Maria Laura Belladonna

Prof. Maria Laura Belladonna

Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Italy
orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

35Years (1992-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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26 October 2003 in Nature Immunology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Francesca FallarinoFrancesca Fallarino
Francesca Fallarino
UGUrsula Grohmann
Ursula Grohmann
KHKwang Woo Hwang
Kwang Woo Hwang
COCiriana Orabona
Ciriana Orabona
CVCarmine Vacca
Carmine Vacca
Paolo PuccettiPaolo Puccetti
Paolo Puccetti

30 September 2002 in Nature Immunology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
UGUrsula Grohmann
Ursula Grohmann
COCiriana Orabona
Ciriana Orabona
Francesca FallarinoFrancesca Fallarino
Francesca Fallarino
CVCarmine Vacca
Carmine Vacca
FCFilippo Calcinaro
Filippo Calcinaro
Paolo PuccettiPaolo Puccetti
Paolo Puccetti

1 June 2006 in The Journal of Immunology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
Francesca FallarinoFrancesca Fallarino
Francesca Fallarino
UGUrsula Grohmann
Ursula Grohmann
SYSylvaine You
Sylvaine You
BMBarbara C. McGrath
Barbara C. McGrath
DCDouglas R. Cavener
Douglas R. Cavener
Paolo PuccettiPaolo Puccetti
Paolo Puccetti
Tryptophan catabolism is a tolerogenic effector system in regulatory T cell function, yet the general mechanisms whereby tryptophan catabolism affects T cell responses remain unclear. We provide evidence that the short-term, combined effects of tryptophan deprivation and tryptophan catabolites result in GCN2 kinase-dependent down-regulation of the TCR ζ-chain in murine CD8+ T cells. TCR ζ down-regulation can be demonstrated in vivo and is associated with an impaired cytotoxic effector function in vitro. The longer-term effects of tryptophan catabolism include the emergence of a regulatory phenotype in naive CD4+CD25− T cells via TGF-β induction of the forkhead transcription factor Foxp3. Such converted cells appear to be CD25+, CD69−, CD45RBlow, CD62L+, CTLA-4+, BTLAlow and GITR+, and are capable of effective control of diabetogenic T cells when transferred in vivo. Thus, both tryptophan starvation and tryptophan catabolites contribute to establishing a regulatory environment affecting CD8+ as well as CD4+ T cell function, and not only is tryptophan catabolism an effector mechanism of tolerance, but it also results in GCN2-dependent generation of autoimmune-preventive regulatory T cells.

9 July 2014 in Nature
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
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ABAlban Bessede
Alban Bessede
Marco GargaroMarco Gargaro
Marco Gargaro
MPMaria Teresa Pallotta
Maria Teresa Pallotta
DMDavide Matino
Davide Matino
GSGiuseppe Servillo
Giuseppe Servillo
Paolo PuccettiPaolo Puccetti
Paolo Puccetti

31 July 2011 in Nature Immunology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
MPMaria Teresa Pallotta
Maria Teresa Pallotta
COCiriana Orabona
Ciriana Orabona
CVClaudia Volpi
Claudia Volpi
CVCarmine Vacca
Carmine Vacca
MBMaria Laura Belladonna
Maria Laura Belladonna
UGUrsula Grohmann
Ursula Grohmann

26 September 2007 in European Journal of Immunology
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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TERESA ZELANTETERESA ZELANTE
TERESA ZELANTE
ALAntonella De Luca
Antonella De Luca
PBPierluigi Bonifazi
Pierluigi Bonifazi
CMClaudia Montagnoli
Claudia Montagnoli
SBSilvia Bozza
Silvia Bozza
LRLuigina Romani
Luigina Romani
Although inflammation is an essential component of the protective response to fungi, its dysregulation may significantly worsen fungal diseases. We found here that the IL‐23/IL‐17 developmental pathway acted as a negative regulator of the Th1‐mediated immune resistance to fungi and played an inflammatory role previously attributed to uncontrolled Th1 cell responses. Both inflammation and infection were exacerbated by a heightened Th17 response against Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus, two major human fungal pathogens. IL‐23 acted as a molecular connection between uncontrolled fungal growth and inflammation, being produced by dendritic cells in response to a high fungal burden and counter‐regulating IL‐12p70 production. Both IL‐23 and IL‐17 subverted the inflammatory program of neutrophils, which resulted in severe tissue inflammatory pathology associated with infection. Our data are the first demonstrating that the IL‐23/IL‐17 pathway promotes inflammation and susceptibility in an infectious disease model. As IL‐23‐driven inflammation promotes infection and impairs antifungal resistance, modulation of the inflammatory response represents a potential strategy to stimulate protective immune responses to fungi.See accompanying commentary: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eji.200737804