Overview of the research lines

- Group 1: kidney (focus- oncological and functional outcomes of nephron-sparing surgery for kidney cancers).
- Group 2: prostate cancer (focus- MRI and MRI/US fusion biopsy for prostate cancer).
- Group 3: bladder cancer (focus- recurrent bladder cancer after intravesical therapy and after radical cystectomy).
- Group 4: functional urology, Endourology
- Group 5: paediatric urology and regenerative medicine

In the Urology Section, we are currently developing multiple research lines, covering broad aspects of the field of urology. The main focus of our Department is to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all urological diseases, with focus on:

• Prostate cancer: role of active surveillance, role of mpMRI and fusion biopsy, PET/CT imaging of primary and recurrent cancer, outcomes of surgical treatment (robotic prostatectomy) and improvement of functional results of surgical treatment, high risk prostate cancer, metabolic syndrome and prostate cancer
• Kidney cancer: surgical nephron-sparing treatment, robotic partial nephrectomy, surgical safety for robotic surgery, surgical management of vena cava thrombosis
• Bladder cancer: intravesical therapy in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, outcome predictors for radical cystectomy in bladder cancer, recurrent bladder cancer after radical cystectomy
• Functional urology: urodynamics, surgical treatment of male and female stress incontinence, functional outcomes of surgery for lower urinary tract symptoms/obstruction
• Upper urothelial tract tumours, urinary stone disease, ureteral stenoses: endourologic management
• Paediatric Urology and Regenerative medicine long-term outcomes of hypospadias correction, surgical and conservative treatment of upper urinary tract diseases, outcomes of stone treatment in children, role of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering in urinary diversions and ureteral substitution.

5 selected references:

- Morlacco A, Mancini M, Soligo M, Zattoni F, Calpista A, Vizzielli G, Patti R, Mandato FG, Barneschi AC, Zattoni F, Iafrate M, Dal Moro F; European Reference Network for rare UROGENital disease and complex conditions (ERN eUROGEN). Relevance of the Endoscopic Evaluation in the Diagnosis of Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis.Urology. 2020 Oct;144:106-110. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2020.06.032. Epub 2020 Jun 30.

- Casarin M, Fortunato TM, Imran S, Todesco M, Sandrin D, Borile G, Toniolo I, Marchesan M, Gerosa G, Bagno A, Romanato F, Carniel EL, Morlacco A, Dal Moro F. Porcine Small Intestinal Submucosa (SIS) as a Suitable Scaffold for the Creation of a Tissue-Engineered Urinary Conduit: Decellularization, Biomechanical and Biocompatibility Characterization Using New Approaches.Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Mar 4;23(5):2826. doi: 10.3390/ijms23052826.

- Zattoni F, Marra G, Kasivisvanathan V, Grummet J, Nandurkar R, Ploussard G, Olivier J, Chiu PK, Valerio M, Gontero P, Guo H, Zhuang J, Barletta F, Leni R, Frydenberg M, Moon D, Hanegbi U, Landaumailto A, Snow R, Apfelbeck M, Kretschmer A, van den Bergh R, Novara G, Briganti A, Dal Moro F, Gandaglia G.The Detection of Prostate Cancer with Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Targeted Prostate Biopsies is Superior with the Transperineal vs the Transrectal Approach. A European Association of Urology-Young Academic Urologists Prostate Cancer Working Group Multi-Institutional Study.J Urol. 2022 Oct;208(4):830-837. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000002802. Epub 2022 Sep 9.

- Sharova E, Grassi A, Marcer A, Ruggero K, Pinto F, Bassi P, Zanovello P, Zattoni F, D'Agostino DM, Iafrate M, Ciminale V.  Circulating miRNA assay as a first-line test for prostate cancer screeningBr J Cancer. 2016 Jun 14;114(12):1362-6. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2016.151. PMID: 27228285

- Motterle G, Morlacco A, Giovannini G, Vecchiato E, Iafrate M, Calpista A, Prayer-Galetti T, Martino F, Dal Moro F, Novara G. Role of Renin-Angiotensin System Blockers on BCG Response in Nonmuscle Invasive, High Risk Bladder Cancer. Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2022 Aug;20(4):e303-e309. doi: 10.1016/j.clgc.2022.02.007. PMID: 35314138

People involved:
Fabrizio Dal Moro, Full Professor
Giacomo Novara, Associated Professor
Massimo Iafrate, Associate Professor
Alessandro Morlacco, Assistant Professor
Fabio Zattoni, Assistant Professor

Group members
Prof. R. Jeffrey Karnes –Professor of Urology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN - Dr. P. Beltrami – consultant at Urology Clinic – Dr.ssa M. Mancini - consultant at Urology Clinic