In our laboratories at the IRB and at the ETH Zurich we study the immune response in humans. Long standing interests have been the dissection of the signals by which dendritic cells determine T lymphocyte activation and differentiation, the regulation of T lymphocyte effector function and migratory capacity, and the cellular basis of immunological memory. These fundamental aspects are studied in physiological and pathological conditions and in the context of the response to different classes of pathogens, commensals, allergens or self-antigens. Our overarching aim is understanding mechanisms of immune function and dysfunction and to translate basic findings to the medical setting.

Antonino Cassotta, PhD, Research Associate – Over the past few years, Antonino Cassotta has developed an independent research program focused on uncovering the role of the immune system in cardiovascular diseases. Heart diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide and among the most common causes of hospitalization in Switzerland. While inflammation is now recognized as a key contributor to cardiovascular pathology, the molecular mechanisms driving adaptive immune responses against cardiac tissue in humans remain poorly understood. Moreover, there is an urgent need for novel and precise strategies to diagnose, monitor, and treat cardiac inflammation.

Dr. Cassotta’s research aims to characterize the T cell response to cardiac autoantigens by analyzing T cells isolated from the blood and heart tissue of patients experiencing myocardial inflammation.

By applying established pipelines for clonal analysis, he profiles the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire and phenotype of cardiac-reactive T cells and systematically identifies their cognate epitopes. These studies have both fundamental and translational significance.

On the one hand, dissecting T cell responses to cardiac self-antigens may help elucidate the mechanisms of immune tolerance during tissue damage and their relationship to cardiac inflammation. On the other hand, a deeper understanding of cardiac-specific T cell responses may pave the way for precision medicine approaches in cardiovascular disease. A comprehensive analysis of cardiac-reactive T cells in both health and disease could lead to the discovery of novel prognostic biomarkers for heart failure and inform the development of next-generation immunotherapies to suppress cardiac inflammation and improve patient outcomes.