Carmela Ricciardelli

Dr Carmela Ricciardelli

Senior Research Fellow (C)

Adelaide Medical School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences


My postdoctoral studies were undertaken in the Department of Surgery, Flinders Medical Centre, South Australia and Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Hanson Institute, South Australia (1996-2003) and I joined the Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Adelaide in 2005. I have received highly competitive fellowships in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide and Cancer Council SA (2004-2014) which have enabled me to build a Reproductive Cancer research group in the Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Adelaide. I was recently awarded the inaugural Lin Huddleston Ovarian Cancer Research Fellowship,Cancer Council SA (2016-2020).

Dr Ricciardelli a cancer cell biologist; joined the Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in April 2005. She was awarded her Ph D in 1996 (Flinders University) and has undertaken postdoctoral studies in the Department of Surgery, Flinders Medical Centre, South Australia (1996-2001) and Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Hanson Institute, South Australia (2002-2005). In 2005 Dr Ricciardelli was awarded a Tall Poppy Award for outstanding achievement in the field of biomedical and clinical science. In 2007 she was the recipient of the highly competitive Hilda Farmer Fellowship in Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide which has enabled her to build a Reproductive cancer research group in the Discipline of O&G, University of Adelaide. In 2012 Dr Ricciardelli was awarded a senior fellowship funded by SAHMRI and Cancer Council SA. In 2015 Dr Ricciardelli was awarded the Lin Huddleston Ovarian Cancer Fellowship funded by  Cancer Council SA & Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide

Dr Ricciardelli's research program has focused on hormone-regulated proteins and prognostic markers in breast and prostate cancer. Using a novel approach in her postdoctoral studies by examining the non-cancer stromal cells which surround the cancer cells, Dr Ricciardelli was the first researcher to identify that the expression of the extracellular matrix protein, versican correlated with cancer spread in prostate and breast cancer. This was an exciting and unique discovery that has lead to versican expression being examined in many different cancer types. Versican is a molecule known to regulate cellular movement at critical periods in the developing embryo, and control the movement of normal smooth muscle cells, nerves and fibroblasts. Dr Ricciardelli's recent studies suggest that cancer cells can utilize stromally derived versican to aid their movement.

Dr Ricciardelli current research focuses on further understanding the cross-talk between breast and ovarian cancer cells and the tumour microevironment.The Reproductive Cancer Group seeks to understand the mechanisms involved in ovarian cancer spread, resistance to chemotherapy and the identification of novel biomarkers for early detection.

Project 1
Title: Extracellular vesicles: Identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for serous ovarian cancer

Description: Extracellular versicles (EVs) are nano-sized membrane-bound particles produced by virtually all cells in the body. They are found in all bodily fluids including the blood of ovarian cancer patients. EVs provide a major route of communication between different cell types throughout the body as they contain DNA, protein, RNA and lipid cargo characteristic of their cells of origin, which can be transferred to distant cells and affect their function. Extracellualr vesicles (EVs) are found in increasing numbers in the blood circulation under certain conditions, e.g. during normal pregnancy, and in cancer. The RNA and protein content of EVs have been characterised in studies of various commercially available cancer cell lines, including ovarian cancer cells; but few studies to date have focussed on ovarian cancer patient blood samples. This study will examine the proteomic profile in EVs isolated from patients with diagnosed late stage serous ovarian cancer, compared to benign serous cystadenomas and healthy controls. Candidate proteins that are differentially expressed will be validated and further characterized in ovarian cancer patient cohorts and using functional assays (adhesion, migration and invasion assays).

Location: Adelaide Health and Medical Science Building , North Terrace

Research project start: Semester 1 & 2

Project 2

Title: CAR-T cells targeting GPC1 a novel therapeutic approach against ovarian cancer

High serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) makes up nearly 70% of ovarian cancers and up to 90% of patients present with advanced disease (FIGO stage III & IV). Current clinical practice for HGSOC consists of de-bulking surgery followed by combined platinum and taxane-based chemotherapy. Although initial responses to 1st line treatment is high, over 75% of patients eventually relapse and acquire chemotherapy resistance, which is the primary cause of ovarian cancer death and a major limitation to the successful treatment of ovarian cancer. Novel treatment strategies that are effective in chemotherapy resistant disease therefore would have immense potential to improve survival.

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) based immunotherapies are a revolutionary personalised approach to targeting and destroying cancer cells, with the potential to eradicate cancer without the need for chemotherapy. CART cell therapy targeting CD19 has been very effective against blood cancers, inducing complete remissions in clinical trials in more than 90% of patients, where conventional treatment had failed. CAR-T cell therapies have so far been less effective against solid cancers, due in part to the absence of suitable tumour associated antigens (TAAs) on solid cancers and the physical barriers to CAR-T cells reaching their target.

We have identified a TAAs (glypican-1, GPC1) that has high potential to be a suitable CAR-T cell target for HGSOC.  CAR-T cells targeting GPC1 have great potential to be an effective therapy for HGSOC. This study will assess whether GPC1 CAR-T cells can suppress the growth of chemotherapy resistant ovarian cancer in 3D spheroids and inhibit tumour burden and persist in chemotherapy resistant patient derived xenografts in vivo.

Location: Adelaide Health and Medical Science Building , North Terrace

Research project start: Semester 1 & 2

Project 3

Title: Novel therapeutics for ovarian cancer targeting annexin A2

Description: Ovarian cancer caused 207,252 deaths worldwide in 2020. Current treatments consist of surgery followed by chemotherapy, but over 75% of patients relapse and acquire chemotherapy resistance. There is an urgent need for more efficient treatment strategies against ovarian cancer. Our research focuses on understanding the crosstalk between ovarian cancer cells and the tumour microenvironment. Using proteomics approach, we identified annexin A2 to be upregulated by ovarian cancer cells when they interact with the peritoneum, and thereby promoting metastasis. High annexin A2 expression has been associated with poor survival in ovarian cancer patients.

This project will investigate the effects of annexin A2 inhibition in ovarian cancer cell lines and knockdown of annexin A2 expression will be confirm using RT-PCR and western blot. The effects of annexin A2 inhibition will be examine using functional assays including 3D spheroids assays, cell proliferation and apoptosis assay, cell motility and invasion assay and the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. This project will evaluate the efficacy of annexin A2 inhibitors to block ovarian cancer progression and metastasis.

Location: Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Building, North Terrace

Co-supervisors: Dr Noor Lokman, Prof Martin Oehler

Research project start: Semester 1 and 2

Available for: Third year and Honours

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2016 - 2020 Lin Huddleston Ovarian Cancer Fellow University of Adelaide
    2015 - 2015 Lloyd Cox Senior Research Fellow University of Adelaide
    2012 - 2014 Cancer Council South Australia Senior Fellow University of Adelaide
  • Awards and Achievements

    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2010 Award Most Outstanding Contribution to the Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology - - -
    2008 Award Travel award Cancer Council SA - - -
    2006 Fellowship Hilda Farmer University Fellowship, University of Adelaide - - -
    2005 Award Tall Poppy award, Australian Institute of Political Science for outstanding achievement in the field of biomedical and clinical science - - -
    2003 Fellowship Cancer Research Fellowship, Cancer Council South Australia - - -
    1992 Scholarship Flinders University Scholarship (Postgraduate) - - -
    1986 Award Martin Hansen Award for Dux of Class in B App Science in Medical Laboratory Science (Australian Institute of Medical Laboratory Science) - - -
  • Language Competencies

    Language Competency
    Italian Can read, write, speak and understand spoken
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    1996 Flinders University Australia Ph D
    1986 University of South Australia Australia B Appl Science
  • Research Interests

Date

Project/ No. Investigators Funding Body Amount
2011 Extracellular matrix-macrophage cross talk in the mammary gland

Ingman WV,

Ricciardelli C,

Sharkey D, 

Russell DL

Robinson Institute

(Collaborative Funding scheme)

$12,000
2011 Infrared fluorescence imager for protein quantitation and cultured cell or whole animal imaging

Russell DL,

Robertson S,

Thompson J,

Rodgers RJ,

Roberts C,

Norman R,

Gilchrist R,

Kennaway D,

Ingman WV, M

ottershead D,

Lane M, 

Robker RL,

Ricciardelli C,

Oehler MK

NHMRC equipment grant $35000
2011-2012 Control of breast cancer density and cancer risk by epithelial-stromal interactions

WV Ingman, 

M Pike,

Ricciardelli C *,

Russell DL *,

Sharkey D *,

Tilley WD*, 

Wu A*

National Breast Cancer Foundation

(Novel concept award)

$199,772
2012

Hyaluronan: a marker of ovarian cancer chemoresistance

Ricciardelli C,

Oehler MK

RAH Clinical Research Fund

$23,000 
2012 High throughput image analysis system for histoquantification of histology images

Ricciardelli C,  

Owens J,

Wittert G,

Roberts CT,

Tilley WD,

Callen D, 

Russell DL, 

Ingman WV, 

Rodgers RJ,

Keefe D,

Findlay D

NHMRC equipment grant (GNT 1038556)

Faculty of Health Sciences

Robinson Institute

$60,000

 

 

$15,000

 

$20,200

2012

Annexin A2: a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for ovarian cancer

Ricciardelli C, 

Oehler MK,

Rodgers RJ

Cancer Council SA/SAHMRI

$93,723

2012-2013 Targeting the cancer peritoneal interaction

Ricciardelli C, 

Oehler MK, 

Hoffmann P

SAHMRI/OCRF $50,000
2013

Hyaluronan: a marker and therapeutic target to overcome ovarian cancer chemoresistance

Ricciardelli C,

Oehler MK,

Heinzelmann-Schwarz V,  

Stephens A *

Cancer Council SA/SAHMRI

$93,891

2013-2014

Targeting the interaction between breast cancer and Toll-like receptors of the immune system to prevent metastasis

Russell DL, 

Ricciardelli C,

Hutchinson M  

SAHMRI $40,000
2013

Targeting the annexin A2 signalling pathway to block ovarian cancer metastasis

Ricciardelli C, 

Oehler MK

Robinson Institute $13,700 
2014 The annexin A2 signalling pathway: Novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for serous ovarian cancer

Ricciardelli C, 

Oehler MK,

Rodgers RJ

Robinson Research Institute $22,700
2015   Ricciardelli C

Lloyd Cox Fellowship, School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health

$132,367 

2015 Annexin A2 as a novel diagnostic marker for ovarian cancer

Ricciardelli C,

Oehler MK

Commercial Accelerator Scheme Development grant, Adelaide Research Innovation

$25,000
2016-2020 Tumour-host signalling pathways: Identification of novel ovarian cancer biomarkers and therapeutic targets Ricciardelli C Lin Huddleston Ovarian Cancer Fellowship, Cancer Council SA & School of Medicine, University of Adelaide $750,000
2018-2020

Evaluating CAR-T cells on ovarian cancer using ex vivo and in vivo models

Oehler MK

Ricciardelli C

CTM@CRC Limited and Carina Biotech  $136,000

Dr. Ricciardelli has been actively teaching undergraduates in the 3rd Year unit Human reproduction III of the Bachelor of Health Science degree (lecturing and workshops) since 2007.

  • Problem based learning (PBL) tutor in School of Medicine, Flinders University of SA, Endocrinology, 1999
  • Human Reproduction III course, University of Adelaide Lecture “Cancer: Incidence, Development and Treatment” 2007-present
  • Human Reproduction III course, University of Adelaide Workshop “Fertility preservation in patients diagnosed with cancer” 2007-present

 

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2021 Principal Supervisor Mechanism of Metastasis in Ovarian Cancer Doctor of Philosophy under a Jointly-awarded Degree Agreement with Doctorate Full Time Mr Hiroki Fujimoto
    2020 Co-Supervisor Analysing the role of Aquaporin channels in the progression of endometrial carcinoma Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Sidra Nawaz Khan
    2018 Principal Supervisor Role of Hyaluronan in Ovarian Cancer Signalling Pathways and Chemoresistance Doctor of Philosophy under a Jointly-awarded Degree Agreement with Doctorate Full Time Miss Zoe Kathleen Price
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2017 - 2021 Co-Supervisor The Role of piRNA Pathway Genes in Ovarian and Prostate Cancer Progression Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Eunice Hsiu Yee Lee
    2016 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Clinical and Basic Research for Ovarian Cancer Doctor of Philosophy under a Jointly-awarded Degree Agreement with Doctorate Full Time Mr Masato Yoshihara
    2011 - 2014 Principal Supervisor Role of Annexin A2 in Ovarian Cancer Metastasis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Noor Alia Lokman
    2010 - 2016 Co-Supervisor The Role of Estrogen Receptor and the Androgen Receptor in Human Breast Cancer Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mrs Shalini Jindal
    2010 - 2015 Co-Supervisor Utilising Quantitative Immunoproteomics To Reveal Differential Autoantibody Biomarker Panels In Serous Ovarian Cancer Patients Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Karina Martin
    2009 - 2014 Co-Supervisor Adamts1 is a promoter of metastatic cell behaviour in mammary cancer cells Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Izza Maria Doreen De Arao Tan
    2009 - 2010 Principal Supervisor The Biological Role of Extracellular Matrix in Ovarian Cancer Metastasis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Miranda Ween
    2009 - 2012 Co-Supervisor The Role of Small Glutamine-Rich Tetratricopeptide Repeat Containing Protein Alpha in Female Reproductive Tissues Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Miriam Simone Butler
    2007 - 2010 Co-Supervisor The Role of Epigenetic Modifications in Prostate Tumourigenesis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Karen Huiqin Chiam
    2004 - 2009 Co-Supervisor Functional Analysis of CBFA2T3: A Breast Cancer Tumour Suppressor from Chromosome Band 16q24.3 Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Zarqa Saif
    2002 - 2004 Co-Supervisor Versican: regulation, purification, and biological properties of a candidate prognostic indicator for breast cancer Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Supaporn Suwiwat
  • Position: Senior Research Fellow (C)
  • Phone: 83138255
  • Email: carmela.ricciardelli@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences, floor 5
  • Org Unit: Women's and Children's Health

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