Research Unit

Hematopoietic stem cells transplantation - Research unit

GROUP LEADER

Dr. ZECCA Marco

CURRICULUM VITAE GROUP LEADER

SPECIFIC ROLE

Coordination of the Unit's research activities.

GROUP MEMBERS
Dr. G. Giorgiani, Dr. T. Mina, Dr. F. Compagno, Dr. S. Boghen, Dr. A. Tolva, Dr. S. Recupero, Dr. A. Agostini, Dr. A. Panigari, Dr. E. Bergami, Dr. A. Moretta, Dr. M.A. Avanzini, Dr. M. Tanzi, Dr. C. Valsecchi.

RESEARCH PROJECTS

The Pediatric Haematology/Oncology unit is focusing its clinical research interests on strategies to improve the outcome of allogeneic HSCT for malignant and non-malignant pediatric hemopathies, including design of novel conditioning regimens, and prevention/treatment of graft-versus-host disease and infectious complications, on the diagnosis and treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes in pediatric patients, and on molecular and immunologic predictor of cancer treatment response. The translational research activities are directed to the immune reconstitution after allogeneic HSCT, investigating innate and adaptive immunity, and the role of cellular immunity in viral immune surveillance.
Moreover, the unit is involved in the development of cell therapy programs to control malignancy, infections and complications secondary to alloreactivity in HSCT recipients. Finally, the group has been active on investigating the role of mesenchymal stromal cells in health and disease.
5 BEST PAPERS
- Zecca M., Wynn R., Dalle J.H., Feuchtinger T., Vainorius E., Brundage T.M., Chandak A., Mozaffari E., Nichols G., Locatelli F. Association between adenovirus viral load and mortality in pediatric allo-HCT recipients: the multinational AdVance study. Bone Marrow Transplant, 2019;
- Lovisa F., Zecca M., Rossi B., Campeggio M., Magrin E., Giarin E., Buldini B., Songia S., Cazzaniga G., Mina T., Acquafredda G., Quarello P., Locatelli F., Fagioli F., Basso G. Pre- and post-transplant minimal residual disease predicts relapse occurrence in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. British Journal of Haematology, 2018;
- Bertaina A., Zecca M., Buldini B., Sacchi N., Algeri M., Saglio F., Perotti C., Gallina A.M., Bertaina V., Lanino E., Prete A., Barberi W., Tumino M., Favre C., Cesaro S., Del Bufalo F., Ripaldi M., Boghen S., Casazza G., Rabusin M., Balduzzi A., Fagioli F., Pagliara D., Locatelli F. Unrelated donor vs HLA-haploidentical α/β T-cell- and B-cell-depleted HSCT in children with acute leukemia. Blood, 2018;
- Locatelli F., Bernardo M.E., Bertaina A., Rognoni C., Comoli P., Rovelli A., Prete A., Zecca M. Efficacy of two different doses of rabbit anti-T-lymphocyte globulin to prevent graft-versus-host disease in children with haematological malignancies transplanted from an unrelated donor: a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncology, 2017;
- Locatelli F., Bernardo M.E., Bertaina A., Rognoni C., Comoli P., Rovelli A., Pession A., Fagioli F., Favre C., Lanino E., Giorgiani G., Merli P., Pagliara D., Prete A., Zecca M. Chronic graft-versus-host disease in children: incidence, risk factors, and impact on outcome. Blood, 2002.
AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY

HSCT unit equipped with positive pressure and/or negative pressure rooms; transplant immunology lab equipped to perform flow-cytometry, cell sorting, cellular immunology assays, molecular biology assays for transplant outcome monitoring (ELISPOT and ELISA reader for cytokine production analysis, beta and gamma counter for cytotoxicity and proliferation assays, quantitative PCR technology).
RUNNING FUNDS

Ministry of Health (Ricerca Corrente): Phase I/II clinical trial of somatic cell therapy with donor-derived anti-leukemia cytotoxic T lymphocytes for relapse prevention in children given haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; Lombardy Region Foundation for Research (FRRB): Una rete per terapie geniche e cellulari per malattie devastanti (Plagencell).
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC COLLABORATIONS

Member of the European Reference Network PaedCan (Paediatric Cancer), member of the AIEOP BMT Group, Member of GITMO (Gruppo Italiano Trapianto di Midollo Osseo), Member of EBMT (European Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group).