Research areas and methodologies

  • Study of the immunological mechanisms associated with pain.
  • Study of cellular and molecular mechanisms in patients suffering from rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis) and type II diabetes.
  • Role of adipose tissue, adipokines and bioactive lipids in immune-mediated rheumatic diseases
  • Biomolecular mechanisms underlying fibrotic evolution during systemic sclerosis.
  • Mechanisms of angiogenic damage during systemic sclerosis and possible regenerative therapy with mesenchymal stem cells.
  • Design of a scleroderma skin model using 3Dbioprinting as a platform for the study of pathology and screening pharmacological.
  • Immunopathogenesis during Sjogren's syndrome.
  • Mechanisms of inflammatory and hyperinflammatory damage in patients affected by COVID19 and in hyperferritinemic syndromes.

Methodologies used

  • Primary cell cultures (lympho-monocytes, skin and synovial fibroblasts, macrophages, mesenchymal cells derived from adipose tissue, microglial cells)
  • Immortalized cell lines (SHSY5Y)
  • Flow cytometry
  • RNA sequencinging
  • Realtime PCR
  • Western Blot
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Immunofluorescence
  • Elisa

Collaborations with other Research Centers

  • International:
    • Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, KU Leuven, (BE)
    • William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London (UK)
    • Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds (UK)
    • Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Burmaingham (UK)
    • Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, University of California in San Diego (USA)
  • National:
    • National Research Council (CNR)
    • University of L'Aquila
    • University of Turin
    • The University of Pavia
    • Humanity University
    • Network of the Research Group in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology (GIRRCS)

LABORATORIES

  • “Laboratory 1” – Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

In the Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology laboratory, all the translational projects of the Research Unit are carried out. The main methodologies used are

  • Primary cell cultures (lympho-monocytes, skin and synovial fibroblasts, macrophages, mesenchymal cells derived from adipose tissue, microglial cells)
  • Immortalized cell lines (SH-SY5Y)
  • Flow cytometry
  • RNA sequencinging
  • Realtime PCR
  • Western Blot
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Immunofluorescence
  • Elisa