Trained immunity and mechanisms in induction of immunological-self tolerance

Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II & Istituto per l’Endocrinologia e l’Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IEOS-CNR), Napoli, Italy 


Research topic: Treg cell induction via trained immunity

The main topic of our area of research is the study of basic mechanisms governing the immunological-self tolerance and the interactions between the metabolic/nutritional status and the immune system. We have an increasing interest in the understanding of the functional alterations of CD4+ effector T lymphocytes (Teff) and regulatory T cells (Treg), a cellular subset involved in the control of peripheral tolerance, in different models of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), type I diabetes (T1D) and in purely metabolic diseases such as obesity. The main objective of these studies is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanism by which innate immunity (for example via BCG vaccination) and metabolism control Treg cell induction and function both in vitro and in vivo, with particular emphasis towards patients and animal models of autoimmune diseases.  


Group leader

Prof. Giuseppe Matarese  


Group members

  • Dr. Mario Galgani, CNR Researcher
  • Dr. Claudio Procaccini, CNR Researcher
  • Dr. Silvana Cassano, CNR Researcher
  • Dr. Fortunata Carbone, CNR Postdoc
  • Dr. Claudia La Rocca, CNR Postdoc
  • Dr. Deriggio Faicchia, CNR Postdoc
  • Dr. Teresa Micillo, PhD Student
  • Dr. Sara Bruzzaniti, CNR Research Fellow 


Selected publications

  • Pacella I, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Jul 10;115(28):E6546-E6555.
  • Kishore M, et al. Immunity. 2017 Nov 21;47(5):875-889.e10.
  • Lourenço EV, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Sep 20;113(38):10637-42.
  • Procaccini C, et al. Immunity. 2016 Feb  16;44(2):406-21.
  • De Rosa V, et al. Nat Immunol. 2015 Nov;16(11):1174-84.
  • Norata GD, et al. Immunity. 2015 Sep 15;43(3):421-34.
  • Carbone F, et al. Nat Med. 2014 Jan;20(1):69-74.
  • Matarese G, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Apr 9;110(15):6193-8.
  • Matarese G, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Feb 26;110(9):E818-27.
  • Chou SH, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Apr 19;108(16):6585-90.
  • Procaccini C, et al. Immunity. 2010 Dec 14;33(6):929-41.
  • De Rosa V, et al. Immunity. 2007 Feb;26(2):241-55.
  • Farooqi IS, et al. N Engl J Med. 2007 Jan 18;356(3):237-47.
  • De Rosa V, et al. J Clin Invest. 2006 Feb;116(2):447-55.
  • Chan JL, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 May 30;103(22):8481-6.
  • Matarese G, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005  Apr 5;102(14):5150-5.
  • Sanna V, et al. J Clin Invest. 2003 Jan;111(2):241-50.
  • Farooqi IS, et al. J Clin Invest. 2002 Oct;110(8):1093-103.
  • Ng WF, et al. Blood. 2001 Nov 1;98(9):2736-44.
  • Howard JK, et al. J Clin Invest. 1999 Oct;104(8):1051-9.
  • Lord GM, et al. Nature. 1998 Aug 27;394(6696):897-901.

 

Financial support

  • ERC Grant
  • Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla (FISM)
  • European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD)
  • Telethon Grant
  • JDRF Grant