Fabio Sallustio, Italy

Fabio Sallustio scientific activity is mainly targeted on the study and the genomic, transcriptomic, and functional characterization of adult renal stem/progenitor cells . Prof. Sallustio contributed to the phenotypic and genomic characterization of adult renal stem/progenitor cells (ARPC), making a contribution at the international level. He discovered a receptor, the Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), that is responsible for the activation of the adult renal stem cells and disclosed some molecular mechanisms by which the renal stem cells can repair certain types of renal damage. He found that the TLR2 activation on resident tARPCs induces reparative processes and demonstrated that tubular ARPCs produce and secrete inhibin A and decorin (both as protein and as macrovesicle-shuttled mRNA) involved in the tubular cell regenerative process after RPTEC damage by cisplatin and following TLR2 activation. Moreover, he discovered that the renal progenitors can preserve endothelial phenotype by preventing the development of the LPS-induced endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) process that contributes to the development of the fibrosis. Finally, he has uncovered that ARPC has also immunomodulatory capacity when triggered by the TLR2 and that they can secrete high levels of the anti-aging protein Klotho.