PROJECTS
Research is creating new knowledge
Our scientific mission is to dissect host immunological mechanisms of protective and pathologic immunity to mycobacterial infections, in order to design more effective intervention strategies (vaccines, treatments, diagnostics).
We have established a research programme in the field of human immunology, cell biology and immunogenetics of mycobacterial infectious diseases.
Amongst some of our scientific contributions are the discovery of the first specific latency antigens for mycobacterium reactive CD8 T cells in humans; the discovery that human γδ T cells are capable of killing macrophages harbouring live mycobacteria and the intracellular bacilli as well; the identification of the role played by polyfunctional CD4 T helper-1 cells in human tuberculosis; the discovery of a new population of CD8 T cells which recognize mycobacterial protein antigen restricted by the nonclassical MHC class I molecule HLA-E.
One current focus is on the role of T cell subsets (CD4, CD8), macrophage subsets, intracellular signaling networks and cellular functions. A related, translation-oriented focus is on Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen discovery, vaccine design and biomarker discovery.
We participate and play prominent roles in high profile international research consortia, which include partners from EU, US and developing countries in Asia, Africa and South America. Funding mostly comes from EC and the TBVI Foundation.
Part of our mission is to support basic and clinical research on the causes, treatment, and prevention of immune-mediated diseases.
Investigators in our laboratories are working to expand knowledge of normal immune system components and functions and to understand causes for abnormal immune function in chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In particular, we conduct studies on the immune responses found at mucosal surfaces of the body and the diseases that can result from these responses. Research in the lab has led to new insights into the causes of intestinal inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Sjogren’s disease, multiple sclerosis, as well as the development of treatments for these illnesses.
Our research focuses on the analysis of both conventional B and T cell subsets (CD4, CD8, Treg, Breg), and unconventional cell populations (innate lymphoid cells, γδ T cells, MAIT, resident memory T cells), at the site of disease and in the circulation, and on the understanding of their contribution to disease pathogenesis.
Tuberculosis research towards improved vaccines, diagnostic tests and TB-biomarkers
The systemic nature and the resistance capability of disseminated tumor cells to existing therapeutic agents, could explain why 90% of cancer mortalities are attributable to metastases. Based on these observations, our laboratory is focused on studying the biological program that enables resident Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) to acquire a number of traits required to accomplish the fundamental steps in initiating the metastatic cascade.
Our research focuses on identification of the genetic changes which occur in stem cells that leads to their transformation into cancer stem cell in different types of tumors (colorectal cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer); moreover, we will be investigating the processes that lead to metastases to develop novel CSC-targeting strategies to prevent their formation.
Understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases
Cellular and molecular oncology
Clinical evidence indicates that the immune system may either promote or inhibit tumor progression. In fact, several studies have demonstrated that tumors undergoing remission are largely infiltrated by T lymphocytes (TILs), but on the other hand, other studies have shown that tumors may be infiltrated by TILs endowed with suppressive features, suggesting that TILs are rather associated with tumor progression and unfavorable prognosis. Moreover, the mutual and interdependent interaction between tumor and its microenvironment is a crucial topic in cancer research and therapy, as recently demonstrated by the finding that targeting stromal factors could improve efficacies of current therapeutics and prevent metastasis. Thus, understanding the role of different subsets of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in the pathogenesis of specific tumors is critical for the development of efficient antitumor immunotherapeutic strategies.
Our group is involved in the study of innate immune cells infiltrating tumors and specifically melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. The analysis of tumor infiltrating ILC1, ILC2, ILC3, MAIT and γδ T cells comprise the frequency, phenotype, functional activity in terms of cytokine production and cytotoxicity and the influence that tumor microenvironment (i.e. cancer stem cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)) exerts on their polarization/differentiation.