Immuno-pathologie et immuno-modulations des maladies cardio-vasculaires
This team is co-directed by Giuseppina CALIGURI and Antonino NICOLETTI, and is part of the UMRS 1148 unit
PRESENTATION
The research in this team is devoted to study the multiple mechanisms through which the immune system
interacts with diseased vessels and we design new vascular-protective immunointervention strategies. Our research program relies on specific skills and tools: experimental animal models, tissue biobank, (immuno-)histology, and up-to-date flow cytometry core.
In the recent years, we have:
- Identified the CD31 as a molecule of pacification of the blood-vessel interface and have brought the proof of concept of its therapeutic potential;
- Deciphered local immune responses around atherothrombotic vessels and defined novel pathogenic immune pathways in the advanced stages of atherothrombotic disease;
- Targeted the neutrophils and their molecular effectors in stroke.
Our current major research focuses are:
- To suppress adverse vascular effects of reperfusion in brain, heart, intestine, and lungs;
- To evaluate new immune-related pathways and immunointervention strategies;
- To investigate the causal link between atherothrombosis and periodontal diseases;
- To evaluate the role of CD31 in transplantation;
- To discover new cellular and molecular pathways leading to aortic valve calcification.