DEL ZOTTO , Genny

: The characterization of frequency and phenotypes of natural killer (NK) cells and T cells in BAL and peripheral blood of patients with sarcoidosis was evaluated, to discriminate the differential status of these cells in these two compartments. The analysis revealed that CD56brightCD16neg resulted higher in BAL than PB of sarcoidosis and...

NK cells play important roles in innate defenses against viruses and in the control of tumor growth and metastasis. The regulation/induction of NK cell function is mediated by an array of activating or inhibitory surface receptors. In humans, major activating receptors involved in target cell killing are the natural cytotoxicity receptors...

The identification of inhibitory NK cell receptors specific for HLA-I molecules (KIRs and NKG2A) provided the molecular basis for clarifying the mechanism by which NK cells kill transformed cells while sparing normal cells. The direct interactions between inhibitory NK cell receptors and their HLA-I ligands enable NK cells to distinguish...

Background: Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder caused by sporadic heterozygous mutations in ACVR1 gene which progressively leads to severe heterotopic ossification. FOP is characterized by episodic flare-ups triggered by different factors such as viral infections, tissue injuries, vaccinations, or occurring...

Natural killer (NK) cells, the most important effectors of the innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), play a fundamental role in tumor immune-surveillance, defense against viruses and, in general, in innate immune responses. NK cell activation is mediated by several activating receptors and co-receptors able to recognize ligands on virus-infected or...

Purpose: Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and failure of specific antibody production due to B-cell defects. However, studies have documented various T-cell abnormalities, potentially linked to viral complications. The frequency of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication in CVID cohorts is poorly...

Natural killer (NK) cells contribute to the first line of defense against viruses and to the control of tumor growth and metastasis spread. The discovery of HLA class I specific inhibitory receptors, primarily of killer Ig-like receptors (KIRs), and of activating receptors has been fundamental to unravel NK cell function and the molecular...

The release of soluble ligands of activating Natural Killer (NK) cell receptors may represent a regulatory mechanism of NK cell function both in physiologic and in pathologic conditions. Here, we identified the extracellular matrix protein Nidogen-1 (NID1) as a ligand of NKp44, an important activating receptor expressed by activated NK cells....

Polyvalent mechanical bacterial lysate is effective in the prevention of respiratory tract infections, although its mechanism of action is not entirely elucidated. Because epithelial cells constitute the frontline defense against infections, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of innate response exerted by bronchial epithelial cells in the...

Background: There is little information on the trajectory and developmental fate of Lin(-)CD34(+)DNAM-1(bright) CXCR4(+) progenitors exiting bone marrow during systemic inflammation. Objective: To study Lin(-)CD34(+)DNAM-1(bright) CXCR4(+) cell circulation in cancer patients, to characterize their entry into involved lung tissue and to...

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may result in a severe pneumonia associated with elevation of blood inflammatory parameters, reminiscent of cytokine storm syndrome. Steroidal anti-inflammatory therapies have shown efficacy in reducing mortality in critically ill patients; however, the mechanisms by which...

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (CI) have demonstrated clinical activity in Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) patients relapsing after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), although only 20% complete response (CR) rate was observed. The efficacy of CI is strictly related to the host immune competence, which is impaired in heavily pre-treated HL...

A cardinal feature of COVID-19 is lung inflammation and respiratory failure. In a prospective multi-country cohort of COVID-19 patients, we found that increased Notch4 expression on circulating regulatory T (Treg) cells was associated with disease severity, predicted mortality, and declined upon recovery. Deletion of Notch4 in Treg cells or...