Cassotta Antonino, PhD

Cellular Immunology
Research Associate

Via Francesco Chiesa 5
6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland

antonino.cassotta@irb.usi.ch
+41 58 666 7131

Bio

Antonino Cassotta obtained his Master’s degree in Medical Biotechnology from the University of Rome in 2013, where he worked on antigen presentation in the lab of Prof. Rosa Sorrentino. Then, he moved to Switzerland where he obtained his PhD in Immunology in 2020 at the ETH Zürich under the mentorship of Prof. Federica Sallusto at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) in Bellinzona. In recognition of the excellence of his doctoral studies, in 2021 he received the Prize for the best PhD thesis in Life Sciences awarded by SAIS (Società degli Accademici italiani in Svizzera) and co-sponsored by the Embassy of Italy. During his postdoctoral training, he co-led two projects aimed at dissecting the immunodominance and persistence of T cells targeting SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza virus which resulted in two publications as co-last author. To refine his training, in 2021 Dr. Cassotta joined the lab of Prof. Antonio Lanzavecchia at the National Institute of Molecular Genetics (INGM) in Milan, Italy. During his career, Dr. Cassotta investigated various aspects of the human adaptive immune response to microbes, biological drugs, and self-antigens. Among his findings, he identified the epitopes recognized by T and B cells targeting viruses and bacteria causing human infections and showed that antigen processing is the major driver of T cell immunodominance, with implications for the design of improved vaccines. Since 2024, he is a Research Associate at the IRB, where he started independent lines of research aimed at investigating the role of the immune system in cardiovascular diseases.

Publications

Clonal analysis of SepSecS-specific B and T cells in autoimmune hepatitis
Kramer, M. Mele, F. Jovic, S. Fernandez, B. M. Jarrossay, D. Low, J. S. Sokollik, C. Filipowicz Sinnreich, M. Ferrari-Lacraz, S. Mieli-Vergani, G. Vergani, D. Lanzavecchia, A. Cassotta, A. Terziroli Beretta-Piccoli, B. Sallusto, F.
in J Clin Invest (2025) Vol.135 pp
Dual Activation-Induced Marker Combinations Efficiently Identify and Discern Antigen-Specific and Bystander-Activated Human CD4(+) T Cells
Ceraolo, M. G. Leccese, M. Cassotta, A. Triolo, S. Bombaci, M. Coluccio, E. Prati, D. Ungaro, R. Abrignani, S. Bandera, A. Sallusto, F. Lanzavecchia, A. Notarbartolo, S.
in Eur J Immunol (2024) Vol.55 ppe202451404
Site-specific serology unveils cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies targeting influenza A hemagglutinin epitopes
Paparoditis, P. C. G. Fruehwirth, A. Bevc, K. Low, J. S. Jerak, J. Terzaghi, L. Foglierini, M. Fernandez, B. Jarrossay, D. Corti, D. Sallusto, F. Lanzavecchia, A. Cassotta, A.
in Eur J Immunol (2024) Vol.54 ppe2451045
Regulatory circuits of mitophagy restrict distinct modes of cell death during memory CD8(+) T cell formation
Franco, F. Bevilacqua, A. Wu, R. M. Kao, K. C. Lin, C. P. Rousseau, L. Peng, F. T. Chuang, Y. M. Peng, J. J. Park, J. Xu, Y. Cassotta, A. Yu, Y. R. Speiser, D. E. Sallusto, F. Ho, P. C.
in Sci Immunol (2023) Vol.8 ppeadf7579
Clonal composition and persistence of antigen-specific circulating T follicular helper cells
Hu, M. Notarbartolo, S. Foglierini, M. Jovic, S. Mele, F. Jarrossay, D. Lanzavecchia, A. Cassotta, A. Sallusto, F.
in Eur J Immunol (2022) Vol.53 ppe2250190.
Maturation of SARS-CoV-2 Spike-specific memory B cells drives resilience to viral escape
Marzi, R. Bassi, J. Silacci-Fregni, C. Bartha, I. Muoio, F. Culap, K. Sprugasci, N. Lombardo, G. Saliba, C. Cameroni, E. Cassotta, A. Low, J. S. Walls, A. C. McCallum, M. Tortorici, M. A. Bowen, J. E. Dellota, E. A. Dillen, J. R. Czudnochowski, N. Pertusini, L. Terrot, T. Lepori, V. Tarkowski, M. Riva, A. Biggiogero, M. Pellanda, A. F. Garzoni, C. Ferrari, P. Ceschi, A. Giannini, O. Havenar-Daughton, C. Telenti, A. Arvin, A. Virgin, H. W. Sallusto, F. Veesler, D. Lanzavecchia, A. Corti, D. Piccoli, L.
in iScience (2022) Vol.26 pp105726
ACE2-binding exposes the SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptide to broadly neutralizing coronavirus antibodies
Low, J. S. Jerak, J. Tortorici, M. A. McCallum, M. Pinto, D. Cassotta, A. Foglierini, M. Mele, F. Abdelnabi, R. Weynand, B. Noack, J. Montiel-Ruiz, M. Bianchi, S. Benigni, F. Sprugasci, N. Joshi, A. Bowen, J. E. Stewart, C. Rexhepaj, M. Walls, A. C. Jarrossay, D. Morone, D. Paparoditis, P. Garzoni, C. Ferrari, P. Ceschi, A. Neyts, J. Purcell, L. A. Snell, G. Corti, D. Lanzavecchia, A. Veesler, D. Sallusto, F.
in Science (2022) Vol. ppeabq2679
Clonal structure, stability and dynamics of human memory B cells and circulating plasmablasts
Phad, G. E. Pinto, D. Foglierini, M. Akhmedov, M. Rossi, R. L. Malvicini, E. Cassotta, A. Fregni, C. S. Bruno, L. Sallusto, F. Lanzavecchia, A.
in Nat Immunol (2022) Vol. pp
Guidelines for the use of flow cytometry and cell sorting in immunological studies (third edition)
Cossarizza, A. Chang, H. D. Radbruch, A. Abrignani, S. Addo, R. Akdis, M. Andra, I. Andreata, F. Annunziato, F. Arranz, E. Bacher, P. Bari, S. Barnaba, V. Barros-Martins, J. Baumjohann, D. Beccaria, C. G. Bernardo, D. Boardman, D. A. Borger, J. Bottcher, C. Brockmann, L. Burns, M. Busch, D. H. Cameron, G. Cammarata, I. Cassotta, A. Chang, Y. Chirdo, F. G. Christakou, E. Cicin-Sain, L. Cook, L. Corbett, A. J. Cornelis, R. Cosmi, L. Davey, M. S. De Biasi, S. De Simone, G. Del Zotto, G. Delacher, M. Di Rosa, F. Santo, J. D. Diefenbach, A. Dong, J. Dorner, T. Dress, R. J. Dutertre, C. A. Eckle, S. B. G. Eede, P. Evrard, M. Falk, C. S. Feuerer, M. Fillatreau, S. Fiz-Lopez, A. Follo, M. Foulds, G. A. Frobel, J. Gagliani, N. Galletti, G. Gangaev, A. Garbi, N. Garrote, J. A. Geginat, J. Gherardin, N. A. Gibellini, L. Ginhoux, F. Godfrey, D. I. Gruarin, P. Haftmann, C. Hansmann, L. Harpur, C. M. Hayday, A. C. Heine, G. Hernandez, D. C. Herrmann, M. Hoelsken, O. Huang, Q. Huber, S. Huber, J. E. Huehn, J. Hundemer, M. Hwang, W. Y. K. Iannacone, M. Ivison, S. M. Jack, H. M. Jani, P. K. Keller, B. Kessler, N. Ketelaars, S. Knop, L. Knopf, J. Koay, H. F. Kobow, K. Kriegsmann, K. Kristyanto, H. Krueger, A. Kuehne, J. F. Kunze-Schumacher, H. Kvistborg, P. Kwok, I. Latorre, D. Lenz, D. Levings, M. K. Lino, A. C. Liotta, F. Long, H. M. Lugli, E. MacDonald, K. N. Maggi, L. Maini, M. K. Mair, F. Manta, C. Manz, R. A. Mashreghi, M. F. Mazzoni, A. McCluskey, J. Mei, H. E. Melchers, F. Melzer, S. Mielenz, D. Monin, L. Moretta, L. Multhoff, G. Munoz, L. E. Munoz-Ruiz, M. Muscate, F. Natalini, A. Neumann, K. Ng, L. G. Niedobitek, A. Niemz, J. Almeida, L. N. Notarbartolo, S. Ostendorf, L. Pallett, L. J. Patel, A. A. Percin, G. I. Peruzzi, G. Pinti, M. Pockley, A. G. Pracht, K. Prinz, I. Pujol-Autonell, I. Pulvirenti, N. Quatrini, L. Quinn, K. M. Radbruch, H. Rhys, H. Rodrigo, M. B. Romagnani, C. Saggau, C. Sakaguchi, S. Sallusto, F. Sanderink, L. Sandrock, I. Schauer, C. Scheffold, A. Scherer, H. U. Schiemann, M. Schildberg, F. A. Schober, K. Schoen, J. Schuh, W. Schuler, T. Schulz, A. R. Schulz, S. Schulze, J. Simonetti, S. Singh, J. Sitnik, K. M. Stark, R. Starossom, S. Stehle, C. Szelinski, F. Tan, L. Tarnok, A. Tornack, J. Tree, T. I. M. van Beek, J. J. P. van de Veen, W. van Gisbergen, K. Vasco, C. Verheyden, N. A. von Borstel, A. Ward-Hartstonge, K. A. Warnatz, K. Waskow, C. Wiedemann, A. Wilharm, A. Wing, J. Wirz, O. Wittner, J. Yang, J. H. M. Yang, J.
in Eur J Immunol (2021) Vol.51 pp2708-3145
Broad betacoronavirus neutralization by a stem helix-specific human antibody
Pinto, D. Sauer, M. M. Czudnochowski, N. Low, J. S. Tortorici, M. A. Housley, M. P. Noack, J. Walls, A. C. Bowen, J. E. Guarino, B. Rosen, L. E. di Iulio, J. Jerak, J. Kaiser, H. Islam, S. Jaconi, S. Sprugasci, N. Culap, K. Abdelnabi, R. Foo, C. Coelmont, L. Bartha, I. Bianchi, S. Silacci-Fregni, C. Bassi, J. Marzi, R. Vetti, E. Cassotta, A. Ceschi, A. Ferrari, P. Cippa, P. E. Giannini, O. Ceruti, S. Garzoni, C. Riva, A. Benigni, F. Cameroni, E. Piccoli, L. Pizzuto, M. S. Smithey, M. Hong, D. Telenti, A. Lempp, F. A. Neyts, J. Havenar-Daughton, C. Lanzavecchia, A. Sallusto, F. Snell, G. Virgin, H. W. Beltramello, M. Corti, D. Veesler, D.
in Science (2021) Vol.373 pp1109-1116.
Clonal analysis of immunodominance and cross-reactivity of the CD4 T cell response to SARS-CoV-2
Low, J. S. Vaqueirinho, D. Mele, F. Foglierini, M. Jerak, J. Perotti, M. Jarrossay, D. Jovic, S. Perez, L. Cacciatore, R. Terrot, T. Pellanda, A. F. Biggiogero, M. Garzoni, C. Ferrari, P. Ceschi, A. Lanzavecchia, A. Sallusto, F. Cassotta, A.
in Science (2021) Vol.372 pp1336-1341
Broadly reactive human CD4(+) T cells against Enterobacteriaceae are found in the naive repertoire and are clonally expanded in the memory repertoire
Cassotta, A. Goldstein, J. D. Durini, G. Jarrossay, D. Menozzi, F. B. Venditti, M. Russo, A. Falcone, M. Lanzavecchia, A. Gagliardi, M. C. Latorre, D. Sallusto, F.
in Eur J Immunol (2020) Vol.51 pp648-661
Deciphering and predicting CD4+ T cell immunodominance of influenza virus hemagglutinin
Cassotta, A. Paparoditis, P. Geiger, R. Mettu, R. R. Landry, S. J. Donati, A. Benevento, M. Foglierini, M. Lewis, D. J. M. Lanzavecchia, A. Sallusto, F.
in J Exp Med (2020) Vol.217 ppe20200206
CXCR3 Identifies Human Naive CD8(+) T Cells with Enhanced Effector Differentiation Potential
De Simone, G. Mazza, E. M. C. Cassotta, A. Kuka, M. Zanon, V. De Paoli, F. Scamardella, E. Metsger, M. Roberto, A. Pilipow, K. Colombo, F. S. Tenedini, E. Tagliafico, E. Gattinoni, L. Mavilio, D. Peano, C. Price, D. A. Singh, S. P. Farber, J. M. Serra, V. Cucca, F. Ferrari, F. Orru, V. Fiorillo, E. Iannacone, M. Chudakov, D. M. Sallusto, F. Lugli, E.
in J Immunol (2019) Vol.203 pp3179-3189
A single T cell epitope drives the neutralizing anti-drug antibody response to natalizumab in multiple sclerosis patients
Cassotta, A. Mikol, V. Bertrand, T. Le Parc, J. Ferrari, P. Dumas, J. Auer, M. Deisenhammer, F. Gastaldi, M. Franciotta, D. Silacci-Fregni, C. Fernandez Rodriguez, B. Giacchetto-Sasselli, I. Foglierini, M. Jarrossay, D. Geiger, R. Sallusto, F. Lanzavecchia, A. Piccoli, L.
in Nat Med (2019) Vol.25 pp1402-1407
T cells in patients with narcolepsy target self-antigens of hypocretin neurons
Latorre, D. Kallweit, U. Armentani, E. Mele, F. Cassotta, A. Jovic, S. Jarrossay, D. Mathis, J. Zellini, F. Becher, B. Lanzavecchia, A. Khatami, R. Manconi, M. Tafti, M. Bassetti, C. L. Sallusto, F.
in Nature (2018) Vol.562 pp63-68
Do Memory CD4 T Cells Keep Their Cell-Type Programming: Plasticity versus Fate Commitment? T-Cell Heterogeneity, Plasticity, and Selection in Humans
Sallusto, F. Cassotta, A. Hoces, D. Lanzavecchia, A.
in Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol (2017) Vol.10 ppa029421
Specificity, cross-reactivity and function of antibodies elicited by Zika virus infection
Stettler, K. Beltramello, M. Espinosa, D. A. Cassotta, A. Bianchi, S. Vanzetta, F. Minola, A. Jaconi, S. Mele, F. Foglierini, M. Pedotti, M. Simonelli, L. Dowall, S. Atkinson, B. Percivalle, E. Simmons, C. P. Varani, L. Blum, J. Baldanti, F. Cameroni, E. Hewson, R. Harris, E. Lanzavecchia, A. Sallusto, F.Corti, D.
in Science (2016) Vol.353 pp823-6
K. S and M. B contributed equally to this work; D. A. E. ; V. G. ; A. C. ; S. B. and F. V contributed equally to this work; F. S. and D. C contributed equally to this work and are co-corresponding authors.
Regulation and trafficking of the HLA-E molecules during monocyte-macrophage differentiation
Camilli, G. Cassotta, A. Battella, S. Santoni, A. Paladini, F. Fiorillo, M. T. Sorrentino, R.
in J Leukoc Biol (2015) Vol.99 pp121-30
T cell immunity. Functional heterogeneity of human memory CD4(+) T cell clones primed by pathogens or vaccines
Becattini, S. Latorre, D. Mele, F. De Gregorio, C. Cassotta, A. Fernandez, B. Kelderman, S. Schumacher, T. N. Corti, D. Lanzavecchia, A. Sallusto, F.
in Science (2014) Vol.347 pp400-6
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Cassotta Antonino, PhD

Bio

Publications

Istituto di Ricerca in Biomedicina

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