computer simulations.

The aim is:

• Identify high-risk patients at an early stage, enabling early and accurate diagnosis.
• Identify which patients will better respond to specific treatments, to avoid inefficient therapies and develop personalised treatments.