The MCA laboratory was formed in 1989 from a group of workers that were in the Laboratory of Chemical Carcinogenesis headed by Professor Sandro Grilli, in the aim of planning, developing and implementing in vitro models based on cultured cells from animals and humans. The models are designed to assess: molecular mechanisms of neoplastic transformation, phenotypic and genetic alterations during in vitro carcinogenesis, relationship between carcinogenesis, mutagenesis and differentiation in mammalian cells as well as for screening environmental pollutants and evaluating carcinogenic risk.
Experience in this research field paved the way to develop a comprehensive research program to determine the role played by natural or synthetic compounds in inhibiting or reverting tumour process.
The strength of the laboratory lies in the range of expertise of its investigators from molecular biology to cell biology, physiology and oncology. The individual research groups are strongly synergistic and interdependent, and are currently involved in many research projects to study both carcinogenesis of single chemicals or complex mixtures and to evaluate the efficacy of promising chemopreventive agents.
MCA Laboratory is under the direction of Annamaria Colacci, Ph.D., who has published extensively in this area (see Publications).
Since February 1^st, 2003, MCA Laboratory has been a branch of ARPA - Regional Agency for Health Prevention and Environmental Protection in the Emilia-Romagna Region