Our laboratory aims to understand the underlying mechanisms controlling mononuclear phagocyte (MP) function in pathological situations such as during tumor development or the encounter with an invading pathogen.

The MP cellular network comprises macrophages, monocytes and dendritic cells. These myeloid cells originate during embryonic development or derive from committed precursors in the bone marrow and populate most lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues. Distributed throughout the body, MPs initiate innate and adaptive immunity against pathogens and tumors, participate in the resolution of inflammation and contribute to tissue integrity. They are also major components of the tumor microenvironment affecting immune evasion, tumor progression, tissue remodeling, angiogenesis and metastasis formation. Individual MP populations control inflammatory settings or stages of inflammation using distinct mechanisms, however, the individual contribution of these distinct cell subsets to the induction and resolution of immunity against invading pathogens, or to anti-tumor responses or immune evasion remains largely unknown.

The focus of our laboratory is to understand what is the relative contribution of the distinct MP populations and what are the critical signals that regulate their development and functional dynamics. We perform comparative studies using cancer and infection models to shed light on the nature of the environmental cues that in pathological situations regulate the differentiation and maturation of individual MP populations. We are particularly interested in the role of the microbiota: combining cellular and molecular approaches together with in vivo studies using germ-free animals we study the effect of commensals on myeloid cell function and their impact on the response to cancer therapy or to the invading pathogen.

Targeting the MP cellular network may be a powerful approach to manipulate the outcome of immune responses; therefore a better understanding of their regulation and functional organization may lead to rational novel therapeutic approaches.