Dr. Saitta received his Ph.D. degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Messina (Italy), followed by fellowships in Molecular Pharmacology at the Mario Negri Institute of Milano and in Developmental Biology at the Developmental Biology Institute of CNR of Palermo, Italy. Thereafter, as a postdoctoral fellow at the Thomas Jefferson University of Philadelphia, PA, he focused his research interests on the isolation, cloning, chromosome mapping, and transcriptional regulation of the human type VI collagen genes COL6A1 and COL6A2. In addition he was also involved in the characterization of type VI collagen mutations that cause Bethlem myopathy, a limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. He also investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in the up-regulation of collagens I and VI in the pathogenesis of scleroderma with the identification of transcription factors that may play important roles in the over-expression of type I collagen in fibrotic disease. He joined the Coriell Institute in 2002 and continues to study the interplay between cell differentiation and ECM interactions. Current studies include analysis of neonatal and adult multipotent stem cell gene expression during mesenchymal lineage differentiation. Studies of stem cell differentiation aimed at musculoskeletal development, using microarray expression techniques are also being carried out in collaboration with researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

William DA, Saitta B, Gibson JD, Traas J, Markov V, Gonzalez DM, Sewell W, Anderson DM, Pratt SC, Rappaport EF, Kusumi K.
Identification of oscillatory genes in somitogenesis from functional genomic analysis of a human mesenchymal stem cell model. Dev Biol.2007 Feb 14; [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 17362910 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Markov V, Kusumi K, Tadesse MG, William DA, Hall DM, Lounev V, Carlton A, Leonard J, Cohen RI, Rappaport EF, and Saitta B.
Identification of cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cell populations with distinct growth kinetics, differentiation potentials, and gene expression profiles. Stem Cells Dev. 2007 Feb;16(1):53-73.
PMID: 17348805 [PubMed - in process]

Sandorfi N, Louneva N, Hitraya E, Hajnoczky G, Saitta B, Jimenez S
Inhibition of collagen gene expression in systemic sclerosis dermal fibroblasts by mithramycin. Ann Rheum Dis 64: 1685-1691 2005
PMID: 15901633 abstract

Cicchillitti L, Jimenez SA, Sala A, Saitta B
B-Myb acts as a repressor of human COL1A1 collagen gene expression by interacting with Sp1 and CBF factors in scleroderma fibroblasts. Biochem J 378(Pt 2):609-16, 2004.
PMID: 14613485 abstract

Louneva N, Saitta B, Herrick DJ, Jimenez SA
Transcriptional inhibition of type I collagen gene expression in scleroderma fibroblasts by the antineoplastic drug ecteinascidin 743. J Biol Chem 278:40400-7, 2003.
PMID: 12881530 abstract

Jimenez SA, Gaidarova S, Saitta B, Sandorfi N, Herrich DJ, Rosenbloom JC, Kucich U, Abrams WR and Rosenbloom J
Role of protein kinase C-delta in the regulation of collagen gene expression in scleroderma fibroblasts J Clin Invest 108:1395-1403, 2001.
PMID: 11696585 abstract

Sallinen R, Latvanlehto A, Kvist AP, Rehn M, Eerola I, Chu ML, Bonaldo P, Saitta B, Bressan GM, Pihlajaniemi T, Vuorio E, Palotie A, Wessman M, Horelli-Kuitunen N
Physical mapping of mouse collagen genes on Chromosome 10 by high-resolution FISH. Mammalian Genome 12:340-346, 2001.
PMID: 11331940 abstract

Saitta B, Gaidarova S, Cicchillitti L and Jimenez SA
CCAAT binding transcription factor binds and regulates human COL1A1 promoter activity in human dermal fibroblasts. Arthritis Rheum 43:2219-2229, 2000.
PMID: 11037881 abstract

Rosenbloom J, Saitta B, Gaidarova S, Sandorfi N, Rosenbloom JC, Abrams WR, Hamilton AD, Sebti SM, Kucick U and Jimenez SA
Inhibition of type I collagen gene expression in normal and Systemic Sclerosis fibroblasts by a specific inhibitor of geranylgeranyl transferase I. Arthritis Rheum 43:1624-1632, 2000.
PMID: 10902768 abstract

Pepe G, Bertini E, Giusti B, Brunelli T, Comeglio P, Saitta B, Merlini L, Chu ML, Federici G and Abbate R
A novel de novo mutation in the triple helix of the COL6A3 gene in a three-generation Italian family affected by Bethlem myopathy. A diagnostic approach in the mutations screening of type VI collagen. Neuromuscular Disorders 9:264-271, 1999.
PMID: 10399756 abstract

Pepe G, Giusti B, Bertini E, Brunelli T, Saitta B, Comeglio P, Bolognese A, Merlini L, Federici G, Abbate R and Chu ML
A heterozygous splice mutation in COL6A1 leading to an in-frame deletion of the alpha1(VI) collagen chain in an Italian family affected by Bethlem Myopathy. Biochem.Biophys.Res.Comm. 258:802-807, 1999.
PMID: 10329467 abstract

Sala A, Saitta B, De Luca P, Lania L, Lewis RE, Casella I, Watson R and Peschle C
B-MYB transactivates its own promoter through SP1-binding sites. Oncogene 18:1333-1339, 1999.
PMID: 10022815 abstract

Gambino R, Alaimo MG, Saitta B and Ghersi G
Presence of different collagens and collagen mRNAs during embryogenesis and in adult tissues of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. J. Submicrosc. Cytol. Pathol. 28:41-47, 1996.
PMID: 8929625 abstract

Comeglio P, Saitta B, Pepe G and Chu ML
Identification of a polymorphic CA-repeat in the COL6A2 Gene on human chromosome 21q22.3. Human Heredity 46:239-240, 1996.
PMID: 8807328 abstract

Saitta B and Chu ML
Characterization of the human alpha1 (VI) promoter and its comparison with the human alpha2 (VI) promoters. Eur. J. Biochem. 234:542-549, 1995.
PMID: 8536701 abstract

Heiskanen M, Saitta B, Palotie A and Chu ML
Head to tail organization of the COL6A1 and COL6A2 genes by Fiber-FISH. Genomics 29:801-803, 1995.
PMID: 8575781 abstract

Saitta B and Chu ML
Two promoters control the transcription of the human alpha2 (VI) collagen gene. Eur. J. Biochem. 223:675-682, 1994.

Saitta B, Timpl R and Chu ML
Human alpha2(VI) collagen gene: heterogeneity at the 5' end untranslated region generated by an alternate exon. J. Biol. Chem. 267:6188-6196, 1992.