Dr Elisa Corsiero

Profile

I am a Lecturer and Versus Arthritis Research Fellow at the Centre for Experimental Medicine & Rheumatology in the Immuno-Rheumatology group led by Prof Bombardieri. I graduated from the University of Milan (Italy) with an MSc in Industrial Biotechnology. In 2009, I joined the group of Prof Pitzalis and Prof Bombardieri at the Centre for Experimental Medicine & Rheumatology in London for my PhD. In 2014, I was awarded an Arthritis Research UK Foundation Fellowship which I completed in 2018. In November 2019, I was awarded with a competitive Career Development Fellowship from Versus Arthritis, which is going to fund my research for the next 3 years.

Research

Group members

Group Leader: Prof Michele Bombardieri
Post-doctoral Fellows: Dr Lucas Jagemann; Dr Elena Pontarini; Dr Edoardo Prediletto
PhD Students: Mr Mattia Caliste; Miss Mareike Werle

Summary

My major research interests focus on the elucidation of the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating autoreactive B cell activation, breach of self-tolerance and perpetuation of autoimmunity in Sjögren’s syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. In particular, my research is focused on characterizing the fine specificity and function of monoclonal antibodies derived from single B cells in patients with rheumatic autoimmune diseases and cancer.

Key Publications

• Heavy and light chain affinity maturation and/or Fab N-glycosylation influence immunoreactivity towards NETs antigens in RA synovial B-cell clones. Corsiero, Carlotti, Jagemann, Perretti, Pitzalis and Bombardieri. Journal of Immunology, 2020 Mar 27. 
• B cells in the formation of tertiary lymphoid organs in autoimmunity, transplantation and tumorigenesis. Corsiero, Delvecchio, Bombardieri, Pitzalis. Curr Opin Immunol, 2019.
• Generation of recombinant monoclonal antibodies from single B cells isolated from synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Corsiero, Jagemann, Bombardieri and Pitzalis. Methods Mol Biol, 2018.
• Characterization of a synovial B cell-derived recombinant monoclonal antibody targeting stromal calreticulin in the rheumatoid joints. Corsiero, Jagemann, Perretti, Pitzalis and Bombardieri. Journal of Immunology, July 2018. 
• NETosis as Source of Autoantigens in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Corsiero, Pratesi, Prediletto, Bombardieri, Migliorini. Front Immunol, 2016.
• Ectopic Lymphoid Structures: Powerhouse of Autoimmunity. Corsiero, Nerviani, Bombardieri, Pitzalis. Front. Immunol, 2016
• Single cell cloning and recombinant monoclonal antibodies generation from RA synovial B cells reveal frequent targeting of citrullinated histones of NETs. Corsiero, Bombardieri, Carlotti, Pratesi, Robinson, Migliorini, and Pitzalis. Ann Rheum Dis, 2016.
• Neutrophil-derived microvesicles enter cartilage and protect the joint in inflammatory arthritis. Headland, Jones, Norling, Kim, Souza, Corsiero, Gil, Nerviani, Dell'Accio, Pitzalis, Oliani, Jan, Perretti. Sci Transl Med, 2015.
• Accumulation of Self-Reactive Naive and Memory B Cell Reveals Sequential Defects in B Cell Tolerance Checkpoints in Sjögren’s Syndrome. Corsiero, Sutcliffe, Pitzalis, Bombardieri. Plos One, 2014.
• Peripheral and synovial mechanisms of humoral autoimmunity in rheumatoid arthritis. Corsiero, Pitzalis and Bombardieri. Drug Discovery Today, 2014 
• Role of lymphoid chemokines in the development of functional ectopic lymphoid structures in rheumatic autoimmune diseases. Corsiero, Bombardieri, Manzo, Bugatti, Uguccioni and Pitzalis Immunology Letters, 2012.

Collaborators

Internal: Prof Ahuva Nissim; Prof Hemant Kocher

External: Prof Rene Toes (Leiden University); Prof Paola Migliorini (Pisa University); Prof Karl Skriner (Berlin); Prof Gordon Lauc (Zagreb); Prof Kristi Kuhn (Denver)