Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious diseases
Viral pathogens and biosafety
My Unit was created in 2006 as institutional recognition for our original studies on SARS, the first potentially pandemic coronavirus epidemic in 2003. In agreement with the Scientific Direction, Silvia Ghezzi, senior technician of the AIDS Immunopathogenesis Unit, joined my newly formed Unit. Several prominent young scientists joined my research Unit through the years, including Anna Kajaste-Rudnitsky (now full professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Pavia) and Davide Corti (CEO, Humabs BioMed, Bellinzona, Switzerland). Through the years, we had the opportunity to collaborate and publish on these topics with some of the most prominent international investigators including Ralph Baric on SARS-CoV-1, and, particularly thanks to the contribution of Isabel Pagani, with Antonio Lanzavecchia (Influenza A virus) and Alberto Mantovani (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19).
Research activity
The focus of our research has consistently been on the study of human viral pathogens, with the primary goal of contributing to the prevention and treatment of related diseases. Starting with HIV restriction factors, our research expanded in 2003 to include the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) following successful isolation and sequencing of the virus from an infected individual (second European isolate). We investigated SARS-CoV tropism and its evolutionary patterns, which paved the way for our engagement with other emerging viruses. Notably, this included our studies on the 2009 pandemic influenza A virus and, later, on Zika virus (ZIKV) in 2016. Following the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, our efforts were concentrated towards this new coronavirus, however, we have shifted back to arboviruses, recognizing their persistent potential to instigate future pandemics.
Our current activities are focused on unraveling the mechanisms of viral entry by identifying both attachment factors and entry receptors, especially in primary cell targets of ZIKV, West Nile Virus and Dengue Virus. Furthermore, we seek to understand the dynamics of virus-induced cytopathicity, with a special focus on ZIKV and its impact on neural progenitor cells, as well as potential mechanisms underlying viral persistence, particularly concerning the infection of mononuclear phagocytes. The project's insights are anticipated to significantly advance antiviral drug development efforts, potentially leading to the discovery of novel therapeutic compounds for treating flavivirus infections.
