Key words: innate immunity, comparative immunology, inflammation, nanosafety, innate immune cells
My main interests are the innate immunity, immune memory, and immunotoxicology. I’m currently studying mechanisms of innate defence responses, in particular the role of human macrophages and inflammatory cytokines in the effector phase of defence reactions against infections. Due to my extensive experience in comparative immunology on marine invertebrate models, I’m conducting comparative study on:
- The defence mechanisms involved in memory of the innate immune cells in humans and in marine invertebrate models.
- The impact of man-made nanoparticles and microplastics, in combination with microorganisms, on the immune defensive efficiency of marine invertebrates.
- The immunotoxicity of pharmaceuticals on marine invertebrate models.
I’m currently working in Laboratory of Innate immunity, Inflammation, and Nanosafety
Education:
- PhD in Animal Biology, Curriculum Immune system in marine invertebrate models.
Università della Calabria
- Master degree in Biological Sciences, Curriculum Cellular and Developmental Biology
Università degli studi di Napoli “Federico II”
Position: CNR Researcher
- Marino R., Melillo D., Italiani P., Boraschi D. Environmental stress and nanoplastics’ effects on Ciona robusta: regulation of immune/stress-related genes and induction of innate memory in pharynx and gut. Front. Immunol. 2023. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1176982
- Auguste M., Melillo D., Corteggio A., et al. Methodological approaches to assess innate immunity and innate memory in marine invertebrates and humans. Front. Toxicol. 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/ftox.2022.842469
- Melillo D., Marino R., Italiani P., Boraschi D. Assessing immunological memory in the solitary ascidian Ciona robusta. Front. Immunol. 2019. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.01977
- Italiani P., Puxeddu I., Napoletano S., Melillo D., et al. Circulating levels of IL-1 family cytokines and receptors in Alzheimer’s disease. J. Neuroinflammation. 2018. DOI: 10.1186/s12974-018-1376-1
- Melillo D., Marino R., Italiani P., Boraschi D. Innate immune memory in invertebrate metazoans: a critical appraisal. Front. Immunol. 2018. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.01915