Board of Governors

Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Sapienza University of Rome
"Invited speaker and chairman" at international conferences in USA, Japan, China, India, Canada,
South Africa, Brazil, Taiwan, Thailand (Bangkok), Russia, Turkey, Italy and in many other
European countries. Author of over 140 publications on international journals
"Visiting Professor" in several Universities in the world:
- Canada (Universitè du Quèbec à Montreal); Japan (Universities: Kanazawa, Osaka, Yamaguchi,
Himeji)
- USA (New York (Albert Einstein); San Diego University California; at the Temple University of
Philadelphia; College Station Houston –Texas; University of New Hampshire; USDA-ARS,
Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory Baltimore)
- India (Nerhu University); in China at the Beijing and Wuhan Universities
- in South Africa, in France, Russia, Turkey, in Israel at the Hebrew and Technion Universities and
at the Weizmann Institute;
- at the Taiwan National Ocean University and University Sao Paolo do Brazil (Araraquara)
Has organized over 27 International Congresses on Copper Proteins (Copper in Biological
Systems); Polyamines, Cancer and other diseases in Italy, Austria, Turkey, China, Texas, Brazil,
Taiwan, Thailand and the Gordon Research Conference in 2009 and 2011, USA.
Co-Editor of the international journals: Amino Acids, Molecular Medicine Reports, International
Journal of Oncology and Experimental Therapeutic Medicine, World Academy of Sciences Journal
Editor and Author of 6 volumes (special issues) published on Amino Acids, Springer-Verlag
Editions:
on Polyamines, Cancer and Transglutaminases
-Has coordinated as P.I. bilateral projects of the Italian Ministry of Health; Sapienza University,
projects of Italian Ministry of Research and projects with Italian National Research Council
- P.I. for bilateral projects between Italian Ministry of Health and NIH (USA)
-Has an active collaboration with Wakunaga Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd Japan
He was awarded in 2011 with the Medal of honor from the Mayor of Rome
He received in 2013 the Award in Advanced Oncology (Greece)
The research group mainly follows three lines of research: 1) The first concerns studies of natural
products (as Garlic and Enzymes Amine Oxidases) for new therapeutic applications in anticancer
strategies; 2) The second research area involves nanosystem studies for the delivery of drugs for
therapeutic applications; 3) The third line of research concerns studies on neurodegenerative
diseases. Particular attention is paid to multiple sclerosis (MS).

President
Enzo Agostinelli
enzo.agostinelli@uniroma1.it

Name/surname: OKA TAKAMI
Affiliation: Wakunaga Pharmaceitical Co. LTD, Tokyo, Japan
Position: Scientific Advisor/Director
Special field of Interest: Regulation of cell growth and function and Drug research and development

Vice President
Takami Oka
oka_tm@wakunaga.co.jp

Senya Matsufuji, MD, PhD.
President, The Jikei University School of Medicine
Professor and Chair, Department of Molecular Biology, The Jikei University School of Medicine
President, The Japanese Society of Polyamine Research
Specific field: Regulation of cellular polyamine by antizyme

Senya Matsufuji
senya@jikei.ac.jp

Susan Gilmour, Ph.D. – tumor biologist focusing on new therapies that reprogram metabolic pathways used by tumors
Education and training at the University of Virginia, Rutgers University, and The Wistar Institute
Professor/Deputy Director, Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, PA, USA
35 years of experience in cancer and polyamines research
Known for her characterization of the role of polyamines in promoting tumor development using various transgenic mouse models and also for work revealing polyamines as modifiers of the immune response in tumorigenesis
Successful track record of publication and 28 years continuous NIH funding
US chair of the 2017 Polyamines Gordon Research Conference

Susan Gilmour
GilmourS@MLHS.ORG

Antonio Toninello, Professor in Biochemistry
Senior Scientist, ex Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.

My studies on polyamines refer to the interactions of these molecules with mitochondria isolated from normal organs and tumor cells. In particular I investigated about the effedts of polyamines on mitochondrial physiology and energy transduction.
My most recent studies regard the role of polyamines as inducing or protecting agents on the triggering of mitochondrial mediated cell death and the pathophysiological implications of this phenomenon. These investigations are opening new scenarios for understanding the mechanisms and individualizing the factors and pathways that address polyamine interactions with mitochondria towards the life or death of the cell. In this regard, very recent experimental results strongly support the possibility of proposing new therapeutic strategies against cancer.

Antonio Toninello
antonio.toninello@unipd.it