Infectious Diseases

Biography

Biography: Guido Norbiato

Abstract

AIDS-related illnesses are no longer the primary threat, but a new set of HIV-associated complications has emerged resulting in a novel chronic disease that for many HIV-infected people will span several decades of life. Deterioration of crucial homeostatic mechanisms in such disease invariably results in activation of inflammatory mediators, chronic inflammation, cellular aging, loss in immunological function, increased susceptibility to diseases, alteration of metabolism, decrease of energy production and neuro-cognitive decline. Owing the complexity of the systems involved in such disease, substantial limitation of current therapeutic approach persists. We propose here a treatment with stem cells differentiation stage factors taken from zebrafish embryos which are able to regulate in different, specific way the genes expression of normal and pathological stem cells. Exposure to early developmental stage of zebrafish embryo growth and differentiation factors may enhance stem cell expression of multipotency and activate both telomerase-dependent and -independent antagonists of cell senescence. Factors taken from late stages of cell differentiation can be used to control cell proliferation of tumor cells. All factor networks are able to prevent neuro-degeneration and other degenerative phenomena present in chronic diseases and to maintain the homeostasis of neuro-endocrine-immune- metabolic mechanisms disrupted by stress and other threatening situation . Our research aims to provide novel insight regarding the potential combination of epigenetic reprogramming mechanisms in controlling plasticity and pluripotencies of stem cells population and define stem cells differentiation factors capable in repairing different pathological stem cells which are at the origin of many chronic diseases.