About the Authors

Lory Santarelli

Affiliation Department of Molecular Pathology and Innovative Therapies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

Elisabetta Strafella

Affiliation Department of Molecular Pathology and Innovative Therapies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

Sara Staffolani

Affiliation Department of Molecular Pathology and Innovative Therapies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

Monica Amati

Affiliation Department of Molecular Pathology and Innovative Therapies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

Monica Emanuelli

Affiliation Department of Biochemistry, Biology and Genetics, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

Davide Sartini

Affiliation Department of Biochemistry, Biology and Genetics, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

Valentina Pozzi

Affiliation Department of Biochemistry, Biology and Genetics, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

Damiano Carbonari

Affiliation Department of Molecular Pathology and Innovative Therapies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

Massimo Bracci

Affiliation Department of Molecular Pathology and Innovative Therapies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

Elettra Pignotti

Affiliation Department of Statistic Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Paola Mazzanti

Affiliation Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital University of Ancona, Ancona, Italy

Armando Sabbatini

Affiliation Thoracic Surgery Unit, Hospital University of Ancona, Ancona, Italy

Renzo Ranaldi

Affiliation Pathological Anatomy Unit, Hospital University of Ancona, Ancona, Italy

Stefano Gasparini

Affiliation Pneumology Unit, Hospital University of Ancona, Ancona, Italy

Jiri Neuzil

Affiliations Apoptosis Research Group, School of Medical Science and Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia, Molecular Therapy Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic

Marco Tomasetti

m.tomasetti@univpm.it

Affiliation Department of Molecular Pathology and Innovative Therapies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: LS MA MT. Performed the experiments: ES SS DS VP DC. Analyzed the data: MB EP JN MT. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: LS MA ME. Wrote the paper: MT JN. Patient management and sample collection: PM AS RR SG. Quantitative real-time PCR assay and data analysis: ME.