Gruppi di Ricerca

Trapianto cardiaco - Gruppo di Ricerca

REFERENTE - GROUP LEADER

Dr. PELENGHI Stefano

CURRICULUM VITAE REFERENTE

SPECIFIC ROLE

Coordination of the Unit's research activities.

GROUP MEMBERS
Carlo Pellegrini, Barbara Cattadori, Fabrizio Gazzoli, Pasquale Totaro, Laura Cavallotti, Antonio Sciortino, Filippo Amoroso, Stefano Ghio, Annalisa Turco, Laura Scelsi, Eloisa Arbustini, Mirko Belliato, Roberto Veronesi, Mariachiara Riccardi, Raffaele Bruno, Angela Di Matteo, Elena Seminari, Antonella Degani.

RESEARCH PROJECTS
Ricerca Corrente Metabolomics
The outcome of heart transplantation is largely related to the phases of harvesting and implantation of the graft. During these phases three major mechanisms play a role in the graft damage: ischemia, cooling and reperfusion injury. The effects of these mechanisms are not completely known. This research aims to identify the ultrastructural and metabolomics markers of graft injury and the correlation of these markers with clinical outcome, including graft failure. Metabolomics analysis through NMR and ultrastructural microscopic study will be performed on graft samples (endomyocardial biopsies) taken at three different times: immediately after harvesting, before implantation and two weeks after implantation. Clinical evaluation through laboratory tests and echocardiographic examination will be taken up to two years post-transplantation. After data collection, with informed consent of patients, statistical analysis will be performed to identify risk factors for graft dysfunction and related prevention measures.
Our research projects on heart transplant include also:
- The achievement of an observational retrospective and prospective registry through a digital platform (REDCap)
- Determination of dose-related toxicity of cytomegalovirus and Ebstein Barr virus preemptive therapy in solid organ transplant recipients.
- Evaluation of reduction of the activation or efficacy of the immune system like predictor of infection risk in transplanted patients
- Pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention of Cytomegalovirus non-primary infections in solid organ transplant recipients.
- New strategy to improve immunosuppression in heart transplanted patients
- Non-invasive Test for Acute Rejection Identification in Heart Transplanted Patients: a pilot retrospective study. Aim of the study is to test INNOGRAFT Heart Suite in a clinical setting, using a previously collected set of plasma samples from patients who underwent heart transplant and routinely or symptoms-based surveillance during the period 2016-ongoing.
5 BEST PAPERS
- Gazzoli F., Urtis M., Pagani F., Pelenghi S., Di Toro A. Aortic Valve Remodeling in CF-LVAD: Beyond the Arterial Wall. American College of Cardiology, 2022;
- Pelenghi S., Primiceri C., Belliato M., Ghio S., Scelsi L., Totaro P. Is it time for a paradigm shift: Should double-lung transplant be considered the treatment of choice for idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and giant pulmonary aneurysm? Journal of Cardiac Surgery, 2021;
- Di Toro A., Urtis M., Narula N., Giuliani L., Grasso M., Pasotti M., Pellegrini C., Serio A., Pilotto A., Antoniazzi E., Rampino T., Magrassi L., Valentini A., Cavallini A., Scelsi L., Ghio S., Abelli M., Olivotto I., Porcu M., Gavazzi A., Kodama T., Arbustini E. Impediments to Heart Transplantation in Adults With MELASMT-TL1:m.3243A>G Cardiomyopathy. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2022;
- Cavagna L., Seminari E., Zanframundo G., Gregorini M., Di Matteo A., Rampino T., Montecucco C., Pelenghi S., Cattadori B., Pattonieri E.F., Vitulo P., Bertani A., Sambataro G., Vancheri C., Biglia A., Bozzalla-Cassione E., Bonetto V., Monti M. C., Ticozzelli E., Turco A., Oggionni T., Corsico A., Bertuccio F., Zuccaro V., Codullo V., Morosini M., Marena C., Gnecchi M., Pellegrini C., Meloni F. Calcineurin Inhibitor-Based Immunosuppression and COVID-19: Results from a Multidisciplinary Cohort of Patients in Northern Italy. Microorganisms, 2020;
- Cassaniti I., Bergami F., Arena F., Sammartino J.C., Ferrari A., Zavaglio F., Curti I., Percivalle E., Meloni F., Pandolfi L., Pellegrini C., Turco A., Seminari E., Pattonieri E.F., Gregorini M., Rampino T., Sarasini A., Lilleri D., Baldanti F. Immune Response to BNT162b2 in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: Negative Impact of Mycophenolate and High Responsiveness of SARS-CoV-2 Recovered Subjects against Delta Variant. Microorganisms, 2021.