About the Authors

Michele Vacca

Contributed equally to this work with: Michele Vacca, Simona D'Amore

Current address: Medical Research Council – Human Nutrition Research (MRC-HNR), Cambridge, United Kingdom

Affiliations Fondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (Chieti), Chieti, Italy, Unit of General Pathology, Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), “Gabriele D'Annunzio” University and Foundation, Chieti, Italy, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, Italy

Simona D'Amore

Contributed equally to this work with: Michele Vacca, Simona D'Amore

Affiliation National Cancer Institute, IRCCS Oncologico “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy

Giusi Graziano

Affiliation National Cancer Institute, IRCCS Oncologico “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy

Andria D'Orazio

Affiliation Fondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (Chieti), Chieti, Italy

Marica Cariello

Affiliation National Cancer Institute, IRCCS Oncologico “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy

Vittoria Massafra

Affiliation Fondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (Chieti), Chieti, Italy

Lorena Salvatore

Affiliation Fondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (Chieti), Chieti, Italy

Nicola Martelli

Affiliation Fondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (Chieti), Chieti, Italy

Stefania Murzilli

Affiliation Fondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (Chieti), Chieti, Italy

Giuseppe Lo Sasso

Affiliation Fondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (Chieti), Chieti, Italy

Renato Mariani-Costantini

Affiliation Unit of General Pathology, Aging Research Center (Ce.S.I.), “Gabriele D'Annunzio” University and Foundation, Chieti, Italy

Antonio Moschetta

antonio.moschetta@uniba.it

Affiliations Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, Bari, Italy, National Cancer Institute, IRCCS Oncologico “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy

Competing Interests

Antonio Moschetta is an Academic Editor of PLOS ONE. This does not alter the authors' adherence to PLOS ONE Editorial policies and criteria.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: MV GLS RMC AM. Performed the experiments: MV SD AD LS NM MC SM VM. Analyzed the data: MV SD GG AM. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: LS SM AD NM. Contributed to the writing of the manuscript: MV SD AM.