Renal diseases and transplantation

Tipologia: Trapiantologia

Principal Investigator: Dott.ssa Rampino Teresa

Co Principal Investigator: Renal diseases and transplantation

Research Areas & Scientific Focus

MSC & Extracellular Vesicles (EV) Therapy
Development of cell therapies using Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSC) and MSC-derived Extracellular Vesicles (EV). Testing involves in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo (rat and pig) models of renal diseases and transplantation.

Graft Conditioning & Organ Bioengineering
Optimization of marginal organs (DCD/ECD) through conditioning with MSCs, EVs, and experimental drugs in both animal and human models.

Innovative Drug Delivery Strategies
Study of new delivery systems, specifically Extracellular Vesicles enriched with ATP, for organ conditioning prior to transplantation.

Complement System Pathways in IgA Nephropathy (IgAN)
Investigation of the lectin (LP) and alternative pathways (AP). Research focuses on how MBL2 genetic variants and MBL serum levels influence graft survival and complement activation in transplant recipients, aiming for personalized therapeutic strategies.

Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP) & Transcriptomics
Application of innovative ECP treatments for chronic antibody-mediated rejection in kidney transplant patients, utilizing NanoString technology to analyze the underlying molecular mechanisms and transcriptomic profiles.

Oncology Risk Assessment
Evaluation of cancer risk in transplant recipients through the analysis of specific miRNA profiles.

In Vitro Modeling of Podocytopathies
Evaluation of primary podocytopathies using a specialized in vitro endothelium-podocyte co-culture system exposed to patient serum.

Infectious Disease & Immune Response
Studies on humoral and cellular immune responses against viruses (CMV, EBV, VZV, SARS-CoV-2) and the identification of predictive markers for bacterial and viral infection risks in uremic and transplanted patients.

Kidney-Gut Axis in Dialysis
Research into the "cross-talk" between the kidney and the gut, examining how dialysis biocompatibility and microbiome variations impact the inflammatory state and overall survival of uremic patients.

Stea ED, Pesce F, Bari ID, Franzin R, Rossini M, Simone S, Piancone F, Sallustio F, De Palma A, Grignano MA, Pontrelli P, Gregorini M, Islami T, Rampino T, Castellano G, Gesualdo L. MBL2 deficiency and IgA Nephropathy in transplant patients: Is complement inhibition always beneficial? Eur J Intern Med. 2026 Feb 17:106765. doi: 10.1016/j.ejim.2026.106765. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41708441;
Grignano MA, Pisani S, Gregorini M, Rainaudo G, Avanzini MA, Croce S, Valsecchi C, Ceccarelli G, Islami T, Margiotta E, Portalupi V, De Mauri A, Stea ED, Pattonieri EF, Iadarola P, Viglio S, Conti B, Rampino T. Engineered ATP-Loaded Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: A Novel Strategy to Counteract Cell ATP Depletion in an In Vitro Model. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Apr 5;26(7):3424. doi: 10.3390/ijms26073424. PMID: 40244293; PMCID: PMC11990007;
Rampino T., Gregorini M., Germinario G., Pattonieri E.F., Erasmi F., Grignano M.A., Bruno S., Alomari E., Bettati S., Asti A. Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Delivered during Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion Repair Ischemic/Reperfusion Damage of Kidneys from Extended Criteria Donors. Biology, 2022;
Rampino T., Gregorini M., Germinario G., Pattonieri E.F., Erasmi F., Grignano M.A., Bruno S., Alomari E., Bettati S., Asti A., Ramus M., De Amici M., Testa G., Bruno S., Ceccarelli G., Serpieri N., Libetta C., Sepe V., Blasevich F., Odaldi F., Maroni L., Vasuri F., La Manna G., Ravaioli M. Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Delivered during Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion Repair Ischemic/Reperfusion Damage of Kidneys from Extended Criteria Donors. Biology (Basel), 2022;
Gregorini M., Del Fante C., Pattonieri E.F., Avanzini M.A., Grignano M.A., Cassaniti I., Baldanti F., Comolli G., Nocco A., Ramondetta M., Viarengo G., Sepe V., Libetta C., Klersy C., Perotti C., Rampino T. Photopheresis Abates the Anti-HLA Antibody Titer and Renal Failure Progression in Chronic Antibody-Mediated Rejection. Biology (Basel), 2021.

Molecular Analysis & Imaging Technologies

•    NanoString Technology: High-sensitivity multiplex analysis of nucleic acids and proteins.
•    NanoSight Technology: Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) for sizing and concentration.
•    Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET): A mechanism used to monitor molecular interactions and distances.

Cellular & Bio-Engineering Systems

•    Electroporation: Method for introducing substances into cells using an electric field.
•    Microfluidics Systems: Precise control and manipulation of fluids at the sub-millimeter scale.
•    Organ Perfusion Technology: Systems designed to maintain organ viability and study physiological functions ex vivo.

Integrated Biological Methods

•    Molecular, Cellular, and Immunohistological Technologies: A broad suite of techniques for analyzing tissue structure and immune responses at the molecular level.

IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo di Pavia; Pharmaceutics societies.

•    University of Pavia;
•    University of Genoa;
•    University of Turin;
•    University of Naples;
•    University of Bari;
•    Policlinico Sant’Orsola Malpighi of Bologna;
•    Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico;
•    University of Texas;
•    University of Columbia (USA);
•    Servicio canario de la salud Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain).

GROUP MEMBERS:

Maria Antonietta Grignano, Emma Diletta Stea, Andreana De Mauri, Maria Grazia Soccio, Valentina Portalupi, Elia Reseghetti, Sara Moscardino, Elisa Margiotta, Nicoletta Serpieri, Fabrizio Grosjean, Francesca Castoldi, Vincenzo Sepe, Stefano Malabarba (Chirurgia Generale).

Dott.ssa Rampino Teresa