Francesca Maremonti, PhD

Postdoc

My research focuses on the role of ferroptosis in diabetic nephropathy, aiming to understand how this cell death contributes to disease onset and progression. Beyond its individual impact, I am particularly interested in a distinct feature of ferroptosis known as synchronized regulated necrosis, a form of non-autonomous cell death where neighboring cells undergo synchronized demise. This phenomenon is especially evident in the interstitial spaces of freshly isolated kidney tubules, making it a compelling target for investigation. To unravel these intricate cellular events, I employ advanced imaging techniques, drawing on my expertise in confocal and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). These tools allow me to investigate dynamic cellular processes with high spatial and temporal resolution, providing critical insights into the mechanisms of necrotic cell death. By integrating these imaging strategies with complementary molecular approaches, I aim to uncover key regulatory mechanisms driving ferroptotic cell death in renal pathology.

Research interests:

• Ferroptosis

• Diabetes mellitus

• Microscopy