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Francesco Andreata, PhD

thumbnail image001Dr. Francesco Andreata is a Tenure-track Assistant Professor at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and a Researcher at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. His work centers on the immunopathogenesis of hepatitis B virus infection, with a specific focus on reversing intrahepatic CD8+ T-cell dysfunction. 

Under the mentorship of Professors Matteo Iannacone and Luca Guidotti, Dr. Andreata’s work demonstrated how hepatocellular priming induces a distinct dysfunctional CD8+ T-cell state and showed that Kupffer cell subsets can restore antiviral function via IL-2 signaling. He translated these findings in collaboration with Asher Biotherapeutics, demonstrating that a CD8-targeted IL-2 chimeric immunocytokine (CD8-IL2) selectively reactivates intrahepatic antiviral T cells to achieve potent viral control in preclinical HBV models. 

More recently, his work has mapped the differentiation trajectory of these dysfunctional HBV-specific CD8+ T cells, identifying discrete subpopulations amenable to rejuvenation via co-signaling receptor modulation, particularly 4-1BB agonism.  

Dr. Andreata’s current research employs spatial transcriptomics to map the intrahepatic immune landscape in chronic HBV infection, aiming to define the microenvironmental determinants of viral persistence and therapeutic response.

 

Read the journal picks of the month from our Emerging Scholars Scientific and Medical Advisory Board here.