Prof. Emanuele Cozzi, M.D., Ph.D.
Brief C.V.
Prof. Emanuele Cozzi, MD, PhD, is a clinical immunologist who graduated from the Medical School of the Padua University in 1984. In 1987, he obtained his specialisation as an allergist and clinical immunologist in the same University and a PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2000.
From 1988 until 1991, he has worked as a Research Fellow in the Department of Microbiology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York. There he was mainly involved in clinical trials regarding the utilisation of monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. From 1993 until 2001, Prof. Cozzi has worked as a Clinical Research Associate in the Department of Surgery of the University Cambridge, where he has contributed to both clinical and preclinical activities in the field of solid organ transplantation. In September 2001, Prof. Cozzi joined the Padua Medical Center where he directs the Unit of Transplantation Immunology. Furthermore, since January 2020 he is Full Professor at the Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health at the University of Padua.
Prof. Cozzi has published extensively in the field of transplantation and is author of more than 200 manuscripts in international journals (publications: 223; citations: 8.562; h-index: 47). His areas of expertise encompass clinical transplantation immunology, with particular regard to humoral rejection, and preclinical research in the field of solid organ and neural cell transplantation. He has lead several multicentre research initiatives, and was Coordinator of the EU-funded XENOME Project. He has also coordinated the multicenter EU-funded TRANSLINK Project, whose objective was to define the role of immune events in the premature valve failure in patients receiving animal-derived bioprosthetic heart valves. Prof. Cozzi is a reviewer for several major funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and National Institutes of Allergy and infectious Disease (NIH/NIAID), Bethesda, Maryland (USA) and for the PHRC Programme, Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, Paris (France).
Prof. Cozzi is a past-president of the International Xenotransplantation Association (IXA) and a member of the IXA Ethics Committee. He is the National Expert at the National Transplant Center (CNT-Rome) for issues related to transplantation in incompatible patients, organ trafficking and for international affairs. He is the Italian Delegate acting as Transplant Expert at the Council of Europe (Strasbourg) and is a past-Chair of the ”European Committee on Organ Transplantation” (CD-P-TO), at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
Furthermore, he is Consultant for the Vatican for issues related to xenotransplantation; member of the Vatican Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV), President of the “Morgagni Foundation” (Padua) and, since 2022, member of the Scientific-Medical Committee of the Biomedicine Agency in Paris.
The ERTA-Ab study: Anti-endothelin-1 receptor Type A antibodies in pediatric renal transplantation
Marta Vadori1, Elisa Cuciz1, Susanna Negrisolo2, Benedetta Antoniello2, Emanuele Vianello3, Viviana Sioli4, Tullia Maria De Feo4, Marco Spada5, Elisa Benetti2,3, Emanuele Cozzi1.
1Transplant Immunology Unit, Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; 2Laboratory of Immunopathology and Molecular Biology of the Kidney, Institute of Pediatric Research Città della Speranza, Padua, Italy; 3Pediatric Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplant Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Hospital-University of Padua, Padua, Italy; 4Transplant Coordination Unit, Fondazione Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; 5Hepato-Bilio-Pancreatic and Abdominal Transplant Surgery Unit, Bambino Gesù Hospital, Rome, Italy
Introduction: Non-HLA antibodies targeting allogeneic molecules have emerged as possible contributors to graft dysfunction. The harmful effects of anti-AT1R antibodies have been reported in studies involving both paediatric and adult renal transplant patients. At this stage, the evidence supporting a significant detrimental role of ETAR antibodies remains rather scanty. This project aims to evaluate the incidence and impact of anti-ETAR Ab in paediatric kidney transplantation.
Methods: In a cohort of pediatric renal transplant recipients, anti-AT1R and anti-ETAR antibodies were measured pre- and post-transplant for at least 2 years. The influence of anti-AT1R and ETAR antibodies on chemotaxis of immune cells was also evaluated. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed on protocol biopsies at 6, 12, and 24 months post-transplantation. The relationship between non-HLA antibodies, antibody-mediated rejection and clinical outcomes has been evaluated.
Results: Currently, 169 paediatric kidney recipients have been enrolled. More than 500 sera were evaluated. In this cohort 48,4% and 49% of patients had pre-formed anti-ETAR and anti-AT1R antibodies, respectively. At all timepoints, 42,2 % and 39,1 % of patients were negative for anti-ETAR and anti-AT1R antibodies, respectively. Anti-ETAR antibodies were significantly associated with anti-AT1R antibodies. De novo appearance of anti-ETAR or AT1R Ab was detected in 9,4% and 11,7% of patients, respectively. In vitro data suggest a positive correlation between NK/T cell migration and anti non-HLA antibody levels.
Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that anti-ETAR antibodies are detectable in half of the paediatric renal transplant recipients. Anti-ETAR antibodies are highly associated with anti-AT1R antibodies. Preliminary data suggest a possible role of these antibodies on T cell and NK recruitment. The studies underway are expected to increase the knowledge on the role of anti-ETAR antibodies on the survival of pediatric renal allografts.
[1] Non-HLA antibodies
[2] Graft Rejection
[3] Pediatric Transplantation
[4] Kidney transplantation
