Alessandra Camarca

Biography

Dr. Camarca is an expert in mucosal immunology and in particular in the mechanisms leading to gluten-induced enteropathy (Coeliac Disease). She has special expertises in gluten immunogenic sequences and in cellular biology of gluten-specific mucosal T-lymphocytes. For several years her main interests have been to identify the repertoire of gluten epitopes active in the majority of celiac disease patients, to study the regulatory mechanisms leading to a down-regulation of the anti-gluten T cell response and to address the role of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the gluten induced inflammation. She has also contributed to several works aiming to search alternative cereals at low toxicity for celiac disease patients, and to validate enzymatic strategies for gluten detoxification. Technical skills of Dr. Camarca involve the in vitro expansion and culturing of primary intestinal gluten-specific T cell lines, cellular immunology assays and cytofluorimetric analysis. She recently joined the group of Dr. D’Auria, where she will apply advanced fluorescence and label-free techniques to study molecular immunology.

Research Interest

T cell lines, cellular immunology