International PhD Course in Molecular Medicine

Curriculum Vitae, Barboni Piero

Research Activity

Dr. Ferrara worked in cancer research since 2016, when he won a clinical and translational fellowship at Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus. From 2016 to 2018, he coordinated a large (>400 pts, 8 institutions) retrospective study which described for the first time hyperprogressive disease (HPD) in lung cancer patients treated with immunotherapy. In 2017, he started a translational Immune-Oncology fellowship at Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus and he identified circulating T-cell senescence as a novel predictive biomarker of progression upon immunotherapy in NSCLC pts. In 2018, he moved to the Thoracic Oncology Unit of the National Cancer Institute in Milan. Since 2018, he started a PhD within The Open University program with a project about HPD biological predictors in lung cancer. Thanks to the preliminary results of this project, Dr. Ferrara won the 2019 IASLC Young Investigator Award, the 2019 ASCO Merit Award, the 2021 World Immunotherapy Cancer Young Investigator Award and recently the 2023 AACR Pezcoller Scholar in Training Award.

In January 2023, Dr. Ferrara moved from National Cancer Institute to Università Vita e Salute San Raffaele, where he was appointed as academic researcher in medical oncology. Thanks to his previous translational experiences, he has acquired the ability to handle human blood samples, perform flow cytometry analysis, plasma factors measurement, ex vivo cultures from human tissues. Dr. Ferrara is a member of several scientific societies, faculty board member of ESMO non metastatic non-small cell lung cancer Committee and ESMO MCBS Working Group, member of EORTC. He is also a panelist for the Italian society of medical oncology (AIOM) Lung Cancer Guideline Committee. Dr. Ferrara is author of >90 publications on international peer reviewed journals, receiving > 4.200 citations, H-index: 28 (Scopus, June 2023).

 

Curriculum vitae

Education

•         2005-2011. Doctor of Medicine and Surgery. University of Naples Federico II. Bachelor degree thesis titled: “Novel strategies of m-TOR inhibition in human models of renal cell carcinoma”. Final score: 110 cum laude.

•       2012-2017. Specialization in Medical Oncology. University of Verona. Specialization thesis titled: “Hyperprogressive disease in NSCLC patients treated with PD-(L)-1 inhibitors: a new pattern of progression correlating with poor survival”. Final score 70 cum laude/70

•       2016-2017. Diplôme Universitaire Européen de Recherche Transationnelle Et Clinique en Cancérologie” DUERTECC. University of Paris Saclay, Paris, France. DUERTECC diploma with final grade of 88.6/90. Principal investigator of a prospective study (“HERITAGE”): T-cell lymphocytes immune senescence as a predictive biomarker for advanced lung cancer patients treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors

•       2018-2023 Phd in Molecular Immunology (Open University Program- Cambridge). Phd project Hyperbolic: HYPERBOLIC: HYPER-progression Biological Outlines in advanced Lung cancer upon Immune Checkpoints blockade.            

Professional experience

•         2012-2017 M.D. resident in Medical Oncology University of Verona

•       2016-2017 Clinical Research Fellow at Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus. Thoracic Oncology Unit

•       2017-2018 Translational Research Fellow at Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus. Laboratory for Immunemonitoring in Oncology.

•       2018-2022. Medical Oncologist at Thoracic Oncology Unit, National Cancer Institute Milan

•       2018-2022. PhD fellow at Molecular Immunology Unit, National Cancer Institute Milan

•       2023-ongoing. Academic Researcher. University Vita e Salute San Raffaele

 

Recent GRANTS

April 2023. Winner of the AACR (American Association Cancer Research) – Pezcoller Award for the research: Circulating immature neutrophils early detect hyperprogressive disease upon first line immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients selecting best candidates for platinum-based chemotherapy and immunotherapy combinations.

November 2021. Winner of SITC - World Immunotherapy Council Young Investigator Award for the research: “Hyperprogressive disease in cancer patients: the dark side of immune checkpoint blockade”

April 2019: Winner of ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) 2019 Merit Award for the research: “Fast-Progression (FP), Hyper-Progression (HPD) and Early Deaths (ED) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (pts) upon PD-(L)-1 blockade (IO)”. Presented at ASCO 2019

April 2019:  Winner of IASLC (International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer) Foundation Young Investigator Award 2019 for the project “ HYPERBOLIC: HYPER-progression Biological Outlines in advanced Lung cancer upon Immune Checkpoints blockade”. The project is focused on identification of biological and immunological mechanism of hyperprogressive disease in NSCLC.”

December 2018: Winner of the prize ”Grandangolo in Oncologia 2018 Fondazione Federico Calabresi Onlus” for the paper published ”Hyperprogressive Disease in Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors or With Single-Agent Chemotherapy” (Jama Oncology published online 6 Sept 2018).

November 2017: Winner of FONICAP (Forza Operativa Nazionale Interdisclipinare contro il Cancro del Polmone) Award for the research: ”Hyperprogressive disease is frequent in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with anti PD-1/PD-L1 agents and predicts por survival”

 

Publications

H-index (according to Scopus June 2023): 28; total documents: 94 (from 2015 to 2023), as first or co-first, last or co-last author or corresponding (*): 27, 4255 citations (by 3384 documents)

1. The Anti-Programmed Cell Death Protein-1/ Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Me-Too Drugs Tsunami: Hard To Be Millennials   Among Baby Boomers. Ferrara R, Ricciuti B, Ambrogio C, Trapani D. J Thorac Oncol. 2023 Jan;18(1):17-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2022.11.001.
2.  *Eating away T-cells response in lung cancer. Ferrara R*, Roz L. J Exp Med. 2022 Dec 5;219(12):e20221449. doi: 10.1084/jem.20221449. 
3. Real-world data to build explainable trustworthy artificial intelligence models for prediction of immunotherapy efficacy in NSCLC patients. Prelaj A, Galli EG, Miskovic V, Pesenti M, Viscardi G, Pedica B, Mazzeo L, Bottiglieri A, Provenzano L, Spagnoletti A, Marinacci R, De Toma A, Proto C, Ferrara R, Brambilla M, Occhipinti M, Manglaviti S, Galli G, Signorelli D, Giani C, Beninato T, Pircher CC, Rametta A, Kosta S, Zanitti M, Di Mauro MR, Rinaldi A, Di Gregorio S, Antonia M, Garassino MC, de Braud FGM, Restelli M, Lo Russo G, Ganzinelli M, Trovò F, Pedrocchi ALG. Front Oncol. 2023 Jan 23;12:1078822. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1078822
4. Brief Report: Canadian Cancer Trials Group IND.227: A Phase 2 Randomized Study of Pembrolizumab in Patients With Advanced Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (NCT02784171).  Piccirillo MC, Chu Q, Bradbury P, Tu W, Coschi CH, Grosso F, Florescu M, Mencoboni M, Goffin JR, Pagano M, Ciardiello F, Cecere FL, Vincent M, Ferrara R, Dawe DE, Hao D, Lee CW, Morabito A, Gridelli C, Cavanna L, Iqbal M, Blais N, Leighl NB, Wheatley-Price P, Tsao MS, Ugo F, El-Osta H, Gargiulo P, Gaudreau PO, Tu D, Sederias J, Brown-Walker P, Perrone F, Seymour L, Laurie SA. J Thorac Oncol. 2023 Jun;18(6):813-819. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2023.02.003.
5. STYLE (NCT03449173): A Phase 2 Trial of Sunitinib in Patients With Type B3 Thymoma or Thymic Carcinoma in Second and Further Lines. Proto C, Manglaviti S, Lo Russo G, Musca M, Galli G, Imbimbo M, Perrino M, Cordua N, Rulli E, Ballatore Z, Maso AD, Chella A, Sbrana A, Prelaj A, Ferrara R, Occhipinti M, Brambilla M, De Toma A, Mazzeo L, Beninato T, Signorelli D, Massa G, Greco FG, Calareso G, Miliziano D, Di Mauro RM, Mella G, Lucarelli A, Paggio A, Galli F, Torri V, de Braud FGM, Pasello G, Petrini I, Berardi R, Ganzinelli M, Garassino MC, Zucali PA. J Thorac Oncol. 2023 Apr 23:S1556-0864(23)00513-0.
6. PEOPLE (NCT03447678), a first-line phase II pembrolizumab trial, in negative and low PD-L1 advanced NSCLC: clinical outcomes and association with circulating immune biomarkers. Lo Russo G, Sgambelluri F, Prelaj A, Galli F, Manglaviti S, Bottiglieri A, Di Mauro RM, Ferrara R, Galli G, Signorelli D, De Toma A, Occhipinti M, Brambilla M, Rulli E, Triulzi T, Torelli T, Agnelli L, Brich S, Martinetti A, Dumitrascu AD, Torri V, Pruneri G, Fabbri A, de Braud F, Anichini A, Proto C, Ganzinelli M, Mortarini R, Garassino MC. ESMO Open. 2022 Dec;7(6):100645. doi: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100645.
7. *Comparative assessment of early mortality risk upon immune checkpoint inhibitors alone or in combination with other agents across solid malignancies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Viscardi G, Tralongo AC, Massari F, Lambertini M, Mollica V, Rizzo A, Comito F, Di Liello R, Alfieri S, Imbimbo M, Della Corte CM, Morgillo F, Simeon V, Lo Russo G, Proto C, Prelaj A, De Toma A, Galli G, Signorelli D, Ciardiello F, Remon J, Chaput N, Besse B, de Braud F, Garassino MC, Torri V, Cinquini M, Ferrara R*. Eur J Cancer. 2022 Oct 5;177:175-185. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.09.031.
8. RET-MAP: An International Multicenter Study on Clinicobiologic Features and Treatment Response in Patients With Lung Cancer Harboring a RET Fusion.  Aldea M, Marinello A, Duruisseaux M, Zrafi W, Conci N, Massa G, Metro G, Monnet I, Gomez Iranzo P, Tabbo F, Bria E, Guisier F, Vasseur D, Lindsay CR, Ponce-Aix S, Cousin S, Citarella F, Fallet V, Minatta JN, Eisert A, de Saint Basile H, Audigier-Valette C, Mezquita L, Calles A, Mountzios G, Tagliamento M, Remon Masip J, Raimbourg J, Terrisse S, Russo A, Cortinovis D, Rochigneux P, Pinato DJ, Cortellini A, Leonce C, Gazzah A, Ghigna MR, Ferrara R, Dall'Olio FG, Passiglia F, Ludovini V, Barlesi F, Felip E, Planchard D, Besse B. J Thorac Oncol. 2023 May;18(5):576-586. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2022.12.018.
9. RET rearrangements in non-small cell lung cancer: Evolving treatment landscape and future challenges. Servetto A, Esposito D, Ferrara R*, Signorelli D, Belli S, Napolitano F, Santaniello A, Ciciola P, Formisano L, Bianco R. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer. 2022 Nov;1877(6):188810. doi: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188810. Epub 2022 Oct 4.
10. Immunosenescence, inflammaging, and cancer immunotherapy efficacy. Rodriguez JE, Naigeon M, Goldschmidt V, Roulleaux Dugage M, Seknazi L, Danlos FX, Champiat S, Marabelle A, Michot JM, Massard C, Besse B, Ferrara R, Chaput N, Baldini C. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2022 Sep;22(9):915-926. doi: 10.1080/14737140.2022.2098718. Epub 2022 Jul 14.
11. Echocardiographic Screening for Rheumatic Heart Disease in a Ugandan Orphanage: Feasibility and Outcomes. Mapelli M, Zagni P, Calbi V, Fusini L, Twalib A, Ferrara R, Mattavelli I, Alberghina L, Salvioni E, Opira C, Kansiime J, Tamborini G, Pepi M, Agostoni P. Children (Basel). 2022 Sep 23;9(10):1451. doi: 10.3390/children9101451.
12. Circulating CD81-expressing extracellular vesicles as biomarkers of response for immune-checkpoint inhibitors in advanced NSCLC. Signorelli D, Ghidotti P, Proto C, Brambilla M, De Toma A, Ferrara R, Galli G, Ganzinelli M, Lorusso G, Prelaj A, Occhipinti M, Viscardi G, Capizzuto V, Pontis F, Petraroia I, Ferretti AM, Colombo MP, Torri V, Sozzi G, Garassino MC, Jachetti E, Fortunato O. Front Immunol. 2022 Sep 20;13:987639. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.987639. eCollection 2022.
13. Circulating Fatty Acid Profile as a Biomarker for Immunotherapy in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Galli G, Corsetto PA, Proto C, Lo Russo G, Ganzinelli M, Rulli E, Legramandi L, Morelli D, Ferrara R, Prelaj A, Signorelli D, De Toma A, Brambilla M, Occhipinti M, Manglaviti S, Boeri M, Martinetti A, Vingiani A, Colombo MP, Rizzo AM, Torri V, de Braud F, Sangaletti S, Sica A, Garassino MC. Clin Lung Cancer. 2022 Nov;23(7):e489-e499. doi: 10.1016/j.cllc.2022.07.010. Epub 2022 Jul 21.
14. Autoantibody positivity predicts severity of rheumatic immune-related adverse events to immune-checkpoint inhibitors Campochiaro C, Farina N, Tomelleri A, Ferrara R, Viola S, Lazzari C, De Luca G, Raggi D, Bulotta A, Matucci-Cerinic M, Necchi A, Garassino M, Gregorc V, Dagna L. Eur J Intern Med. 2022 Sep;103:95-99. doi: 10.1016/j.ejim.2022.07.005.
15. Adenosine pathway in NSCLC with molecular drivers: can oncogene addiction translate into immune addiction? Ferrara R*, Milani M., Garassino MC, Colombo MP, Sangaletti S. Journal Thoracic Oncology, March 2022, e35-e38.http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtho.2021.08.018
16. Adjuvant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for the treatment of people with resected stage I to III non-small-cell lung cancer and EGFR mutation. Occhipinti, M., Ferrara R*., Imbimbo, M., Simeon V, Fiscon G, Marchal C, Skoetz, N., Viscardi, G. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2022, 2022(3), CD015140
17. Machine Learning Using Real-World and Translational Data to Improve Treatment Selection for NSCLC Patients Treated with Immunotherapy.  Prelaj A, Boeri M, Robuschi A, Ferrara R, Proto C, Lo Russo G, Galli G, De Toma A, Brambilla M, Occhipinti M, Manglaviti S, Beninato T, Bottiglieri A, Massa G, Zattarin E, Gallucci R, Galli EG, Ganzinelli M, Sozzi G, de Braud FGM, Garassino MC, Restelli M, Pedrocchi ALG, Trovo' F. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Jan 16;14(2):435. doi: 10.3390/cancers14020435.
18. CD8+PD-1+ to CD4+PD-1+ ratio (PERLS) is associated with prognosis of patients with advanced NSCLC treated with PD-(L)1 blockers.  Duchemann B, Naigeon M, Auclin E, Ferrara R, Cassard L, Jouniaux JM, Boselli L, Grivel J, Desnoyer A, Danlos FX, Mezquita L, Caramella C, Marabelle A, Besse B, Chaput N. J Immunother Cancer. 2022 Feb;10(2):e004012. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004012.
19. Shifting From a "One Size Fits All" to a Tailored Approach for Immune-Related Adverse Events. Ferrara R, Campochiaro C, Garassino MC. J Thorac Oncol. 2021 Feb;16(2):183-186. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2020.11.029
20. Modulation of PD-1/PD-L1 axis in myeloid-derived suppressor cells by anti-cancer treatments. Jachetti E, Sangaletti S, Chiodoni C, Ferrara R, Colombo MP. Cell Immunol. 2021 Apr;362:104301. doi: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2021.104301.
21. Myeloid cell heterogeneity in lung cancer: implication for immunotherapy. Sangaletti S. Ferrara R*, Tripodo C, Garassino MC, Colombo MP. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021 Sep, 70(9);2429-2438. doi: 10.10007/s00262-021-02916-5
22. Uncommon targets in non-small cell lung cancer: Everyone wants a slice of cake.  De Toma A, Lo Russo G, Signorelli D, Pagani F, Randon G, Galli G, Prelaj A, Ferrara R, Proto C, Ganzinelli M, Zilembo N, de Braud F, Garassino MC. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2021 Apr; 160:103299. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2021
23. Immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy in first-line NSCLC: a meta-analysis. Petrelli F, Ferrara R*, Signorelli D, Ghidini A, Proto C, Roudi R, Sabet MN, Facelli S, Garassino MC, Luciani A, Roviello G. Immunotherapy. 2021 May;13(7):621-631. doi: 10.2217/imt-2020-0224.
24. Genomics and Immunomics in the Treatment of Urothelial Carcinoma. Mollica V, Massari F, Rizzo A, Ferrara R, Menta AJ, Adashek JJ. Current Oncology 2022, Doi Number:10.3390/curroncol29050283, in press
25. The challenge of the Molecular Tumor Board empowerment in clinical oncology practice: A Position Paper on behalf of the AIOM- SIAPEC/IAP-SIBioC-SIC-SIF-SIGU-SIRM Italian Scientific Societies. Russo A, Incorvaia L, Capoluongo E, Tagliaferri P, Galvano A, Del Re M, Malapelle U, Chiari R, Conte P, Danesi R, Fassan M, Ferrara R, Genuardi M, Ghiorzo P, Gori S, Guadagni F, Marchetti A, Marchetti P, Midiri M, Normanno N, Passiglia F, Pinto C, Silvestris N, Tallini G, Vatrano S, Vincenzi B, Cinieri S, Beretta G. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2021 Dec 8;169:103567. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2021.103567. Online ahead of print.
26. Beyond First-Line Immunotherapy: Potential Therapeutic Strategies Based on Different Pattern Progressions: Oligo and Systemic Progression. Prelaj A, Pircher CC, Massa G, Martelli V, Corrao G, Lo Russo G, Proto C, Ferrara R, Galli G, De Toma A, Genova C, Jereczek-Fossa BA, Braud F, Garassino MC, Rebuzzi SE. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Mar 15;13(6):1300. doi: 10.3390/cancers13061300
27. OncoAlert Round Table Discussions: The Global COVID-19 Experience. Morgan G, de Azambuja E, Punie K, Ades F, Heinrich K, Personeni N, Rahme R, Ferrara R, Pels K, Garassino M, von Bergwelt-Baildon M, Lopes G, Barlesi F, Choueiri TK, Burris H, Peters S. JCO Glob Oncol. 2021 Apr;7:455-463. doi: 10.1200/GO.20.00603.
28. Poziotinib for EGFR and HER2 exon 20 insertion mutation in advanced NSCLC: Results from the expanded access program. Prelaj A, Bottiglieri A, Proto C, Lo Russo G, Signorelli D, Ferrara R, Galli G, De Toma A, Viscardi G, Brambilla M, Lobefaro R, Nichetti F, Manglaviti S, Occhipinti M, Labianca A, Ganzinelli M, Gallucci R, Zilembo N, Greco GF, Torri V, de Braud F, Garassino MC. Eur J Cancer. 221 May;149:235-248. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.02.038.
29.  Evaluation of Drug-Drug Interactions in EGFR-Mutated Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients during Treatment with Tyrosine-Kinase Inhibitors. Occhipinti M, Brambilla M, Galli G, Manglaviti S, Giammaruco M, Prelaj A, Ferrara R, De Toma A, Proto C, Beninato T, Zattarin E, Lo Russo G, Gelibter AJ, Simmaco M, Preissner R, Garassino MC, De Braud F, Marchetti P. J Pers Med. 2021 May 18;11(5):424. doi: 10.3390/jpm11050424.
30. Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With Uncommon Histology. Manglaviti S, Brambilla M, Signorelli D, Ferrara R, Lo Russo G, Proto C, Galli G, De Toma A, Occhipinti M, Viscardi G, Beninato T, Zattarin E, Bini M, Lobefaro R, Massa G, Bottiglieri A, Apollonio G, Sottotetti E, Di Mauro RM, Trevisan B, Ganzinelli M, Fabbri A, de Braud FGM, Garassino MC, Prelaj A. Clin Lung Cancer. 2021 Jul 5:S1525-7304(21)00180-7. doi: 10.1016/j.cllc.2021.06.013.
31. Benefits and Harms of Lung Cancer Screening by Chest Computed Tomography: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Passiglia F, Cinquini M, Bertolaccini L, Del Re M, Facchinetti F, Ferrara R, Franchina T, Larici AR, Malapelle U, Menis J, Passaro A, Pilotto S, Ramella S, Rossi G, Trisolini R, Novello S. J Clin Oncol. 2021 Aug 10;39(23):2574-2585. doi: 10.1200/JCO.20.02574.
32. Tocilizumab for the treatment of immune-related adverse events: a systematic literature review and a multicentre case series. Campochiaro C, Farina N, Tomelleri A, Ferrara R, Lazzari C, De Luca G, Alessandra B, Signorelli D, Palmisano A, Vignale D, Peretto G, Sala S, Esposito A, Garassino M, Gregorc V, Dagna L. Eur J Intern Med. 2021 Aug 11:S0953-6205(21)00266-1. doi: 10.1016/j.ejim.2021.07.016
33. Single or combined immune checkpoint inhibitors compared to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab for people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.  Ferrara R, Imbimbo M, Malouf R, Paget-Bailly S, Calais F, Marchal C, Westeel V. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Dec 14;12:CD013257. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013257.pub2.
34. Comparison of Fast-Progression, Hyperprogressive Disease, and Early Deaths in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors or Chemotherapy. Ferrara R, Mezquita L, Texier M, Lahmar J, Audigier-Valette C, Tessonnier L, Mazieres J, Zalcman G, Brosseau S, Le Moulec S, Leroy L, Duchemann B, Lefebvre C, Veillon R, Westeel V, Koscielny S, Champiat S, Ferté C, Planchard D, Remon J, Boucher ME, Gazzah A, Adam J, Bria E, Tortora G, Soria JC, Besse B, Caramella C.et al. DOI: 10.1200/PO.20.00021 JCO Precision Oncology no. 4 (2020) 829-840. Published online July 20, 2020.
35. Clarification of Definitions of Hyperprogressive Disease During Immunotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.  Kas B, Talbot H, Ferrara R, Richard C, Lamarque JP, Pitre-Champagnat S, Planchard D, Balleyguier C, Besse B, Mezquita L, Lassau N, Caramella C. JAMA Oncol. 2020 Jul 1;6(7):1039-1046. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.1634.  
36. Clarification of Definitions of Hyperprogressive Disease During Immunotherapy-Reply. Caramella C, Ferrara R, Besse B. JAMA Oncol. 2020 Nov 19. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.5591.
37. Hyperprogressive Disease in Patients With Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors or With Single-Agent Chemotherapy. Ferrara R, Mezquita L, Texier M, Lahmar J, Audigier-Valette C, Tessonnier L, Mazieres J, Zalcman G, Brosseau S, Le Moulec S, Leroy L, Duchemann B, Lefebvre C, Veillon R, Westeel V, Koscielny S, Champiat S, Ferté C, Planchard D, Remon J, Boucher ME, Gazzah A, Adam J, Bria E, Tortora G, Soria JC, Besse B, Caramella C.et al. JAMA Oncol. Published online September 06, 2018. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.3676.
38.  Hyperprogression-Immunotherapy-Related Phenomenon vs Intrinsic Natural History of Cancer-In Reply. Ferrara R, Caramella C, Besse B. JAMA Oncol. 2019 Mar 21. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.0138.
39. Hyperprogressive disease: recognizing a novel pattern to improve patient management. Champiat S, Ferrara R, Massard C, Besse B, Marabelle A, Soria JC, Ferté C. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2018 Oct 25. doi: 10.1038/s41571-018-0111-2
40. Pseudoprogression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer upon Immunotherapy: Few Drops in the Ocean? Ferrara R, Caramella C, Besse B, Champiat S. J Thorac Oncol. 2019 Mar;14(3):328-331. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2018.12.011
41. * How to recognize and manage hyper-progression and pseudo-progression during immune checkpoint blockade in non-small cell lung cancer. Facchinetti F, Lo Russo G, Tiseo M, Garassino MC, Ferrara R. Precis Cancer Med 2019;2:35. doi: 10.21037/pcm.2019.10.03
42. Atypical patterns of response and progression in the era of immunotherapy combinations. Ferrara R, Matos I. Future Oncol. 2020 Aug;16(23):1707-1713. doi: 10.2217/fon-2020-0186. Epub 2020 Jul 20.
43.  Novel patterns of progression upon immunotherapy in other thoracic malignancies and uncommon populations. Ferrara R, Signorelli D, Proto C, Prelaj A, Garassino MC, Lo Russo G. Transl Lung Cancer Res 2020 doi:10.21037/tlcr-20-636.
44.  Hyperprogressive Disease upon Immune Checkpoint Blockade: Focus on Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.  Lo Russo G, Facchinetti F, Tiseo M, Garassino MC, Ferrara R. Curr Oncol Rep . 2020 Apr 16;22(5):41. doi: 10.1007/s11912-020-00908-9.
45. Hyperprogression and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Hype or Progress? Adashek JJ, Kato S, Ferrara R, Lo Russo G, Kurzrock R. Oncologist. 2019 Nov 20. pii: theoncologist.2019-0636. doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2019-0636
46. Is hyperprogressive disease a specific phenomenom of immunotherapy? Brambilla M, Lo Russo G, Ferrara R, Manglaviti S, Garassino MC, Occhipinti M Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2020;1:427-33. | https://doi.org/10.37349/etat.2020.00027
47. Circulating T-cell Immunosenescence in Patients with Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Single-agent PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors or Platinum-based Chemotherapy. Ferrara R, Naigeon M, Auclin E, Duchemann B, Cassard L, Jouniaux JM, Boselli L, Grivel J, Desnoyer A, Mezquita L, Texier M, Caramella C, Hendriks L, Planchard D, Remon J, Sangaletti S, Proto C, Garassino MC, Soria JC, Marabelle A, Voisin AL, Farhane S, Besse B, Chaput N. Clin Cancer Res. 2020 Sep 4. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-1420. Online ahead of print.
48. Immunosenescence and immunecheckpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer patients: Does age really matter? Ferrara R, Mezquita L, Auclin E, Chaput N, Besse B. Cancer Treat Rev. 2017 Nov;60:60-68. doi: 28.1016/j.ctrv.2017.08.003
49. Anti-CTLA-4 immunotherapy does not deplete FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in human cancers-Letter. Ferrara R, Susini S, Marabelle A. Clin Cancer Res. 2018 Dec 4. pii: clincanres.3740.2018. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-18-3740
50.  Choosing wisely first line immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): what to add and what to leave out. Proto C, Ferrara R*, Signorelli D, Lo Russo G, Galli G, Imbimbo M, Prelaj A, Zilembo N, Ganzinelli M, Pallavicini LM, De Simone I, Colombo MP, Sica A, Torri V, Garassino MC. Cancer Treat Rev. 2019 Mar 28;75:39-51. doi: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2019.03.00
51.  Progress in the Management of Advanced Thoracic Malignancies in 2017. Ferrara R, Mezquita L, Besse B. J Thorac Oncol. 2018 Jan 10. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2018.01.002.
52. Circulating innate immune markers and outcomes in treatment-naïve advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients. Charrier M, Mezquita L, Lueza B, Dupraz L, Planchard D, Remon J, Caramella C, Cassard L, Boselli L, Reiners KS, Pogge von Strandmann E, Rusakiewicz S, Ferrara R, Duchemann B, Naigeon M, Pignon JP, Besse B, Chaput N. Eur J Cancer. 2019 Feb;108:88-96. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2018.12.017
53. Outcome of Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Brain Metastases Treated with Checkpoint Inhibitors. Hendriks LEL, Henon C, Auclin E, Mezquita L, Ferrara R, Audigier-Valette C, Mazieres J, Lefebvre C, Rabeau A, Le Moulec S, Cousin S, Duchemann B, le Pechoux C, Botticella A, Ammari S, Gazzah A, Caramella C, Adam J, Lechapt E, Planchard D, De Ruysscher D, Dingemans AM, Besse B. J Thorac Oncol. 2019 Feb 16. pii: S1556-0864(19)30117-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2019.02.009.
54. Survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer having leptomeningeal metastases treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Hendriks LEL, Bootsma G, Mourlanette J, Henon C, Mezquita L, Ferrara R, Audigier-Valette C, Mazieres J, Lefebvre C, Duchemann B, Cousin S, le Pechoux C, Botticella A, De Ruysscher D, Dingemans AC, Besse B. Eur J Cancer. 2019 Jun 13;116:182-189. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2019.05.019.
55. Wide and cystic brain metastases reveal RET-Rearranged Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers. Facchinetti F, Bozzetti F, Gnetti L, Minari R, Crafa P, Rebuzzi SE, Ferrara R, Gruppioni E, Capizzi E, Giombelli E, Crisi G, Altimari A, Tiseo M. DOI: 10.1200/PO.19.00073 JCO Precision Oncology - published online June 27, 2019
56.  Clinical and Translational Implications of RET Rearrangements in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Ferrara R, Auger N, Auclin E, Besse B. J Thorac Oncol. 2018 Jan;13(1):27-45. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2017.10.021. 
57. SMO mutations confer poor prognosis in malignant pleural mesothelioma. Signorelli D, Proto C, Botta L, Trama A, Tiseo M, Pasello G, Lo Russo G, Fabbri A, Imbimbo M, Busico A, Prelaj A, Ferrara R, Galli G, De Toma A, Tamborini E, Pastorino U, de Braud F, Gatta G, Garassino MC, Ganzinelli M. Transl Lung Cancer Res. 2020 Oct;9(5):1940-1951
58. Modulation of peripheral blood immune cells by early use of steroids and its association with clinical outcomes in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Fucà G, Galli G, Poggi M, Lo Russo G, Proto C, Imbimbo M, Ferrara R, Zilembo N, Ganzinelli M, Sica A, Torri V, Colombo MP, Vernieri C, Balsari A, de Braud F, Garassino MC, Signorelli D. ESMO Open. 2019 Feb 27;4(1):e000457
59. Facing the first line in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer – Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy. De Toma A, Lo Russo G, Signorelli D, Ferrara R, Prelaj A, Galli G, Viscardi G, Trevisan B, Ganzinelli M, Zilembo N, de Braud F, Garassino MC, Proto C. European Oncology & Haematology. 2020;16(1):39-43 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17925/EOH.2020.16.1.39
60. Impact of Intercurrent Introduction of Steroids on Clinical Outcomes in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Patients under Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICI). De Giglio A, Mezquita L, Auclin E, Blanc-Durand F, Riudavets M, Caramella C, Martinez G, Benitez JC, Martín-Romano P, El-Amarti L, Hendriks L, Ferrara R, Naltet C, Lavaud P, Gazzah A, Adam J, Planchard D, Chaput N, Besse B. Cancers (Basel). 2020 Sep 30;12(10):2827. doi: 10.3390/cancers12102827.
61. Immune checkpoint inhibitors versus second line chemotherapy for patients with lung cancer refractory to first line chemotherapy.  Lefebvre C, Martin E, Hendriks LEL, Veillon R, Puisset F, Mezquita L, Ferrara R, Sabatier M, Filleron T, Dingemans AC, Besse B, Raherisson C, Mazières J. Respir Med Res. 2020 Aug 28;78:100788. doi: 10.1016/j.resmer.2020.100788. Online ahead of print.
62. Integrating Circulating Biomarkers in the Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment in Lung Cancer. Duchemannn B, Remon J , Naigeon M, Mezquita L, Ferrara R, Cassard L, Jouniauxx JM, Boselli L, Grivel J, Auclin E, Desnoyer A, Besse B, Chaput N. Cancers (Basel) . 2020 Dec 3;12(12):3625. doi: 10.3390/cancers12123625.
63. Immunotherapy in advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer patients with poor performance status: the role of clinical-pathological variables and inflammatory biomarkers. Lobefaro R, Viscardi G, Di Liello R, Massa G, Iacovino ML, Sparano F, Della Corte CM, Ferrara R, Signorelli D, Proto C, Prelaj A, Galli G, De Toma A, Brambilla M, Ganzinelli M, Trevisan B, Ciardiello F, de Braud F,  Morgillo F, Garassino MC, Lo Russo G. Lung Cancer (2020), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lungcan.2020.12.027
64. Integrating clinical and biological prognostic biomarkers in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with immunotherapy: the DEMo score system.  Prelaj A, Proto C, Lo Russo G, Signorelli D, Ferrara R, Mensah M, Galli G, De Toma A, Viscardi G, Brambilla M, Lobefaro R, Trevisan B, Trovò F, Torri V, Sozzi G, Garassino MC, Boeri M. Transl Lung Cancer Res. 2020 Jun;9(3):617-628. doi: 10.21037/tlcr-20-231
65.  DiM: Prognostic Score for Second- or Further-line Immunotherapy in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: An External Validation. Prelaj A, Lo Russo G, Proto C, Signorelli D, Ferrara R, Galli G, De Toma A, Randon G, Pagani F, Trevisan B, Ganzinelli M, Zilembo N, Montrone M, Longo V, Pesola F, Pizzutilo P, Del Bene G, Varesano N, Galetta D, Torri V, Garassino MC, Di Maio M, Catino A. Clin Lung Cancer. 2020 Mar 7:S1525-7304(20)30005-X. doi: 10.1016/j.cllc.2020.01.005.
66. Cancer care during the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Italy: young oncologists' perspective. Lambertini M, Toss A, Passaro A, Criscitiello C, Cremolini C, Cardone C, Loupakis F, Viscardi G, Meattini I, Dieci MV, Ferrara R, Giusti R, Maio MD. ESMO Open. 2020 Mar;5(2):e000759. doi: 10.1136/esmoopen-2020-000759.
67. Stereotatic radiotherapy in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: Combining immunotherapy and radiotherapy with a focus on liver metastases. Corrao G, Marvaso G, Ferrara R, Lo Russo G, Gugliandolo SG, Piperno G, Spaggiari L, De Marinis F, Orecchia R, Garassino MC, Jereczek-Fossa BA. Lung Cancer. 2020 Apr;142:70-79. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2020.02.017.
68. ) Diagnosis and treatment of early and locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: The 2019 AIOM (Italian Association of Medical Oncology) clinical practice guidelines. Passiglia F, Bertolaccini L, Del Re M, Facchinetti F, Ferrara R, Franchina T, Malapelle U, Menis J, Passaro A, Pilotto S, Ramella S, Rossi G, Trisolini R, Novello S. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2020 Apr;148:102862. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2019.102862.
69. Treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: The 2019 AIOM (Italian Association of Medical Oncology) clinical practice guidelines. Passiglia F, Pilotto S, Facchinetti F, Bertolaccini L, Del Re M, Ferrara R, Franchina T, Malapelle U, Menis J, Passaro A, Ramella S, Rossi G, Trisolini R, Novello S. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2019 Dec 28;146:102858. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2019.102858
70. Is There an Interplay between Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Thromboprophylactic Treatments and Thromboembolic Events? Mechanisms and Impact in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients. Nichetti F, Ligorio F, Zattarin E, Signorelli D, Prelaj A, Proto C, Galli G, Marra A, Apollonio G, Porcu L, de Braud F, Lo Russo G, Ferrara R, Garassino MC. Cancers (Basel). 2019 Dec 25;12(1). pii: E67. doi: 10.3390/cancers12010067.
71. EPSILoN: A Prognostic Score for Immunotherapy in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Validation Cohort. Prelaj A, Ferrara R, Rebuzzi SE, Proto C, Signorelli D, Galli G, De Toma A, Randon G, Pagani F, Viscardi G, Brambilla M, Trevisan B, Ganzinelli M, Martinetti A, Gallucci R, Di Mauro RM, Molino G, Zilembo N, Torri V, de Braud FM, Garassino MC, Lo Russo G. Cancers (Basel). 2019 Dec 5;11(12). pii: E1954. doi: 10.3390/cancers11121954.
72. Association of the prognostic model iSEND with PD-1/L1 monotherapy outcome in non-small-cell lung cancer. Park W, Mezquita L, Okabe N, Chae YK, Kwon D, Saravia D, Auclin E, Planchard D, Caramella C, Ferrara R, Agte S, Oh M, Mudad R, Jahanzeb M, Suzuki H, Besse B, Lopes G. Br J Cancer. 2020 Feb;122(3):340-347. doi: 10.1038/s41416-019-0643-y.
73. Efficacy and safety of immunotherapy in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Galli G, De Toma A, Pagani F, Randon G, Trevisan B, Prelaj A, Ferrara R, Proto C, Signorelli D, Ganzinelli M, Zilembo N, de Braud F, Garassino MC, Lo Russo G. Lung Cancer. 2019 Nov;137:38-42. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2019.08.030
74. The Prognostic Role of TNM Staging Compared With Tumor Volume and Number of Pleural Sites in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. Proto C, Signorelli D, Mallone S, Prelaj A, Lo Russo G, Imbimbo M, Galli G, Ferrara R, Ganzinelli M, Leuzzi G, Greco FG, Calareso G, Botta L, Gatta G, Garassino M, Trama A. Clin Lung Cancer. 2019 Nov;20(6):e652-e660. doi: 10.1016/j.cllc.2019.06.019
75. ) Characterization of patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer obtaining long-term benefit from immunotherapy. Galli G, Proto C, Signorelli D, Imbimbo M, Ferrara R, Prelaj A, De Toma A, Ganzinelli M, Zilembo N, de Braud F, Garassino MC, Lo Russo G. Future Oncol. 2019 Aug;15(23):2743-2757. doi: 10.2217/fon-2019-0055
76. Afatinib in patients with metastatic or recurrent HER2-mutant lung cancers: a retrospective international multicentre study. Lai WV, Lebas L, Barnes TA, Milia J, Ni A, Gautschi O, Peters S, Ferrara R, Plodkowski AJ, Kavanagh J, Sabari JK, Clarke SJ, Pavlakis N, Drilon A, Rudin CM, Arcila ME, Leighl NB, Shepherd FA, Kris MG, Mazières J, Li BT. Eur J Cancer. 2019 Jan 24;109:28-35. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2018.11.030
77. Predictive biomarkers of response for immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small-cell lung cancer. Prelaj A, Tay R, Ferrara R, Chaput N, Besse B, Califano R. Eur J Cancer. 2019 Jan;106:144-159. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2018.11.002
78. Impact of Baseline Steroids on Efficacy of Programmed Cell Death-1 and Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Blockade in Patients With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Arbour KC, Mezquita L, Long N, Rizvi H, Auclin E, Ni A, Martínez-Bernal G, Ferrara R, Lai WV, Hendriks LEL, Sabari JK, Caramella C, Plodkowski AJ, Halpenny D, Chaft JE, Planchard D, Riely GJ, Besse B, Hellmann MD. J Clin Oncol. 2018 Oct 1;36(28):2872-2878. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2018.79.0006.
79. Association of the Lung Immune Prognostic Index With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Outcomes in Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Mezquita L, Auclin E, Ferrara R, Charrier M, Remon J, Planchard D, Ponce S, Ares LP, Leroy L, Audigier-Valette C, Felip E, Zerón-Medina J, Garrido P, Brosseau S, Zalcman G, Mazieres J, Caramela C, Lahmar , Adam J, Chaput N, Soria JC, Besse B. JAMA Oncol. 2018 Jan 11. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2017.4771
80. Patterns of responses in metastatic NSCLC during PD-1 or PDL-1 inhibitor therapy: Comparison of RECIST 1.1, irRECIST and iRECIST criteria. Tazdait M, Mezquita L, Lahmar J, Ferrara R, Bidault F, Ammari S, Balleyguier C, Planchard D, Gazzah A, Soria JC, Marabelle A, Besse B, Caramella C. Eur J Cancer. 2018 Jan;88:38-47. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2017.10.017.
81. Do immune checkpoint inhibitors need new study methodology? Ferrara R, Pilotto S, Caccese M, Grizzi G, Sperduti I, Giannarrelli D, Milella M, Besse B, Tortora G, Bria E. J Thorac Dis 2018. doi: 10.21037/ jtd.2018.01.131.
82. The development of PARP as a successful target for cancer therapy. Ferrara R, Simionato F, Ciccarese C, Grego E, Cingarlini S, Iacovelli R, Bria E, Tortora G, Melisi D. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2018 Feb;18(2):161-175. doi: 10.1080/14737140.2018.141987
83. Prognostic value of histogram analysis in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a radiomic study. Blunghten MV, Faivre L, Rosellini S, Ferrara R, Facchinetti F, Haspinger E, Fertè C, Ammari S, Michiels S, Soria JC, Caramella C, Besse B.  Oncotarget 2018 Jan 5; 9(2): 1906–1914. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.22316
84. Lung neuroendocrine tumours: deep sequencing of the four World Health Organization histotypes reveals chromatin-remodelling genes as major players and a prognostic role for TERT, RB1, MEN1 and KMT2D. Simbolo M, Mafficini A, Sikora KO, Fassan M, Barbi S, Corbo V, Mastracci L, Rusev B, Grillo F, Vicentini C, Ferrara R, Pilotto S, Davini F, Pelosi G, Lawlor RT, Chilosi M, Tortora G, Bria E, Fontanini G, Volante M, Scarpa A. J Pathol. 2017 Mar;241(4):488-500. doi: 10.1002/path.4853.
85. Current and developing therapies for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with ALK abnormalities: update and perspectives for clinical practice. Caccese M, Ferrara R, Pilotto S, Carbognin L, Grizzi G, Caliò A, Brunelli M, Cuppone F, Petraglia S, Scarpa A, Tortora G, Bria E. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2016 Dec;17(17):2253-2266.
86.  ALK gene copy number gains in non-small-cell lung cancer: prognostic impact and clinico-pathological correlations. Peretti U, Ferrara R, Pilotto S, Kinspergher S, Caccese M, Santo A, Brunelli M, Caliò A, Carbognin L, Sperduti I, Garassino M, Chilosi M, Scarpa A, Tortora G, Bria E. Respir Res. 2016 Aug 25;17(1):105. doi: 10.1186/s12931-016-0422-8.
87.  Tubulin inhibitors in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: looking back and forward. Ferrara R, Pilotto S, Peretti U, Caccese M, Kinspergher S, Carbognin L, Karachaliou N, Rosell R, Tortora G, Bria E. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2016 Jun;17(8):1113-29. doi: 10.1517/14656566.2016.1157581
88. The coming of ramucirumab in the landscape of anti-angiogenic drugs: potential clinical and translational perspectives. Calvetti L, Pilotto S, Carbognin L, Ferrara R, Caccese M, Tortora G, Bria E. Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2015;15(9):1359-70. 
89.  Immune checkpoint inhibitors for non-small-cell lung cancer: does that represent a 'new frontier'? Pilotto S, Kinspergher S, Peretti U, Caliò A, Carbognin L, Ferrara R, Brunelli M, Scarpa A, Tortora G, Bria E. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2015;15(3):307-13
90.  An overview of angiogenesis inhibitors in Phase II studies for non-small-cell lung cancer. Pilotto S, Novello S, Peretti U, Kinspergher S, Ciuffreda L, Milella M, Carbognin L, Vavalà T, Ferrara R, Caccese M, Tortora G, Bria E.  Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2015;24(9):1143-61. doi: 10.1517/13543784.2015.1056341
91. Acquired hemophagocytic syndrome in a patient with synovial sarcoma:  a case report.  Ciccarese C., Ferrara R., Fantinel E., Zecchetto C., Simionato F., Grego E., Ortolani S., Caccese M., Bimbatti D., Cingarlini S., Brunelli M., Andreini A., Tortora G., Massari F. Future Science 2015 Nov 1;1(4): FSO29. doi: 10.4155/fso.15.27.
92. Adjuvant therapy for resected early stage small cell lung cancer: is now time to rethink about that? Ferrara R., Caccese M., Cuppone F., Bria E., Tortora G., Pilotto S. Transl Cancer Res 2016;5(Suppl 3):S462-S466. doi: 10.21037/tcr.2016.09.09. doi: 10.21037/tcr.2016.09.09
93. A Case of William's Syndrome in a Ugandan Child: A Feasible Diagnosis Even in a Low-Resource Setting. Mapelli M, Zagni P, Calbi V, Twalib A, Ferrara R, Agostoni PG. Children (Basel) . 2021 Dec 16;8(12):1192.  doi: 10.3390/children8121192.
94. Unexpected Huge Prevalence of Intracardiac Extension of Wilms Tumor—A Single Center Experience from a Ugandan Hospital. Mappelli M, Zagni P, Ferrara R, Calbi V, Mattavelli I, Muratori M, Kansiime J, Opira C, Agostoni P. Children 2002, 9, 743. doi: 10.3390/children9050743

Research Activity

Targeted therapies based on oncogenic driver alterations have improved the survival of cancer patients. However, heterogeneity of drug responses and emergence of resistance remain critical challenges in the field. Thus, there is a critical need to study the biology of these tumors to define better treatment strategies for subgroups of patients who do not benefit from standard therapy. My Laboratory mainly focuses on understanding the mechanisms that modulate therapeutic response in EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma. The goal of my research is to generate patient-derived models of lung adenocarcinoma to identify subsets of tumors that may need additional interventions. My team and I combine these unique systems with an innovative mouse model of EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma that enables to investigate the molecular and cellular changes that underlie cancer initiation, progression, and drug response within the tumor microenvironment. By correlating our findings with clinical data, we aim to uncover potential biomarkers of reduced therapeutic sensitivity to develop new strategies. Our close interaction with our clinical colleagues creates the potential for our findings to ultimately inform clinical trials towards a personalized medicine for patients with lung cancer.

Curriculum Vitae Giorgia Foggetti, PhD