Regenerative Medicine Area
Neuromuscular Engineering
Dr. Anna Urciuolo
Principal Investigator
Research Activity
Our group results from the multidisciplinary integration of different expertise in skeletal muscle and stem cell biology, extracellular matrix and biomaterial engineering. Our current research project aims at generating 3D models of human skeletal muscle equipped with a neuronal network. To do so, we integrate stem cell biology and extracellular matrix/biomaterial engineering to derive in the lab patient-specific multicellular microtissues and organoids that reproduce the human neuromuscular system. Such 3D in vitro models are used to mimic the structural/functional properties of human skeletal muscle and neuromuscular junction, for the identification of cellular and molecular players involved in neuromuscular genesis and maintenance in healthy and disease, with particular interest in neuromuscular disorders, dystrophies and cancer-induced muscle cachexia.
Related Research Area
Urciolo Research Group
Federica Lovisa – PhD Research Technologist
Pina Fusco – PhD Research Technologist
Beatrice Auletta – PhD Research Fellow
Pietro Colerio – PhD Student
Luigi Sartore – PhD Student
Alessandro Arrigo – PhD Student
Giorgia Gregolon – PhD Student
Valentina Del Giudice – Research Assistant
Elisa Crucitti – Research Assistant
Ilaria Stefani – Research Assistant
Giulia Tonin – Master’s Thesis Student
Selected Publications
Urciuolo*# A., Giobbe* G.G., Dong* Y., Michielin F., Luca B., Magnussen M., Gagliano O., Selmin G., Scattolini V., Raffa P., Caccin P., Shibuya S., Scaglioni D., Wang X., Qu J., Nikolic M., Montagner M., Galea G. L., Clevers H., Giomo M., De Coppi P., Elvassore N. Hydrogel-in-hydrogel live bioprinting for guidance and control of organoids and organotypic cultures. Nature Communications, Dec 2023.
Cesare* E., Urciuolo* A., Stuart* A. T., Torchio E., Gesualdo A., Laterza C., Gagliano O., Martewicz S., Cui M., Manfredi A., Di Filippo L., Sabatelli P., Squarzoni S., Zorzan I., Betto R. M., Martello G., Cacchiarelli D., Luni C., Elvassore N. 3D ECM-Rich Environment Sustains the Identity of Naïve Human iPSCs. Cell Stem Cell, 2022.
Raffa P., Scattolini V., Gerli M. FM., Perin S., Cui M., De Coppi P., Elvassore N., Caccin P., Luni C., Urciuolo# A. Decellularized skeletal muscles display neurotrophic effects in 3D organotypic cultures. Stem Cells Translational Medicine, 2020.
Urciuolo* A., Poli I., Brandolino L., Raffa P., Scattolini V., Laterza C., Giobbe G.G., Zambaiti E., Selmin G., Magnussen M., Brigo L., De Coppi P., Salmaso S., Giomo M., Elvassore N. Intravital 3D bioprinting. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2020.
Urciuolo A.*, Urbani L.*, Perin S., Maghsoudlou P., Scottoni F., Gjinovci A., Collins-Hooper H., Loukogeorgakis S., Tyraskis A., Torelli S., Germinario E., Fallas M.E.A., Julia-Vilella C., Eaton S., Blaauw B., Patel K., De Coppi P. Decellularised skeletal muscles allow functional muscle regeneration by promoting host cell migration. Scientific Reports, 2018.
Publications on peer reviewed international journals 2025/2026:
Dong Y., Qian S., Wang X., Zhang W., Lu W., Qu J., Cui M., Chen L., Zhao Y., Gao Y., Giomo M., Urciuolo A., Feng J., Zheng Y., Jiang B., Shen R., Zhu X., Elvassore N. In situ tailored confining microenvironment for lung cancer spheroids. Materials Today Bio, 2025.
Rossi L., Auletta B., Sartore L., La Placa M., Cecconi G., Chiolerio P., Maghin E., Angiolillo S., Carraro E., Gagliano O., Laterza C., Elvassore N., Piccoli M.#, Urciuolo A#. Engineering Assembloids to Mimic Graft-Host Skeletal Muscle Interaction. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2025.
Auletta B., Chiolerio, P., Cecconi, G. et al, Urciuolo A#. Tissue-engineered neuromuscular organoids. Communications Biology, 2025.
Chiolerio P., Auletta B., Pezzini C., Sartore L., Gregolon G., Gagliano O., Laterza C.; Balmaceda Valdez V.R., Cacchiarelli D., Luni C., Viscomi C., Planque M., Fendt S.-M., Sandri M., Sartori R., Urciuolo A. Human neuromuscular organoids mimic cancer-induced muscle cachexia. Cell Reports Methods, 2026.
Dorigo Hochuli A.H., D’Agostino S., Rossi L., Auletta B., Nogara L., Tafuro G., Germano G., Zaramella A., Bisaccia P., Cecchinato F., Biz C., Kundrotas G., Ruggieri P., Semenzato A., Muraca M., Romanato F., Gamba P., Jurga M., Blaauw B., Urciuolo A., Pozzobon M. Extracellular Vesicles From Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Drive Muscle and Neuronal Regeneration Through TNFα Modulation. Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, 2026.