Our Projects

Marco Falasca's research spans some of today’s most pressing health challenges, from uncovering how pancreatic cancer grows and spreads to developing innovative therapies inspired by cannabinoids and the gut microbiome. He is also advancing understanding of the hormone GLP-1 and its role in metabolic health, paving the way for new treatments for diabetes, obesity, and related diseases. Together, these projects aim to translate cutting-edge science into real-world solutions that improve lives.

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Pancreatic Cancer – Extracellular Vesicles

EVs as Messengers: Discovered how tiny cell-derived vesicles help pancreatic cancer grow, spread, and resist treatment.
Therapeutic Targets: Identified ways to disrupt EV “communication” to slow tumour progression.
Diagnostic Potential: EVs could serve as early detection biomarkers for pancreatic cancer (Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 2023).

From decoding cancer’s microscopic messages to blocking its signals, Marco Falasca's work

is revealing new ways to fight one of the most challenging cancers.

Gastrointestinal Diseases – Cannabinoids – Microbiome

Cannabinoids in Cancer: Discovered promising medicinal cannabis-based compounds that slow pancreatic tumour growth (Oncogene, 2018).
Cannabinoids in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Investigating how cannabinoids may modulate inflammation and gut function, offering potential therapeutic benefits for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
The Microbiome Connection: Investigating how gut bacteria influence tumour growth, immune response, and treatment success

Gastrointestinal Hormones & Metabolic Diseases

Decoding Gastrointestinal Hormones: The team studies how gut incretins control insulin release and blood sugar regulation.
From Hormones to Health: their work links gut incretin activity to diabetes, obesity, and other metabolism-related diseases.
Targeted Therapies: By combining expertise in lipid signalling and pharmacology, Marco’s team is uncovering ways to boost gut incretin benefits, paving the way for new treatments.

By revealing how gut incretin shape the body’s metabolic balance, Marco’s research aims to improve the lives of patients with diabetes and other chronic metabolic
disorders.

Gut–Liver Axis:

Marco Falasca’s lab investigates how the gut and liver communicate, and how this relationship shapes digestion, metabolism, and disease. Key focus areas include:

Microbiome influence: How gut bacteria impact liver function and overall metabolic health.
Disease links: The role of gut–liver interactions in fatty liver disease, liver cancer, and metabolic disorders.
Therapeutic potential: Identifying biomarkers and targets to restore balance and prevent disease progression.

By mapping this complex biochemical “conversation,” Marco’s research is paving the way for innovative treatments that improve liver and metabolic health.