Paola Amero, Ph.D.
Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine
About Paola Amero
Dr. Amero has a background in molecular and cellular biology, pharmacology, chemistry, cancer biology and biotechnology. Her research focuses on three main areas: 1) Selection and identification of new aptamers by SELEX approaches; 2) Chemo-resistance mechanism on ovarian cancer growth and progression; and 3) Development and synthesis of novel aptamers alone or in combination with Non-Coding-RNAs for therapeutic approaches.
Her professional goal is to identify new therapeutic tools for anticancer drug development strategies. During her career, she has generated two novel high-modified aptamers for the treatment of ovarian cancer. The invention of these therapeutic agents led to patent applications. Actually, her main research focuses on the characterization of pharmacokinetic parameters and antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo of two dithiophoshate modified AXL-aptamers. The use of aptamers, as a method to inhibit and target specific molecules, has rapidly become a powerful tool for cancer therapy. She is developing modified aptamers for highly efficient in vivo looking to translate these approaches to clinical applications.
Her specific goal is define molecular alterations in ovarian, glioma and breast cancers that might serve as targets for therapy as well as diagnosis. Her main goal is to continue a career in translational cancer research to identify effective therapeutic targets for the development of more effective therapeutic strategies.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Instructor, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2013 | University of Naples Federico II, Naples, ITA, PHD, Experimental Pharmacology |
| 2009 | University of Naples Federico II, Naples, ITA, MS, Experimental Pharmacology |
Postgraduate Training
| 2015-2020 | Postdoctoral Fellowship, Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
| 2013-2015 | Postdoctoral Fellowship, Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, Institute for Endocrinology and Experimental Oncology, Naples |
Honors & Awards
| 2019 | Travel Award, Clyde H. Wright Memorial Fund |
| 2018 | Travel Grant to TAT, European Society for Medical Oncology |
| 2017 | Boazman Distinguished Young Scientist Award, Boazman Institute |
| 2013 | Research Grant, Institute for Endocrinology and Experimental Oncology |
| 2011 | Tutored Dialect-Integrative Activities, University of Naples Federico II |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Oncul S, Amero P, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Calin GA, Sood AK, Lopez-Berestein G. Long non-coding RNAs in ovarian cancer: expression profile and functional spectrum. RNA Biol 17(11):1523-1534, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31847695.
- Pichler M, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Nam SY, Dragomir MP, Bayraktar R, Anfossi S, Knutsen E, Ivan C, Fuentes-Mattei E, Lee SK, Ling H, Catela Ivkovic T, Huang G, Huang L, Okugawa Y, Katayama H, Taguchi A, Bayraktar E, Bhattacharya R, Amero P, He WR, Tran AM, Vychytilova-Faltejskova P, Klec C, Bonilla DL, Zhang X, Kapitanovic S, Loncar B, Gafà R, Wang Z, Cristini V, Hanash SM, Bar-Eli M, Lanza G, Slaby O, Goel A, Rigoutsos I, Lopez-Berestein G, Calin GA. Therapeutic potential of FLANC, a novel primate-specific long non-coding RNA in colorectal cancer. Gut 69(10):1818-1831, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31988194.
- Amero P, Khatua S, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Lopez-Berestein G. Aptamers: Novel Therapeutics and Potential Role in Neuro-Oncology. Cancers (Basel) 12(10), 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33050158.
- Elsayed AM, Amero P, Salama SA, Abdelaziz AH, Lopez-Berestein G, Rodriguez-Aguayo C. Back to the Future: Rethinking the Great Potential of lncRNAS for Optimizing Chemotherapeutic Response in Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 12(9), 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32854207.
- Lara OD, Bayraktar E, Amero P, Ma S, Ivan C, Hu W, Wang Y, Mangala LS, Dutta P, Bhattacharya P, Ashizawa AT, Lopez-Berestein G, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Sood AK. Therapeutic efficacy of liposomal Grb2 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (L-Grb2) in preclinical models of ovarian and uterine cancer. Oncotarget 11(29):2819-2833, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32754300.
- Attia YM, Shouman SA, Salama SA, Ivan C, Elsayed AM, Amero P, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Lopez-Berestein G. Blockade of CDK7 Reverses Endocrine Therapy Resistance in Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 21(8), 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32340192.
- Kanlikilicer P, Ozpolat B, Aslan B, Bayraktar R, Gurbuz N, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Bayraktar E, Denizli M, Gonzalez-Villasana V, Ivan C, Lokesh GLR, Amero P, Catuogno S, Haemmerle M, Wu SY, Mitra R, Gorenstein DG, Volk DE, de Franciscis V, Sood AK, Lopez-Berestein G. Therapeutic Targeting of AXL Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibits Tumor Growth and Intraperitoneal Metastasis in Ovarian Cancer Models. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 9:251-262, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29246304.
- H Rashed M, Bayraktar E, K Helal G, Abd-Ellah MF, Amero P, Chavez-Reyes A, Rodriguez-Aguayo C. Exosomes: From Garbage Bins to Promising Therapeutic Targets. Int J Mol Sci 18(3), 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28257101.
- Amero P, Esposito CL, Rienzo A, Moscato F, Catuogno S, de Franciscis V. Identification of an Interfering Ligand Aptamer for EphB2/3 Receptors. Nucleic Acid Ther 26(2):102-10, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26824783.
- Ferrante MC, Amero P, Santoro A, Monnolo A, Simeoli R, Di Guida F, Mattace Raso G, Meli R. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB 101, PCB 153 and PCB 180) alter leptin signaling and lipid metabolism in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 279(3):401-408, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24978599.
- Raso GM, Simeoli R, Iacono A, Santoro A, Amero P, Paciello O, Russo R, D'Agostino G, Di Costanzo M, Canani RB, Calignano A, Meli R. Effects of a Lactobacillus paracasei B21060 based synbiotic on steatosis, insulin signaling and toll-like receptor expression in rats fed a high-fat diet. J Nutr Biochem 25(1):81-90, 2014. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24314869.
- Ferrante MC, Mattace Raso G, Esposito E, Bianco G, Iacono A, Clausi MT, Amero P, Santoro A, Simeoli R, Autore G, Meli R. Effects of non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCB 101, PCB 153 and PCB 180) alone or mixed on J774A.1 macrophage cell line: modification of apoptotic pathway. Toxicol Lett 202(1):61-8, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21291966.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified November 28, 2023