Assistant Professor at the Department of Experimental Embryology
Fields of interest
Animal models of neurodevelopmental disorders; developmental neuroscience; experimental embryology; early life developmental programming; placental biology; animal behavior; brain development.
Scientific achievements
In his earliest studies Dr. Sampino investigated the influences of parental age and assisted reproductive technologies on the offspring behavior in the mouse model. This revealed for the first time that advanced paternal age in mice can be associated with autism-like behavior in the offspring, and that this effect can last for at least two subsequent generations. Moreover, a series of studies showed that blastomere biopsy of early embryos (as used to perform preimplantation genetic diagnosis in humans) affects post-natal growth and induces altered behavior in mouse offspring, suggesting that such embryonic manipulations could be a risk factor for late-onset, neurodevelopmental and metabolic disease predisposition.
Realized research projects
- Principal Investigator of the project NCN-OPUS (2020/39/B/NZ4/02105) entitled “Inter-strain chimeric mice to study the role of the placenta in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders” (2021-2025)
- Principal Investigator of the project NCN-SONATA (2014/15/D/NZ4/04274) entitled “Influence of maternal and genetic factors on post-natal behaviors and placental transcriptome in mouse models of autism” (2015-2018)
- Co-Coordinator of the PhD project supported by KNOW Leading National Centre Scientific Consortium “Healthy Animal-Safe Food” (KNOW2015/CB/PRO1/47) entitled “Maternal immune activation and its consequences on offspring behavior in an ovine model of prenatal infection” (2016-2019)
- Experimenter in several Italian and European Projects, including GENHOME (MIUR FIRB nr. 0070120), NEXTGENE (FP7-KBBE-2009-3 nr. n° 244356), and ANGIOPLACE (ERC nr. 210103), leaded by Prof. Pasqualino Loi and Prof. Grażyna E. Ptak
Selected publications
- Blastomere removal affects homeostatic control leading to obesity in male mice. Kotlarska M, Winiarczyk D, Florek W, Ziętek M, Pęczkowicz-Szyszka J, Stankiewicz AM, Starzyński RR, Arena R, Drago G, Sampino S, Modlinski JA. Reproduction. 2021 Jan;161(1):61-72. doi: 10.1530/REP-20-0253
- Preconceptional Resveratrol Supplementation Partially Counteracts Age-Related Reproductive Complications in C57BL/6J Female Mice. Ziętek M, Barłowska K, Wijas B, Szablisty E, Atanasov AG, Modliński JA, Świergiel AH, Sampino S. Molecules. 2021 Mar 30;26(7):1934. doi: 10.3390/molecules26071934.
- Reproductive biotechnology and critically endangered species: Merging in vitro gametogenesis with inner cell mass transfer. Saragusty J, Ajmone-Marsan P, Sampino S, Modlinski JA. Theriogenology. 2020 Oct 1;155:176-184. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.06.009.
- Pregnancy at Advanced Maternal Age Affects Behavior and Hippocampal Gene Expression in Mouse Offspring. Sampino S, Stankiewicz AM, Zacchini F, Goscik J, Szostak A, Swiergiel AH, Drago G, Modlinski JA, Ptak GE. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2017 Oct 12;72(11):1465-1473. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glx016.
- Effects of blastomere biopsy on post-natal growth and behavior in mice. Sampino S, Zacchini F, Swiergiel AH, Modlinski AJ, Loi P, Ptak GE. Hum Reprod. 2014 Sep;29(9):1875-83. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deu145.
- Grand-paternal age and the development of autism-like symptoms in mice progeny.
Sampino S, Juszczak GR, Zacchini F, Swiergiel AH, Modlinski JA, Loi P, Ptak GE. Transl Psychiatry. 2014 Apr 29;4(4):e386. doi: 10.1038/tp.2014.27.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Silvestre_Sampino
