Research at IRCCS ISMETT is aligned with the National Health Research Program (PNRS), focusing on transplantation medicine and end-stage organ failure throughout the clinical continuum. Scientific activities are structured around the following research areas:
Linee di ricerca
Solid organ transplantation
Scientific Director
Dr. Alessandro Bertani
Research Line 1 focuses on the implementation of surgical procedures and machine perfusion technologies to expand the availability and improve the quality of transplantable solid organs. It also aims to develop cell-based therapies, including mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), regulatory T cells, regulatory macrophages, and tolerogenic dendritic cells, to enhance the immunocompatibility of transplanted organs and reduce the need for long-term immunosuppressive therapy.
The main research activities include:
- Development of normothermic and hypothermic machine perfusion techniques for the reconditioning of liver, lung, and heart grafts.
- Strategies for the prevention and treatment of ischemia-reperfusion injury through pharmacological therapies and regenerative medicine products.
- Innovative immunotherapies: isolation and activation of NK cells, monocytes, and cytotoxic T lymphocytes to promote organ tolerance and prevent infections.
Precision Medicine in Transplant Recipients and Patients with Advanced Organ Failure
Scientific Director
Dr. Ilaria Tarantino
Research Line 2 focuses on the pathophysiological, diagnostic, and therapeutic assessment of pre- and post-solid organ transplantation complications, as well as their clinical management. It includes the application of bioengineering technologies (including 3D printing and sensor-based technologies) and regenerative medicine approaches in patients with advanced chronic diseases, whether or not they are awaiting solid organ transplantation. The research line also encompasses the development and refinement of gastrointestinal endoscopy techniques, interventional radiology procedures for hepato-bilio-pancreatic diseases, and “endo-hepatology” methodologies.
The main research activities include:
- Molecular profiling of hepatocarcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.
- Analysis of biomarkers and computational imaging for aortic aneurysms and valvular heart diseases.
- Studies on immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in transplant recipients.
- Precision oncology protocols (clinical platform for Central and Southern Italian regions).
- Development of predictive algorithms and in silico models for bioengineered heart valves (SimInSitu).
- Projects focused on advanced diagnostics and molecular imaging.
- Studies on post-transplant infectious complications, including multidrug-resistant bacteria, HHV-8, and post-transplant viruses.
Chronic Diseases Leading to End-Stage Organ Failure
Scientific Manager
Dr. Giusy Ranucci
Research Line 3 is focused on advancing knowledge of the pathophysiology of tissue fibro-inflammatory processes (heart and vessels, lung, liver and biliary tract, pancreas) and rare hepatobiliary diseases in pediatric patients, with the aim of identifying diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets. This research line employs omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) and advanced in vitro models (3D cultures and organoids), combined with bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, and computational modeling approaches.
The main research activities include:
- Studies on pulmonary hypertension and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, including clinical trials evaluating new therapeutic agents.
- Minimally invasive thoracic approaches (VATS) and advanced cardiac surgery.
- Research on neurological complications (cognitive decline and disorders of consciousness) in patients with severe solid organ failure, including the development of rehabilitation protocols.
- Regenerative medicine: characterization of mesenchymal stem cells, exosomes, and miRNAs for cell-free therapeutic approaches.
