Dr Santamaria Rita's research interests have concerned the following fields: tRNA metabolism; cloning and sequencing of cDNA for human aldolase B and protein C; chromosomal mapping of Becker muscular dystrophy gene, protein C and aldolase isoenzymes genes. Other contributions have concerned the study of hereditary diseases, as hemophilia A and B and hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI). In particular, for the HFI many novel mutations disease-related have been identified and the relationship genotype/phenotype was studied.
Current research field regards the molecular mechanisms regulating cellular iron homeostasis. In this context has been studied in different physio-pathological conditions, the expression and activity of main proteins involved in the metabolism of this metal, such as ferritin, transferrin receptor and Iron Regulatory Proteins (IRPs). In particular were studied: the effects of oxalomalic acid on IRPs activity and ferritin biosynthesis; the regulation of iron metabolism in neuronal cells exposed to hypoxia/reoxigenation; the effects of Bovine Herpes Virus 1 (BHV-1) infection on iron homeostasis in Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells; the iron metabolism in rat adipose tissue after ovariectomy and estrogen treatment; the iron metabolism in a bovine cell line exposed to dioxin; the iron metabolism during BHV-1 infection in the presence of TCDD in mammalian cells.
Topics of research collaboration have been: neuroprotective effects of cannabidiol; effects of oxalomalic acid on iNOS; cytotoxic/cytoprotective effects of natural origin substances; effects of protein chemotactic for monocytes-3 on smooth muscle cells human coronary artery; protein translation in rat skeletal muscle cells.
