Stefano FAIS
Stefano FAIS
(ISS)
Personal info
Date of birth: 24 Luglio 1956
Place of birth: Rome, Italy
Nationality: Italian
Civil status: Married, father of one child
Working address: Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
telephone: 06.49903195
FAX: 06.49903691
e-mail: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.
Affiliation: Head Anti-Cancer drugs Section, Department of Drug Research and Medicine Evaluationy, Istituto Superiore di Sanità
Degrees
- 1982 UNIVERSITY DEGREE IN MEDICINE AND SURGERY, MAGNA CUM LAUDE, UNIVERSITY OF ROME, LA SAPIENZA.
- 1985 SPECIALTY IN GASTROENTEROLOGY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF ROME LA SAPIENZA
- 1991 PhD STUDENT IN GASTROENTEROLOGY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF ROME LA SAPIENZA
- 1993 SPECIALTY IN GENERAL PATHOLOGY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF ROME LA SAPIENZA
- 1994 POSTDOCTORATE FELLOWSHIP IN VIROLOGY, VIROLOGY DEPARTMENT, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF ROME LA SAPIENZA
- 1995 PROFESSOR SPECIALIZATION SCHOOL IN GASTROENTEROLOGY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY UNIVERSITY OF REGGIOCALABRIA (CATANZARO)
Working experiences and field of application
From1979 to now a days:
Istituto Superiore di Sanità (1994-2008)
Laboratory of di Virology (Researcher (with contract) 1994-98)
Laboratory of Immunology (Principal Investigator 1998-2002)
Department of Pharmacology (Head of Research 2002-2008
Current position: Head of Research, Director of Anti cancer drugs Unit
Department of Pharmacoloy
The mission of the unit is to under take translational research employing novel pharmacological strategies and approaches in cancer therapy. Among the activities exploited for the unit, is that of participating as a qualified expert in the committees for the evaluation of new pharmacological proposals to apply in clinical trials. The experimental results gathered on the efficacy of employing proton pump inhibitors (PPI) as anti cancer drugs and chemosensitizers was of great scientific impact. In fact, on the basis of the latter, PPI application as an anti cancer drug was patented. Moreover, two clinical trials still on going, stemmed from these encouraging results. The clinical trials have been undertaken with Osteosarcoma and Melanoma patients and PPI are evaluated on the basis of their chemosensitizing properties. Further more, a clinical trial on the employment of PPI in breast cancer has received Grant funding and will take place at the Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Cancer Hospital di Shanghai, Cina. Pre clinical characterization aiming at optimizing PPI employment in cancer therapy is still on going.
Scientific activity of anti cancer drugs Unit is also aimed at the identification of new tumoral antigens associated to features of malignant cells that deserve further elucidation, such as cannibalism. Recent experiments have led to the identification of a new gene, which protein is expressed only in metastatic cells. Another fascinating novel field of interest, studied in detail in this Unit, is that of depicting the characteristics of microvesicles (exosomes) released both by healthy and tumoral cells. The Unit has developed and patented a new methodology for characterization of these microvesicles collected from body fluids (EXOTEST). This methodology has been applied in a clinical trial undertaken employing a hundred patients with malignant melanoma of grade III-IV, in which the released exosomes were compared to those obtained from fifty healthy donors. Plasma recovered from patients with melanoma revealed levels of exosomes three to four times larger than those present in healthy donors.
The activities of the Unit are also aimed at identifying mechanisms of drug resistance developed by tumors and encouraging results have been obtained also in this field.
In previous working experiences at the ISS, Dr Fais has developed pre clinical models for both the evaluation of the mechanisms of HIV-1 infection and in order to verify drug efficacy (laboratory of Virology, 1994-1998). The preclinical models are based on the employment of SCID mice inoculated either with human mononucleate cells deriving from peripheral bIood or human lymphoid cells infected in vivo with HIV-1. Obtained results have been published on internationalIy relevant scientific journals.
At the Immunology laboratory (1998-2002) Dr Fais has developed pre clinical models for the evaluation of novel anti cancer immunotherapies. Moreover, he worked at identifying new mechanism of tumoral escape from the immune system. Results are documented in internationally relevant scientific journals.
Dr Fais is an active member of the board of examination committee, for the evaluation of researchers, technicians, students applying for fellowships and principal investigators. Moreover, he participates to the following activities at the ISS:
1. Expert in the Committee Comma C (Commissione Comma C), whose commitment is that of verifying novel pharmacological agents properties in order toh ave access to phase I Italian clinical trials.
2. AIFA expert for the evaluation of requests to partecipate to phase II clinical trials of both new anti cancer drugs gastroenterology related drugs.
3.Member of the commission on the guide lines for genetic and cellular therapies.
4. Member of the commission for the authorization of patient enrollment in gene and somatic cell therapy clinical trials (Comma C).
5. Member of the commission for the authorization to animal testing employment in research.
Moreover, Dr Fais accomplishes the following activities:
1. Reviewer to papers submitted for publication to numerous scientific journals (Oncogene, Nature Reviews in Molecular and Cell Biology, Cancer Research, International Journal of Cancer, Cancer Letters, Lancet Oncology, Toxicology in Vitro, BMC Medical Biology, Immunobiology, European Surgical Research, Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy, Apoptosis, Biochemical Pharmacology, Experimental Oncology journal, etc)
2..Reviewer, both at nationa and international level, for the assigning of research projects in the oncology field.
3.Co-relator for dissertations in various subjects
4. Ph.D Tutor in both Italy and Europe
5.External reviewer for academic positions in European countries.
Istituto di Virologia Università La Sapienza Roma (1992-1994)
During the two years at the Virology Institute at La Sapienza, Dr. Fais worked in collaboration with Drssa. M. Capobianchi and was supervised by Prof. F. Dianzani. His studies were mainly focused on HIV-1 mechanisms of transmission. In detail, Dr. Fais highlighted the mechanisms employed by HIV-1 to acquire proteins from the plasma membrane during budding. Moreover, he developed an ELISA methodology that permits verification of infectivity of the captured virions through the employment of ELISA plates coated with antibodies directed against cellular proteins.
Moreover, Dr Fais has demonstrated that viral budding in cells is a polarized events, that takes place through plasma membrane protein connection to actin cytoskeleton.
Dr Fais acquired solid and documented virology and molecular biology experience, which broadened his technical scientifical background and contributed to Dr Fais flexible vision of health queries while formulating working hypothesis.
During this lapse of time Dr. Fais also implemented his biotechnology know how on Interferon I and II and on its role in the pathogenesis of various diseases.
Dr. Fais followed a post doctoral training in Virology and received a fellowship.
Cattedra di Gastroenterologia Clinica medica II Università La Sapienza Roma (1979-1992)
Dr. Fais spent a long and proficient periodo of specialization at the Gastroenterology Department of the II Medical Clinic of Policlinico Umberto I of Rome. Dr. Fais worked in collaboration with Prof. Francesco Pallone and was supervised by Prof. Aldo Torsoli. He learnt to approach medical queires under both the clinical and the research aspect and implemented his knowledge on disease. Dr. Fais worked from the beginning of his training on chronic inflammatory diseases of the intestine (Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis), under both the clinic point of view and to search for the pathogenic causes. In 1981 Dr. Fais achieved his degree in Medicine and Surgery with a dissertation on the circulating levels of a lymphocyte subpopulation in patients with Crohn’s disease. For his experiments he employed monoclonal antibodies that were rendered available by Dr. Peter Beverly (University College Hospital of London) in epoca di assoluto pionierismo nell’uso di tali metodiche. From 1981 to 1992 Dr. Fais concentrated his research activity on the immunological response of patients with Crohn’s diseases. In 1982 he spent a periodo f his research activity at the Royal Infirmary di Oxforf UK, under the scientific guidance of Dr. Derek Jewel. Here he learnt the methodologies for isolation of mononuclear and epithelial cells from human intestinal mucosal fragments. He was among the pioneers who imprted the methodology in Italy. At the end of 1982 and the beginning of 1983 Dr. Fais was a medical officer under the Italian Military Airforce directives. In 1984 he returned to his studies on mucosal inflammation in patients with Crohn’s disease and published his results on important internationally recognized scientific journals, such as: Gut and Gastroenterology. The most relevant results of Dr. Fais studies, from 1984 to 1995 are resumed in the following paragraph. (i) The demonstration that in patients with Crohn’s disease there are spontaneous levels of immune activation both in the intestine and at peripheral level; (ii) such activation leads to constant production of interferon gamma in the intestine, which is responsible for both subsequent lymphocyte activation (iii) and monocytes recruitment from periphery and their differentiation in (IV) giant multinucleate cells. This mechanism is responsible of chronic inflammation.
During his last period at the Gastroenterology Department, Dr. Fais studied in depth Langhans cells genesis, typical of granulomatous inflammation. His data contributed to important evidence on the fusion genesis of giant multinucleated cells, in particolar of monocytes attractyed to the inflammatory site. During the period in which Dr. Fais moved from the Gastroenterology field to the immunological one, he highlighted the differences between viral clusters and multinucleate Langhans cells.
At the beginning of 1990 Dr. Fais further broadened his scientific knowledge by studying pathogenic aspects of Celiac disease in collaboration with Dr. Maiuri and Prof. Auricchio of the Pediatric Department of II Policlinico, Naples.
In detail, from 1988 to 1992, Dr. Fais also achieved a gastroenterology PhD. In all the years working at the Gastroenterology Department, Dr. Fais paralleled his research to clinical practice, daily employing his time for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. He worked with patients with chronic inflammation of the intestine and obtained a specialty in Gastroenterology, followed by one in General Pathology.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
Dr Fais is PI in the following research projects:
- “NEW THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES BASED ON STUDIES OF TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT AND NEW TARGETS IDENTIFIED THROUGH PROTEOMIC AND GENOMIC PROFILE ANALYSIS” , Oncology program of The Italian Ministry of Health.
- “ PHASE II CLINICAL STUDY ON EFFICACY OF PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS PRE-TREATMENT IN OSTEOSARCOMA PATIENTS UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY”. No profit research project of the italian FDA.
- PHASE II CLINICAL STUDY ON EFFICACY OF PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS PRE-TREATMENT IN OSTEOSARCOMA PATIENTS UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY’, Cooperative study between ISS and Astra-Zeneca.
- “ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN TUMOR IMMUNE ESCAPE: PROTON PUMPS AND ACIDITY” ISS-NHI project.
- “MOLECULAR MECHANISMS UNDERLYING CHEMOTHERAPY RESISTANCE, THERAPEUTIC ESCAPE, EFFICACY AND TOXICITY”, FP6 project , acronym CHEMORES WP9 (Novel therapeutic approaches) .
- “NEW EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES FOR INVESTIGATION ON NEW THERAPIES AGAINST RARE HUMAN BONE TUMORS”. ISS-NHI project on Rare Diseases
- “DEVELOPMENT OF NEW BIOLOGICAL DRUGS AND INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES FOR IMMUNE THERAPY OF TUMORS ". Italian Ministry of Research project.
- ”PRECLINICAL AND CLLINICAL STUDIES ON ANTINEOPLASTIC USE OF PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS” Italy-China collaborative project
- “CLINICAL STUDY ON ON THE USE OF PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS IN THE TREATMENT OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS”. Italy-China collaborative project.
