Valentina Barrella

Dr. Valentina Barrella

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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25 September 2023 in Journal of Functional Foods
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
APAngela Di Porzio
Angela Di Porzio
VBValentina Barrella
Valentina Barrella
CGCristina Gatto
Cristina Gatto
LCLuisa Cigliano
Luisa Cigliano
MSMaria Stefania Spagnuolo
Maria Stefania Spagnuolo
AMArianna Mazzoli
Arianna Mazzoli

21 January 2026 in Biomedicines
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
NMNoemi Martella
Noemi Martella
DPDaniele Pensabene
Daniele Pensabene
MCMayra Colardo
Mayra Colardo
MMMaurizio Muzzi
Maurizio Muzzi
EBEmanuele Bisesto
Emanuele Bisesto
Marco SegattoMarco Segatto
Marco Segatto
Background/Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders. Despite its multifactorial etiology, PD pathophysiology shared specific features such as cytoplasmic α-synuclein inclusions, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired autophagy. Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal domain (BET) proteins, functioning as epigenetic readers, have recently emerged as promising therapeutic targets due to their regulatory role in redox homeostasis, neuroinflammation, and autophagy. However, their potential involvement in PD pathophysiology remains largely unexplored. Therefore, we aimed at evaluating whether BET modulation could ameliorate the parkinsonian phenotype in two cellular models. Methods: Differentiated SH-SY5Y and N1E-115 neuronal cells were exposed to rotenone toxin to mimic PD phenotype and co-treated with the small BET inhibitor JQ1. Results: BET inhibition significantly counteracted rotenone-induced cell death, neuromorphological alterations, and α-synuclein accumulation. These protective effects were accompanied by restoration of redox balance, as indicated by enhanced activation of the antioxidant system and suppression of the pro-oxidant NADPH oxidase complex. Moreover, JQ1 treatment alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction and corrected autophagy impairments triggered by rotenone. Conclusions: These data highlight a novel role for BET proteins in neurodegeneration, suggesting that their modulation may represent a promising approach to counteract PD neuropathology.