Immunologia sperimentale e clinica in Malattie Infettive e Oncologia - Gruppo di Ricerca

Our research projects focus on translational aspects of the immune response in cancer and infectious diseases to identify novel mechanistic insights and potentially druggable immune mechanisms that are relevant in the development of immunotherapies and vaccination strategies. 
The three major lines of research are: 

• Development of therapeutic antibodies against SARS-Cov-2: production of human monoclonal antibodies neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 from B lymphocytes of recovered or vaccinated individuals. Functional streamlining of the Fc portion of human immunoglobulin to improve antibody-dependent cytotoxicity
• Immunology and immunotherapy of liver cancers: investigation of immune mechanisms mediated by newly developed therapeutic antibodies/bioproducts and the influence of tumor microenvironment on the immune system
• Monitoring of immune response after vaccination: assessment of SARS-Cov-2 vaccine-induced immunity, focusing on the interplay between adaptive and innate immunity

• Marjot T, Eberhardt CS, Boettler T, Belli LS, Berenguer M, Buti M, Jalan R, Mondelli MU, Moreau R, Shouval D, Berg T, Cornberg M. Impact of COVID-19 on the liver and on the care of patients with chronic liver disease, hepatobiliary cancer, and liver transplantation: An updated EASL position paper. J Hepatol 2022;77:1161-1197.
• Varchetta S, Mele D, Oliviero B, Mantovani S, Ludovisi S, Cerino A, Bruno R, Castelli A, Mosconi M, Vecchia M, Roda  S, Sachs M, Klersy C, Mondelli MU. Unique immunological profile in patients with COVID-19. Cell Mol Immunol 2021;18:604-612.
• Mele D, Oliviero B, Mantovani S, Ludovisi S, Lombardi A, Genco F, Gulminetti R, Novati S, Mondelli MU, Varchetta S. Adaptive Natural Killer Cell Functional Recovery in Hepatitis C Virus Cured Patients. Hepatology. 2021;73:79-90.
• Mantovani S, Oliviero B, Lombardi A, Varchetta S, Mele D, Sangiovanni A, Rossi G, Donadon M, Torzilli G, Soldani C, Porta C, Pedrazzoli P, Chiellino S, Santambrogio R, Opocher E, Maestri M, Bernuzzi S, Rossello A, Clément S, De Vito C, Rubbia-Brandt L, Negro F, Mondelli MU. Deficient natural killer cell NKp30-mediated function and altered NCR3 splice variants in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology 2019;69:1165-1179.
• Oliviero B, Mantovani S, Varchetta S, Mele D, Grossi G, Ludovisi S, Nuti E, Rossello A, Mondelli MU. Hepatitis C virus-Induced NK Cell Activation Causes Metzincin-Mediated CD16 Cleavage and Impaired Antibody-Dependent Cytotoxicity. J Hepatol 2017;66:1130–1137.

Single-Cell Analysis Sequencing System, multi-color flow cytometry, ddPCR , complete PCR equipment, Gel Doc imaging system, Wester Blot and ELISA equipment, cell culture equipment.

Ministero della Salute-Piano Operativo della Salute, POS, traiettoria 4 ‘Immunoterapia: cura e prevenzione di malattie infettive e tumorali (Immuno-HUB)’; Next Generation EU-MUR PNRR Extended Partnership initiative on Emerging Infectious Diseases (INF-ACT); PRIN: PROGETTI DI RICERCA DI RILEVANTE INTERESSE NAZIONALE – Bando 2022 “A Multipronged Approach to Immunotherapy of Liver cancer (MAIL)”; PRIN: PROGETTI DI RICERCA DI RILEVANTE INTERESSE NAZIONALE – Bando 2022 “Muscle weakness and exercise (in)tolerance in Long-COVID patients: mechanistic bases and predictive biomarkers”.

European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), Greta Forlani (University of Insubria), Alessandro Sette (La Jolla Institute for Immunology and University of California, USA), Kai Wucherpfennig (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA), Alessandra Renieri (University of Siena), Anna Caretti (University of Milan), Federico Forneris and Claudia Scotti (University of Pavia).