curriculum vitae -Demonstration of the existence of true autoantigen

curriculum vitae
Personal information
Name
Address
Marco Salvetti, MD
Neurology and Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies,
Sapienza University-S. Andrea Hospital, 1035 via di Grottarossa,
00189-Rome, ITALY
E-mail
+39-06-33775994 – cell +39-3396600552
+39-06-33775994
[email protected]
Nationality
Italian
Date of birth
March 29, 1962
Telephone
Fax
Expertise
Clinical neurology with special attention to the follow-up and treatment of patients
with multiple sclerosis.
Research activity on various aspects of potentially autoreactive immune
responses in multiple sclerosis: relevant autoantigens, fine specificity, molecular
mimicry, role of pathogens.
He instituted the world largest twin registry in 1997. From then on,
epidemiological, gene expression and virological studies in twins with multiple
sclerosis begun.
At present much of the studies are focused on the interaction between heritable
and non-genetic factors in the etiology of multiple sclerosis. This information,
combined with data from the in vitro screening of off-label activities of registered
drugs (on oligodendrocyte precursors), is exploited for the design of exploratory
clinical trials. These studies are carried out in the context of the clinical research
activity of CENTERS, an institution devoted to nonprofit, phase II trials in multiple
sclerosis and orphan neurological diseases.
Achievements
-Demonstration of the existence of true autoantigen (acetylcholine
receptor)-specific T-lymphocytes in the healthy immune repertoire
-First evidence of a T lymphocyte response to N-formylated peptides in
humans
-Demonstration of the role of molecular mimicry in determining the
immunodominance of T-lymphocyte epitopes
-Creation of the world's largest twin registry
-World's largest, population-based study on MS concordance and
environmental risk factors in multiple sclerosis
-First repurposing clinical trials in multiple sclerosis
-Contributions to the understanding of viruses to the etiology of multiple
sclerosis
-The above contributions to the study of the role of viruses in multiple
sclerosis include the proposal of the “candidate interactome” approach for
the analysis of genome-wide association studies and transcriptome-wide
studies in multifactorial diseases
-Proposal of a mechanistic, stochastic model for the etiology and clinical
course of multiple sclerosis
-The clinical research work led to the creation of the Centre for
Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), a Department Unit of
the S. Andrea Hospital that is entirely devoted to proof-of-concept,
repurposing clinical trials in neurological diseases. We started this activity
more that 10 years ago, well before the importance of this approach was
recognized at the international level (see the recent institution of NCATS).
-As a result of having been one of the first researchers who proposed and
promoted the importance of repurposing, proof-of-concept trials in multiple
sclerosis, Prof. Salvetti has been appointed as member of the International
Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Collaborative (IPMSC) and Co-Chair of the
IPMSC Meeting that was held in London on November 1-2, 2012.
This activity had an original impact also on teaching activity, leading to the
institution of the first “Master in Methodologies for Research and
Development of new Therapies”. This was a very original and long-needed
initiative (see Science 2005; 309: 721 - "No university teaches drug
discovery") and, in fact, during the first year of this Master, 9 out of 10
students found an employment right after the completion the course.
Also as a result of this teaching activity, the MD/PhD Program-like
initiatives of the Sapienza University ("Percorsi di Eccellenza") were
instituted, Prof. Salvetti was appointed a Director of the Percorso di
Eccellenza of the Faculty of Medicine and Psychology.
Among the activities of the above Master and MD/PhD Program Prof.
SalvettiI organized a continuous “flow” of invited seminars given by
Alessandro Aiuti, Giulio Cossu, George Ebers, Costantino Iadecola, Silvio
Garattini, Fulvio Mavilio, Graziano Pesole, Antonio Pinna, Pier Paolo
Pandolfi, Stephen Sawcer among others.
Of particular interest has been the organization of a Workshop entitled “If I
were to start a scientific career today”, chaired by Sylvie Coyaud, where
some of the above scientists discussed their personal approach to science
and provided direct advice to the students of our Faculty.
Work experience & Honors
INSTITUTION
DIVISION
LOCATION
POSITION
FROM
YEAR
TO
YEAR
Sapienza
University of
Rome
Sapienza
University of
Rome
Chair of
Neurology
Faculty of
Medicine
Assistant
Professor
1991
2000
Chair of
Neurology
Faculty of
Medicine
and
Psychology
II Faculty of
Medicine
Associate
Professor
2000
present
Director,
Master in
Methodologies
for the
research and
development
of new
therapies
Director,
Percorso di
Eccellenza
(MD-PhD
program-like
iniziative)
Head of the
Department
Unit, Centre
for
Experimental
Neurological
Therapies
(CENTERS)
Member of the
Institutional
Review Board
2005
2007
2007
present
2002
present
2011
present
Sapienza
University of
Rome
Sapienza
University of
Rome
S. Andrea
Hospital
S. Andrea
Hospital
II Faculty of
Medicine
now Faculty
of Medicine
and
Psychology
Division of
Neurology
Italian
Multiple
Sclerosis
Society
Secretary of
the Scientific
Committee
1997
2004
Italian
Multiple
Sclerosis
Society
Member of the
Scientific
Committee
2008
2011
Italian
Multiple
Sclerosis
Society
Sapienza
University of
Rome
AIFA (Italian
Pharma
Agency)
Member of the
Scientific
Secretariat
2011
Present
Member of the
Scientific
Board
Member of the
Expert Panel
for the
Evaluation of
the
Independent
Research on
Drug 2011
Proposals
Member of the
International
Medical and
Scientific
Board
Member of the
Steering
Committee
2010
2011
2011
2011
2009
present
2010
present
Member of the
steering
Committee of
the COSMO
Study
2009
present
2013
CoChairof the
Peer
Review
Committee
present
Multiple
Sclerosis
International
Federation
International
Progressive
MS
Collaborativ
e
Italian
Multiple
Sclerosis
Society
Progressi
ve
Multiple
Sclerosis
Alliance
1999, First Rita Levi-Montalcini Prize for Research in Multiple Sclerosis
2008, Invited Lecture, Accademia Medica di Roma. Since then, member of the
Academy
Acconsento al trattamento dei dati personali
7.5.13