Profile
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5578-236X
Alberto Mantovani, MD, is Emeritus Professor of Pathology at the Humanitas University in Milan, Scientific Director of the Istituto Clinico Humanitas and Chair of Inflammation and Therapeutic Innovation, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University, London, UK. His attention has been focused on molecular mechanisms of innate immunity and inflammation and on the role in the tumor microenvironment and cancer progression of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM). He has contributed to the advancement of knowledge in the field of Immunology formulating new paradigms and identifying new molecules and functions. More recently he focused on COVID-19, contributing to the identification of genetic associations and of a novel severity biomarker.
For his research activity, he has received several national and international awards, such as the Triennial OECI Award from the Organization of the European Cancer Institutes, the Robert Koch Award for his contribution to tumor immunology and immunotherapy, the American-Italian Cancer Foundation (AICF) Prize for Excellence in Medicine, the American Association for Cancer Research International Pezcoller Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research and, most recently, the CIMT Lifetime Achievement Award. The broad impact of his contributions is testified by citations. As of May 2021, he has over 137,000 citations and an H-index of 173 (Scopus).
Selected major honors
National or International awarded in Italy
- 1998: Biotec Award
- 2004: Guido Venosta Award for Cancer Research by the President of the Republic of Italy
- 2005: Premio Ippocrate per la Ricerca Biomedica
- 2006: “Onorificenza al Merito della Repubblica Italiana” (Commendatore, knightwood equivalent) for scientific contribution by the President of the Republic of Italy
- 2007: Galileo Galilei Prize for Research in Biomedical Sciences (International Jury)
- 2012: Premio Nazionale "L'Altra Italia ... Vite da Premio"
- 2014: Premio Rosa Camuna 2014, Regione Lombardia
- 2015: Ferrari-Soave International Prize, Accademia delle Scienze, Torino.
- 2016: NIBIT Award, Siena
- 2016: Premio Roma allo Sviluppo del Paese.
- 2016: International Feltrinelli Prize from the Accademia dei Lincei.
- 2017: Premio Scanno, Fondazione Tanturri, Scanno, Italy.
- 2018: Medaglia d’Oro di Benemerenza Civica, Milan Municipality (Ambrogino d’Oro).
International
- 2000: Marie T. Bonazinga Award, Society for Leukocyte Biology, Boston, USA
- 2006: European Federation of Immunological Societies – Schering Plough, 1st European Immunology Prize, Paris, France
- 2009: William Harvey Award, Oustanding Scientist 2009, London, UK.
- 2015: European Society for Clinical Investigation Albert Struyvenberg Medal
- 2015: The Milstein Award for Excellence in Interferon and Cytokine Research, International Cytokine & Interferon Society.
- 2016: OECI (Organization of European Cancer Institutes) Prize for contribution to Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy. OECI awards the OECI Prize every three years.
- 2016: Robert Koch Award, Robert Koch Stiftung, Germany
- 2017: Journal of Autoimmunity dedicated Issue to Alberto Mantovani
- 2018: American-Italian Cancer Foundation (AICF, New York) Prize for Excellence in Medicine.
- 2019: American Association for Cancer Research International Pezcoller Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research.
- 2019: ITOC6 – 6th Immunotherapy of Cancer Conference Lifetime Achievement Award
Selected memberships, boards and academies
- 1995-1998: President, Italian Federation of Immunological Societies
- 1998-2001: President, Italian Society of Immunology
- 2000 to date: European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Member
- 2002: Member, The Henry Kunkel Society
- 2005-2010: Board Member of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI Alliance)
- 2008: Member, Faculty of 1000 Biology
- 2009-2010: President, International Cytokine Society
- 2011-2013: Board Member, International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS)
- 2013-2016: Vice-President/President Elect, International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS)
- 2016: Member, Accademia dei Lincei, Rome, Italy
- 2016: Member, Robert Koch Stiftung, Berlin
- 2016-2019: President, International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS)
- 2017: Member, Academia Europaea
- 2017: Honorary Member, Scandinavian Society of Immunology
Research
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM)
Demonstration in the late ‘70s of the protumor function of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM, an acronym now generally used and coined by him in the ‘70s) linking inflammation and cancer (reviewed in Balkwill and Mantovani, Lancet, 2001). TAM as an M2-like population (Bottazzi et al, Science 1983; Mantovani et al., Nature 2008; Balkwill et al., Cancer Cell 2005). Promotion of tumor progression by IL-1 (Cancer Res. 1990; 1993). First linking of a genetic event (RET/PTC rearrangement) causing cancer in humans to the construction of an inflammatory microenvironment (Borrello et al., PNAS 2005). Proof of principle that targeting tumor promoting macrophages has therapeutic value in humans (Germano et al, Cancer Cell 2013). Demonstration that PTX3 is an extrinsic oncosuppressor regulating Complement and macrophage-driven tumor promoting inflammation (Bonavita et al Cell 2015). Discovery of a novel pathway of anti-tumor immunity involving neutrophils, macrophages and unconventional, double negative T cells (Ponzetta et al, Cell 2019). Alberto Mantovani is recognized among his peers as a forerunner in the ‘70s and a “founding father” of the renaissance of the inflammation-cancer connection. For IL-1R8, see below, IL-1.
Chemokines
Description and role in TAM recruitment of a unique monocyte attractant, Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 (CCL2), as tumor-derived chemotactic factor (Bottazzi et al, Science 1983). Characterization of chemokines and role in pathophysiology, including dendritic cell and polarized T cell migration. Induction of chemokine production by IL-6 in endothelial cells via trans-signaling, a key component of chronic inflammation and cancer (Romano et al, Immunity 1997). Characterization of D6 as a decoy receptor for inflammatory CC chemokines (Mantovani et al, Nature Rev. Immunol 2006). Role of chemokines in carcinogenesis (for a recent contribution Bonavita et al Cell 2015).
IL-1/Toll-like receptors (TLR)
Endothelial cell activation by IL-1 and cytokines (Rossi et al., Science 1985; Bussolino et al, Nature 1989; Romano et al, Immunity 1997). Identification of the type II receptor as a decoy receptor, a novel concept in biology (Colotta et al, Science 1993); the discovery of a decoy receptor represented a paradigm shift after the original definition of the concept of “receptor” by Langley in the 1930’; decoy receptors are now recognized as a general, evolutionary conserved strategy to tune cytokines, chemokines and growth factors. Cloning of an intracellular isoform of the IL-1 receptor antagonist (Muzio et al., J. Exp. Med. 1995). First demonstration of MyD88 as the adaptor of mammalian Toll-Like Receptors (TLR) and identification of downstream transducers (Muzio et al., J. Exp. Med. 1998). Cloning and characterization of TIR8/SIGIRR (IL-1R8), a negative regulator of IL-1 receptor and TLR signalling (Garlanda et al, Immunity 2013; 2019). Role in carcinogenesis. In NK cells IL-1R8 serves as a checkpoint: its blocking unleashes resistance to carcinogenesis and metastasis at selected anatomical sites (Molgora et al, Nature 2017).
Humoral innate immunity
Cloning (cDNA and genomic, mouse and human), structural and functional characterization of the first long pentraxin PTX3 as an IL-1 inducible gene (Garlanda et al, Nature 2002; Jeannin et al, Immunity 2005; Jaillon et al. J. Exp Med 2007 ; Deban et al, Nature Immunol. 2010; Jaillon et al. Immunity 2014; Bonavita et al. Cell 2015); structural immunobiology; role as a paradigm for humoral innate immunity; role as an extrinsic oncosuppresor in murine and human tumors regulating Complement and macrophage driven tumor promoting inflammation (Bonavita et al. Cell 2015); diagnostic and therapeutic translation (Cunha et al New England J. Med. 2014; ongoing). Thus, a regulator of macrophage-driven tumor promoting inflammation is a bona fide cancer gene, silenced in selected human tumors such as colorectal cancer, a finding now independently confirmed in large patients cohorts. PTX3 emerged as a strong prognostic biomarker in COVID-19 (Nature Immunology 2021).
News
Contribution to Public Awareness of Science
Alberto Mantovani has been actively involved in the fostering of science and scientific policies in Italy at various levels, with a focus on Immunology, Vaccines, Oncology and Public Health, taking public stands on several issues including quackery whenever appropriate. He regularly contributes to the most authoritative italian daily newspapers (eg Corriere della Sera; La Repubblica; La Stampa; Il Sole 24 Ore) and magazines (Espresso and Panorama). As of January 2020 he has been at the forfront in raising public awareness of Covid-19. He wrote five books on Immunology and Science targeted to the lay public (I Guardiani della Vita, Baldini e Castoldi, 2011; Immunità e Vaccini, Mondadori, 2016; Non avere Paura di Sognare, La Nave di Teseo, 2016; Bersaglio Mobile, Mondadori, 2018; Il Fuoco Interiore. Immunità e malattie, Mondadori 2020). He contributed to scientific (eg SuperQuark; TGR Leonardo; Radiotre Scienza; Sapiens) and general radio and television (eg Geo; Che Tempo che Fa; general national news) programs. To promote science awareness and policy together with astrophysicist Tommaso Maccacaro he founded the website http://www.scienzainrete.it. He represented Accademia dei Lincei in the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) working group on homeopathy and in the formulation of the final EASAC statement on it. Together with Guido Forni, Lorenzo Moretta and Giovanni Rezza he wrote the position paper “Vaccines. A position paper from the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei” (2018). A revised version is now published as a book with a section on Covid-19 (I vaccini fanno bene. Perchè dobbiamo credere nella scienza per difenderci da virus e batteri; La Nave di Teseo, 2020). Together with Maurizio Cecconi and Guido Forni on behalf of the Health Commission of the Accademia dei Lincei he prepared and updates a report on COVID-19
https://www.lincei.it/sites/default/files/documenti/Commissioni/Health_committee_Covid19_Summer_report_July2020.pdf