Ungaro Federica RicercatoreMedicina

THE MICROBIOME IN IBD

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a multifaceted class of relapsing-remitting chronic inflammatory conditions where microbiota dysbiosis plays a key role during its onset and progression. The human microbiota is a rich community of bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists, and archaea, and is an integral part of the body influencing its overall homeostasis. Emerging evidence highlights also dysbiosis of the archaeome and mycobiome to influence the overall intestinal microbiota composition in health and disease, including IBD, although they remain some of the least understood components of the gut microbiota. Nonetheless, their ability to directly impact the other commensals, or the host, reasonably makes them important contributors to either the maintenance of the mucosal tissue physiology or to chronic intestinal inflammation development. Our group aims at the full understanding of intestinal dysbiosis during IBD pathogenesis, with the promise of paving the way to the discovery of novel mechanisms, finally providing innovative therapeutic targets that can soon implement the currently available treatments for IBD patients.

MACHINE LEARNING-DRIVEN IBD PATIENT STRATIFICATION

Currently available treatments for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, although overall beneficial, may lose effectiveness so that some patients experience disease relapse. The main reason for these failures is that IBD is a complex disease, where numerous biological functions exert integrated and complementary roles. Also, IBD patients are highly heterogeneous, displaying different clinical and molecular characteristics. To overcome this limitation, we recently released the IBD Transcriptome and Metatranscriptome Meta-Analysis (TaMMA) framework, a comprehensive survey of all publicly available IBD RNA-Seq datasets, through which the disease complexity may be unraveled. Our group currently aims to perform a system-level understanding of IBD, where patients will be stratified based on their specific molecular, finally making possible the therapeutic target prioritization based on specific patient signatures, eventually paving the way to tailored therapies for IBD.

RESOLUTION OF INFLAMMATION IN COLORECTAL CANCER

The intrinsic connection between inflammation and tumor promotion is well characterized and is a key pathogenic event in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). A small fraction of patients with CRC suffers from genetic predisposition, but environmental factors and chronic inflammation represent the major causes of intestinal carcinogenesis. Patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, have a high risk of developing colitis-associated CRC with poor prognoses. Whatever the cause, tumor-associated inflammation remains a crucial hallmark of CRC, where the co-occurrence of either intrinsic (cancer cells that trigger inflammation), or extrinsic (chronic inflammation that promotes cancer) processes promotes its development. Therefore, targeting cancer-associated inflammation may offer new avenues for cancer treatment. Anti-inflammatory drugs currently used for the treatment of patients with CRC show many adverse side effects that prompted researchers to propose the specialized pro-resolving mediators, derived from omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, as promoters of resolution of cancer-associated inflammation. Considering the direct connection between inflammation and cancer development that mutually impact each other, our group is currently looking at new metabolic routes that can promote the resolution of inflammation in CRC, opening new horizons for the treatment of tumor-associated inflammation.

EDUCATION

20014-04-17    Ph.D. Molecular Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele University, Milan (Italy)

2008-11-04           Master Degree Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Molecular Genetics, University of Bari, Italy, 110/110 cum laude

2006-10-04         Degree Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Bari, Italy, 110/110 cum laude

2003-07-20         High School Qualification Liceo Classico “Quinto Ennio”, Taranto, 100/100 cum laude

 CURRENT POSITION(S)

2021-to date         Research Group Leader, Experimental Gastroenterology Laboratory

Department of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy and Division of Immunology, San Raffaele Hospital, Italy, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele

PREVIOUS POSITIONS

2017 –2021          Post-doctoral researcher Department of Biomedical Sciences, ImmunoCenter, Hunimed, Italy

2014 – 2021         Post-doctoral researcher Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Immunopathology, Humanitas Clinical Institute, Milan (Italy)

2010 – 2014         Ph.D. student  Division of Neuroscience, Stem Cell and Neurogenesis Unit, San Raffaele Research Institute, Milan (Italy)

2012 – 2013         Visiting Ph.D. student, supervisor Dr. Tilo Kunath. Centre for Regenerative Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh (UK)

2008 – 2010         Post-graduate student, Division of Neuroscience, Stem Cell and Neurogenesis Unit, San Raffaele Research Institute, Milan (Italy)

 

AWARDS

2020                      Research prize for young researcher 2020-2022, Fondazione AMICI Italia Onlus

2019                                      Recognition as talented young researcher 2018, Humanitas Clinical and Research Institute

2017                       Recognition for scientific accomplishment as an early career investigator by Digestive Disease Week (DDW), Chicago 2017

 

Current grants:

-The gut virome as a trigger for IBD: from metagenomics to pathogenesis, Fondazione Cariplo, Italy, Principal Investigator (PI)

- The role of MFSD2A in the resolution of colorectal cancer-promoting inflammation: implications for innovative therapies, Italian Ministry of Health, PI

-The role of MFSD2A in the resolution of metastatic colorectal cancer-promoting inflammation: implications for innovative therapies, Fondazione AIRC, PI

- From Nature to Bedside- Algae Based Bio Compound for Prevention and Treatment of Inflammation, Pain and IBD (ALGAE4IBD), Horizon2020, WP leader.

- Evaluation of an anti-TREM-1 treatment on an ex vivo human intestinal model (TIME), sponsored by Inotrem, euros   PI

- Investigating roles of RIPK1 inhibitor for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), sponsored by Sanofi-Aventis, PI

Past supports

-Definition of IBD-associated Gut Virome via Next-Generation Sequencing: Novel Insights for Disease Onset and Treatments. ECCO grant, PI

-Tofacitinib-induced molecular mechanisms causing adverse effects in patients with ulcerative colitis by exploiting a multi-omic approach to predict the risk of colon malignancies, Pfizer Inspire program, PI

-IL-23-IL-17 immune axis and the intestinal epithelial barrier in IBD, sponsored by UCB, Project co-leader

- Anti-adhesion therapies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, sponsored by Shire-Takeda, Project leader

1. Massimino L., Bulbarelli A., Corsetto P.A., Milani C., Botto L., Farina F., Lamparelli L.A., Lonati E., Ungaro F., Maddipati K.R., Palestini P., Rizzo A.M., “LSEA Evaluation of Lipid Mediators of Inflammation in Lung and Cortex of Mice Exposed to Diesel Air Pollution”, Biomedicine (2022) IF 6.081 DOI 10.3390/biomedicines10030712 (PMID 35327517)
2. Valassina N., Brusco S. Salamone1 A., Serra L., , Luoni M., Giannelli S., Bido S., Massimino L., Ungaro F., Mazzara P.G., D’Adamo P., Lignani G., Broccoli V. and Colasante G.. “Scn1a gene reactivation after symptom onset rescues pathological phenotypes in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome”, Nat. Comm. (2021) IF 14.92. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27837-w (PMID 35013317)
3. Massimino L., Spanò S., Lamparelli L.A., Fuggetta D., Peyrin-Biroulet L., Sileri P., Danese S., D’Alessio S. and Ungaro F&. “Tofacitinib inhibits leukocyte trafficking across the intestinal endothelial barrier in a specific cohort of Ulcerative Colitis patients”, Infl. Bowel Dis. (2021), IF 5.325, DOI: 10.1093/ibd/izab349 (PMID 35032171).
4. Houshyar Y., Massimino L., Lamparelli L.A., Danese S. and Ungaro F&. “Going Beyond Bacteria: Uncovering the Role of Archaeome and Mycobiome in Inflammatory Bowel Disease”, Front. Physiol. (2021), IF 4.566 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.783295 (PMID not available yet).
5. D’Alessio S.*, Ungaro F.*, Noviello D., Lovisa S., Peyrin-Biroulet L. & Danese S. “Revisiting fibrosis in inflammatory bowel disease: the gut thickens”  Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol (2021). IF. 46.802 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-021-00543-0 (PMID: 34876680).
6. Massimino, L., Lamparelli, L.A., Houshyar, Y., D’Alessio S., Peyrin-Biroulet L., Vetrano S., Danese S. & Ungaro F&.  “The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Transcriptome and Metatranscriptome Meta-Analysis (IBD TaMMA) framework”. Nat Comput Sci 1, 511–515 (2021) DOI: 10.1038/s43588-021-00114-y (PMID not available yet).
7. Pizzocri M, Re F, Stanzani E, Formicola B, Tamborini M, Lauranzano E, Ungaro F, Rodighiero S, Francolini M, Gregori M, Perin A, DiMeco F, Masserini M, Matteoli M, Passoni L. “ Radiation and adjuvant drug-loaded liposomes target glioblastoma stem cells and trigger in-situ immune response.” Neurooncol Adv. (2021) IF. 10.091 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdab076 (PMID: 34377986).
8. Massimino L., Lovisa S., Lamparelli L.A., Danese S., Ungaro F&. “Gut eukaryotic virome in colorectal carcinogenesis: Is that a trigger?” Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal (2020) IF. 7.271 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.11.055. (PMID: 33363706)
9. Petti L., Rizzo G., Rubbino F., Elangovan S., Colombo P., Restelli S., Piontini A., Arena V., Carvello M., Romano B., Cavalleri T., Anselmo A., Ungaro F., D'Alessio S., Spinelli A., Stifter S., Grizzi F., Sgambato A., Danese S., Laghi L., Malesci A., Vetrano S. “Unveiling role of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 as a brake of epithelial stem cell proliferation and a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer”. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. (2020) IF. 11.16 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-020-01740-6 (33225975).
10. Ungaro F&, D'Alessio S, Danese S. “The Role of Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators in Colorectal Cancer-Associated Inflammation: Implications for Therapeutic Strategies.” Cancers (2020) IF. 6.639 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082060 (PMID: 32722560).
11. Ungaro F&, Massimino L, D'Alessio S, Danese S&. “The gut virome in inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis: From metagenomics to novel therapeutic approaches” United European Gastroenterol J (2019) IF. 4.623 DOI: 10.1177/2050640619876787. (PMID: 31662858).
12. Sammarco G, Shalaby M, Elangovan S, Petti L, Roda G, Restelli S, Arena V, Ungaro F, Fiorino G, Day AJ, D'Alessio S, Vetrano S. “Hyaluronan Accelerates Intestinal Mucosal Healing Through Interaction With TSG-6” Cells (2019) IF. 4.829 DOI: 10.3390/cells8091074 (PMID: 31547322).
13.  Ungaro F, Garlatti V, Massimino L, Spinelli A, Carvello M, Sacchi M, Spanò S, Colasante G, Valassina N, Vetrano S, Malesci A, Peyrin-Biroulet L, Danese S, D'Alessio S. “mTOR-Dependent Stimulation of IL20RA Orchestrates Immune Cell Trafficking Through Lymphatic Endothelium in Patients With Crohn's Disease” Cells (2019) IF. 4.829 DOI: 10.3390/cells8080924. (PMID: 31426584).
14. Tacconi C, Ungaro F, Correale C, Arena V, Massimino L, Detmar M, Spinelli A, Carvello M, Mazzone M, Oliveira A, Rubbino F, Garlatti V, Spanò S, Lugli E, Colombo F, Malesci A, Peyrin-Biroulet L, Vetrano S, Danese S, D'Alessio S “Activation of the VEGFC/VEGFR3 Pathway Induces Tumor Immune Escape in Colorectal Cancer” Cancer Research (2019) IF: 12.7 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-3657. (PMID: 31239267).
15. Romano B, Elangovan S, Erreni M, Emanuela S, Petti L, Kunderfranco P, Massimino L, Restelli S, Sinha S, Lucchetti D, Anselmo A, Colombo FS, Stravalaci M, Arena V, D'Alessio S, Ungaro F, Inforzato A, Izzo AA, Sgambato A, Day AJ, Vetrano S. “TNF-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) is a key regulator in switching stemness and biological properties of mesenchymal stem cells.” Stem Cells (2019) IF. 5.614 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3010 (PMID: 30942926)
16. Ungaro F., Colombo P, Massimino L, Ugolini GS, Correale C, Rasponi M, Garlatti V, Rubbino F, Tacconi C, Spaggiari P, Spinelli A, Carvello M, Sacchi M, Spanò S, Vetrano S, Malesci A, Peyrin-Biroulet L, Danese S, D'Alessio S. “Lymphatic endothelium contributes to colorectal cancer growth via the soluble matrisome component GDF11.” Int. J. Cancer (2019)  IF. 7.36 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32286 (PMID: 30889293)
17. Ungaro F., Massimino L., Furfaro F., Rimoldi V., Peyrin-Biroulet L., D’Alessio S., and Danese S. “Metagenomic analysis of intestinal mucosa revealed a specific eukaryotic gut virome signature in early-diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease” Gut Microbes (2018) IF 10.245 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2018.1511664. (PMID: 30252582)
18. Ungaro F., Rubbino F., Danese S., D’Alessio S. “Actors and Factors in the Resolution of Intestinal Inflammation: Lipid Mediators As a New Approach to Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel        Diseases.”        Front        Immunol. (2017) IF 10.245 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01331. (PMID: 29109724).
19. Ungaro F., Tacconi C., Massimino L., Corsetto P.A., Correale C., Fonteyne P., Piontini A., Garzarelli V., Calcaterra F., Della Bella S., Spinelli A., Carvello M., Rizzo A.M., Vetrano S., Petti L., Fiorino G., Furfaro F., Mavilio D., Maddipati K.R., Malesci A., Peyrin-Biroulet L., D'Alessio S., Danese S. “MFSD2A Promotes Endothelial Generation of Inflammation- Resolving  Lipid  Mediators  and  Reduces  Colitis  in  Mice.”  Gastroenterology (2017) IF 22.68 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.07.048. (PMID: 28827082).
20. Ungaro F., Tacconi C., D’Alessio S. “Beyond Intestinal Barrier: the blood endothelium as a second wall of defense against bacterial invasion” Gastroenterology (2016) IF 22.68 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2016.04.024. (PMID: 27140488).
21. Pellegrini, S., Ungaro, F., Mercalli, A., Melzi, R., Sebastiani, G., Dotta, F., Broccoli, V., Piemonti, L., Sordi, V. “Human induced pluripotent stem cells differentiate into insulin-producing cells able to engraft in vivo” Acta Diabetologica (2015) IF 4.28 DOI: 10.1007/s00592-015-0726-z. (PMID: 25733399).
22. Theka, I., Caiazzo, M., Dvoretskova, E., Leo, D., Ungaro, F., Curreli, S., Managò, F., Dell'Anno, M.T., Pezzoli,   G.,   Gainetdinov,   R.R.,   Dityatev,   A.,   Broccoli,   V.   “Rapid   generation   of   functional dopaminergic neurons from human induced pluripotent stem cells through a single-step procedure using cell lineage transcription factors” Stem Cells Translational Medicine (2013) IF 6.94 DOI: 10.5966/sctm.2012-0133. (PMID: 23658252).
23. Ricciardi, S., Ungaro, F., Hambrock, M., Rademacher, N., Stefanelli, G., Brambilla, D., Sessa, A., Magagnotti, C., Bachi, A., Giarda, E., Verpelli, C., Kilstrup-Nielsen, C., Sala, C., Kalscheuer, V.M., Broccoli, V. “CDKL5 ensures excitatory synapse stability by reinforcing NGL-1-PSD95 interaction in the postsynaptic compartment and is impaired in patient iPSC-derived neurons.” Nature Cell Biology (2012) IF 28,82 DOI: 10.1038/ncb2566. (PMID: 22922712).
24. Tedesco,  F.S.,  Gerli,  M.F.M.,  Perani,  L.,  Benedetti,  S.,  Ungaro,  F.,  Cassano,  M.,  Antonini,  S., Tagliafico, E., Artusi, V., Longa, E., Tonlorenzi, R., Ragazzi, M., Calderazzi, G., Hoshiya, H., Cappellari, O., Mora, M., Schoser, B., Schneiderat, P., Oshimura, M., Bottinelli, R., Sampaolesi, M., Torrente, Y., Broccoli, V., Cossu, G. “Transplantation of genetically corrected human iPSC-derived progenitors in mice with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy” Science Translational Medicine (2012)  IF 17.956 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3003541. (PMID: 22745439).
25. Di Stefano, B., Maffioletti, S.M., Gentner, B., Ungaro, F., Schira, G., Naldini, L., Broccoli, V. “A microRNA-based system for selecting and maintaining the pluripotent state in human induced pluripotent stem cells” Stem Cells (2011) IF 5.614 DOI: 10.1002/stem.726. (PMID: 21898693).
26. Di  Stefano,  B.,  Buecker,  C.,  Ungaro,  F.,  Prigione,  A.,  Chen,  H.-H.,  Welling,  M.,  Eijpe,  M., Mostoslavsky, G., Tesar, P., Adjaye, J., Geijsen, N., Broccoli, V. “An ES-Like pluripotent state in FGF- dependent murine iPS cells”   PLoS   ONE (2010) IF   3.24   DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0016092. (PMID: 21209851)

*These authors equally contributed to the work.

& Corresponding author

1. Massimino L., Bulbarelli A., Corsetto P.A., Milani C., Botto L., Farina F., Lamparelli L.A., Lonati E., Ungaro F., Maddipati K.R., Palestini P., Rizzo A.M., “LSEA Evaluation of Lipid Mediators of Inflammation in Lung and Cortex of Mice Exposed to Diesel Air Pollution”, Biomedicine (2022) IF 6.081 DOI 10.3390/biomedicines10030712 (PMID 35327517)
2. Valassina N., Brusco S. Salamone1 A., Serra L., , Luoni M., Giannelli S., Bido S., Massimino L., Ungaro F., Mazzara P.G., D’Adamo P., Lignani G., Broccoli V. and Colasante G.. “Scn1a gene reactivation after symptom onset rescues pathological phenotypes in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome”, Nat. Comm. (2021) IF 14.92. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27837-w (PMID 35013317)
3. Massimino L., Spanò S., Lamparelli L.A., Fuggetta D., Peyrin-Biroulet L., Sileri P., Danese S., D’Alessio S. and Ungaro F&. “Tofacitinib inhibits leukocyte trafficking across the intestinal endothelial barrier in a specific cohort of Ulcerative Colitis patients”, Infl. Bowel Dis. (2021), IF 5.325, DOI: 10.1093/ibd/izab349 (PMID 35032171).
4. Houshyar Y., Massimino L., Lamparelli L.A., Danese S. and Ungaro F&. “Going Beyond Bacteria: Uncovering the Role of Archaeome and Mycobiome in Inflammatory Bowel Disease”, Front. Physiol. (2021), IF 4.566 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.783295 (PMID not available yet).
5. D’Alessio S.*, Ungaro F.*, Noviello D., Lovisa S., Peyrin-Biroulet L. & Danese S. “Revisiting fibrosis in inflammatory bowel disease: the gut thickens”  Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol (2021). IF. 46.802 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-021-00543-0 (PMID: 34876680).
6. Massimino, L., Lamparelli, L.A., Houshyar, Y., D’Alessio S., Peyrin-Biroulet L., Vetrano S., Danese S. & Ungaro F&.  “The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Transcriptome and Metatranscriptome Meta-Analysis (IBD TaMMA) framework”. Nat Comput Sci 1, 511–515 (2021) DOI: 10.1038/s43588-021-00114-y (PMID not available yet).
7. Pizzocri M, Re F, Stanzani E, Formicola B, Tamborini M, Lauranzano E, Ungaro F, Rodighiero S, Francolini M, Gregori M, Perin A, DiMeco F, Masserini M, Matteoli M, Passoni L. “ Radiation and adjuvant drug-loaded liposomes target glioblastoma stem cells and trigger in-situ immune response.” Neurooncol Adv. (2021) IF. 10.091 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdab076 (PMID: 34377986).
8. Massimino L., Lovisa S., Lamparelli L.A., Danese S., Ungaro F&. “Gut eukaryotic virome in colorectal carcinogenesis: Is that a trigger?” Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal (2020) IF. 7.271 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.11.055. (PMID: 33363706)
9. Petti L., Rizzo G., Rubbino F., Elangovan S., Colombo P., Restelli S., Piontini A., Arena V., Carvello M., Romano B., Cavalleri T., Anselmo A., Ungaro F., D'Alessio S., Spinelli A., Stifter S., Grizzi F., Sgambato A., Danese S., Laghi L., Malesci A., Vetrano S. “Unveiling role of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 as a brake of epithelial stem cell proliferation and a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer”. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. (2020) IF. 11.16 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-020-01740-6 (33225975).
10. Ungaro F&, D'Alessio S, Danese S. “The Role of Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators in Colorectal Cancer-Associated Inflammation: Implications for Therapeutic Strategies.” Cancers (2020) IF. 6.639 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082060 (PMID: 32722560).
11. Ungaro F&, Massimino L, D'Alessio S, Danese S&. “The gut virome in inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis: From metagenomics to novel therapeutic approaches” United European Gastroenterol J (2019) IF. 4.623 DOI: 10.1177/2050640619876787. (PMID: 31662858).
12. Sammarco G, Shalaby M, Elangovan S, Petti L, Roda G, Restelli S, Arena V, Ungaro F, Fiorino G, Day AJ, D'Alessio S, Vetrano S. “Hyaluronan Accelerates Intestinal Mucosal Healing Through Interaction With TSG-6” Cells (2019) IF. 4.829 DOI: 10.3390/cells8091074 (PMID: 31547322).
13.  Ungaro F, Garlatti V, Massimino L, Spinelli A, Carvello M, Sacchi M, Spanò S, Colasante G, Valassina N, Vetrano S, Malesci A, Peyrin-Biroulet L, Danese S, D'Alessio S. “mTOR-Dependent Stimulation of IL20RA Orchestrates Immune Cell Trafficking Through Lymphatic Endothelium in Patients With Crohn's Disease” Cells (2019) IF. 4.829 DOI: 10.3390/cells8080924. (PMID: 31426584).
14. Tacconi C, Ungaro F, Correale C, Arena V, Massimino L, Detmar M, Spinelli A, Carvello M, Mazzone M, Oliveira A, Rubbino F, Garlatti V, Spanò S, Lugli E, Colombo F, Malesci A, Peyrin-Biroulet L, Vetrano S, Danese S, D'Alessio S “Activation of the VEGFC/VEGFR3 Pathway Induces Tumor Immune Escape in Colorectal Cancer” Cancer Research (2019) IF: 12.7 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-3657. (PMID: 31239267).
15. Romano B, Elangovan S, Erreni M, Emanuela S, Petti L, Kunderfranco P, Massimino L, Restelli S, Sinha S, Lucchetti D, Anselmo A, Colombo FS, Stravalaci M, Arena V, D'Alessio S, Ungaro F, Inforzato A, Izzo AA, Sgambato A, Day AJ, Vetrano S. “TNF-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) is a key regulator in switching stemness and biological properties of mesenchymal stem cells.” Stem Cells (2019) IF. 5.614 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3010 (PMID: 30942926)
16. Ungaro F., Colombo P, Massimino L, Ugolini GS, Correale C, Rasponi M, Garlatti V, Rubbino F, Tacconi C, Spaggiari P, Spinelli A, Carvello M, Sacchi M, Spanò S, Vetrano S, Malesci A, Peyrin-Biroulet L, Danese S, D'Alessio S. “Lymphatic endothelium contributes to colorectal cancer growth via the soluble matrisome component GDF11.” Int. J. Cancer (2019)  IF. 7.36 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32286 (PMID: 30889293)
17. Ungaro F., Massimino L., Furfaro F., Rimoldi V., Peyrin-Biroulet L., D’Alessio S., and Danese S. “Metagenomic analysis of intestinal mucosa revealed a specific eukaryotic gut virome signature in early-diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease” Gut Microbes (2018) IF 10.245 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2018.1511664. (PMID: 30252582)
18. Ungaro F., Rubbino F., Danese S., D’Alessio S. “Actors and Factors in the Resolution of Intestinal Inflammation: Lipid Mediators As a New Approach to Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel        Diseases.”        Front        Immunol. (2017) IF 10.245 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01331. (PMID: 29109724).
19. Ungaro F., Tacconi C., Massimino L., Corsetto P.A., Correale C., Fonteyne P., Piontini A., Garzarelli V., Calcaterra F., Della Bella S., Spinelli A., Carvello M., Rizzo A.M., Vetrano S., Petti L., Fiorino G., Furfaro F., Mavilio D., Maddipati K.R., Malesci A., Peyrin-Biroulet L., D'Alessio S., Danese S. “MFSD2A Promotes Endothelial Generation of Inflammation- Resolving  Lipid  Mediators  and  Reduces  Colitis  in  Mice.”  Gastroenterology (2017) IF 22.68 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.07.048. (PMID: 28827082).
20. Ungaro F., Tacconi C., D’Alessio S. “Beyond Intestinal Barrier: the blood endothelium as a second wall of defense against bacterial invasion” Gastroenterology (2016) IF 22.68 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2016.04.024. (PMID: 27140488).
21. Pellegrini, S., Ungaro, F., Mercalli, A., Melzi, R., Sebastiani, G., Dotta, F., Broccoli, V., Piemonti, L., Sordi, V. “Human induced pluripotent stem cells differentiate into insulin-producing cells able to engraft in vivo” Acta Diabetologica (2015) IF 4.28 DOI: 10.1007/s00592-015-0726-z. (PMID: 25733399).
22. Theka, I., Caiazzo, M., Dvoretskova, E., Leo, D., Ungaro, F., Curreli, S., Managò, F., Dell'Anno, M.T., Pezzoli,   G.,   Gainetdinov,   R.R.,   Dityatev,   A.,   Broccoli,   V.   “Rapid   generation   of   functional dopaminergic neurons from human induced pluripotent stem cells through a single-step procedure using cell lineage transcription factors” Stem Cells Translational Medicine (2013) IF 6.94 DOI: 10.5966/sctm.2012-0133. (PMID: 23658252).
23. Ricciardi, S., Ungaro, F., Hambrock, M., Rademacher, N., Stefanelli, G., Brambilla, D., Sessa, A., Magagnotti, C., Bachi, A., Giarda, E., Verpelli, C., Kilstrup-Nielsen, C., Sala, C., Kalscheuer, V.M., Broccoli, V. “CDKL5 ensures excitatory synapse stability by reinforcing NGL-1-PSD95 interaction in the postsynaptic compartment and is impaired in patient iPSC-derived neurons.” Nature Cell Biology (2012) IF 28,82 DOI: 10.1038/ncb2566. (PMID: 22922712).
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*These authors equally contributed to the work.

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