Overview
Infections are a leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer (GBD 2021 Causes of Death Collaborators, 2024; Bray et al., 2018). For instance, each year, sepsis (i.e., the most severe acute manifestation of infection) kills more people than the top-three most common cancers combined, in the United States and Europe. Despite this, sepsis receives limited public attention relatively to the more extensive cancer awareness. This disparity may contribute to the shortage of research funding in the field and to significant knowledge gaps surrounding this serious condition and other infectious conditions (Vincent, 2012).
Furthermore, infections are also implicated in the development of several types of cancer. For example, Schistosoma haematobium is associated with bladder cancer, Helicobacter pylori with gastric cancer, and oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPV) with cervical, anogenital, and oropharyngeal cancers, among others (de Martel et al., 2017; Coussens and Werb, 2002; Fink et al., 2026). Conversely, infections frequently occur in cancer patients as a consequence of disease-related immunosuppression, while many patients also experience infections as a side effect of chemotherapy.
At least in the case of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), which is the commonest type of blood cancer, over 20-60% of patients ultimately die from sepsis/other infections rather than from the malignancy itself (Lingamaneni et al., 2019). Finally, infections can contribute to thrombotic events via inflammation-mediated immunothrombosis and influence cardiovascular disease risk (Colling et al., 2022). In this respect, our recent work suggests that infection with the endemic cytomegalovirus (CMV) may represent a risk factor for CVD even in otherwise healthy individuals (Pera et al.,2018; Kirkham et al., 2021; Reus et al., 2021).
Panel reproduced from: Caserta S and Pera A (2021) Editorial: Immune Responses to Persistent or Recurrent Antigens: Implications for Immunological Memory and Immunotherapy. Front. Immunol. 12:643989. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.643989
As shown in the panel above, many pathogens are endemic, and we are therefore exposed to them repeatedly or even chronically throughout life. This can alter the immune system’s ability to respond to pathogens and may even shift its function from protective to detrimental (Caserta and Pera, 2021). Consequently, the interaction between infection, cancer, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is complex and likely varies depending on specific conditions; however, a common underlying feature is the activation of the immune system and the resulting inflammatory response and immune dysregulation.
My laboratory research aims to unravel the role of immunological mechanisms underlying infection-driven immunopathology, with implications for cancer and CVD. Emerging evidence suggests that immune memory cells generated in response to pathogen exposure can act as a double-edged sword, contributing not only to protection but also to disease pathology, as illustrated in the panel below (Caserta and Pera, 2026).
Caserta S and Pera A (2026) Editorial: Exploring immune memory dynamics in chronic antigen exposure and disease progression: implications for immunotherapy. Front. Immunol. 17:1769061. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1769061
Research directions
Molecular pathways of cellular communication between immune cells and microbial components relevant to infection, critical inflammatory conditions (including those impacting CVD), and cancer are currently under investigation in Stefano’s lab.
We recently published data showing that immunostimulatory toxins released by the endemic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus can activate leukemic cells, thereby promoting tumour progression while simultaneously hijacking immune responses (Tantoush et al., 2025). This mechanism may help explain the increased risk of infection and sepsis observed in patients with CLL. We are interested in understanding how these toxins shape immune cell behaviour, how widespread they are in the environment, whether they are involved in other pathologies, and how they enter the body.
When pathogens spread beyond the original site of infection (for example, from a skin ulcer or wound), they can give rise to sepsis. We are therefore also investigating how specific microbial components derived from common pathogens hijack the immune system, and whether these effects persist even after recovery. In addition, we are studying early interactions between pathogens and immune cells in wounds and in the context of cardiovascular disease. Strategies to modulate immune cell behaviour under these conditions are also a focus of our research.
Biography
Stefano is an Associate Professor of Cellular and Applied Biology and Head of the Immune Cell Biology and Cancer Immunology Laboratory in the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO) at the University of Trento (Italy).
Previously, he worked as a Lecturer in Immunology and Head of the Immunology Laboratory at the University of Hull (2018–2026), within Hull York Medical School. Prior to this, he held a series of research fellow positions in Infection and Cancer Immunology at (in chronological order, from most recent): (i) the University of Sussex, as part of Brighton and Sussex Medical School (2013–2018); (ii) the University of Edinburgh (2008–2013); and (iii) the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) National Institute of Medical Research (now incorporated within the Francis Crick Institute) in London (2007–2008).
Stefano obtained his PhD in Basic and Applied Immunology from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan (2003–2007), after completing a five-year Italian Laurea degree in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (equivalent to a Master’s degree) at the University of Milan (1997–2002), graduating with a final classification of 110/110 magna cum laude.
Currently, Stefano serves as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Immunology (since 2018) and as an Editor for Scientific Reports. He is also a member of the British Society for Immunology and regularly serves as an invited peer reviewer for scientific journals and grant applications.
Stefano holds internationally recognised pedagogical qualifications, having completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCertHE) at the University of Sussex with distinction, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA, AdvanceHE) since 2017. Over the past eight years, Stefano has supervised 15 postgraduate research students (PGRs), comprising five PhD, one MD, and nine Master’s by Research students. Of these, eight have successfully completed their studies, including two PhD students (as primary supervisor) and six Master’s by Research students (five as primary supervisor).
Additionally, Stefano has supervised 12 taught Master’s students in their research projects and 26 final-year BSc Biomedical Sciences projects, with 73% achieving distinction. Prior to this, at the Universities of Sussex, Brighton, Edinburgh, and Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Stefano informally co-supervised 11 PGRs. Across multiple institutions, he has acted as both internal and external examiner for PhD, MD, and Master’s by Research students, as well as Chair of PhD/MD Vivas. Many of Stefano’s previous PGR students still work as research professionals, often in the Immunology field: please read a testimonial from a previous student, now Postdoctoral Researcher at the Masonic Medical Research Institute (Utica, NY), published in a peer-reviewed journal (Le Sommer, 2023).
At the University of Trento, Stefano primarily teaches the Advanced Infection Immunology (146401) module within the Master’s Degree in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology (available to all three curriculum streams), in addition to teaching immunology and pathology in other modules.
If you are interested in joining the lab of Prof Stefano Caserta, please contact: stefano.caserta-1@unitn.it.
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Collaborations
We have a number of active and past collaborations to which previous and current first-supervised graduates are contributing/had contributed to, in particular:
- Dr Fisal Tantoush (previous PhD Student, now Research Fellow in Immunology at BSMS, Brighton)
- Dr Laden Fenercioglu (previous PhD Student, now Global Medical Affairs Associate at Reckitt)
- Bijal Trivedi (current MD Student, UK based)
- Hio Vu (current PhD Student, UK based)
- Wanzhu Jia (previous Master by Research and current PhD student, UK based)
- Angel Garcia (previous Master by Research student)
- Daiga Spore (previous Master by Research student)
- Rachel Williams (previous Master by Research student)
- Jevan Terry (current Master by Research student, UK based)
- Ellie-Mae Hickingbotham-McDaid (current Master by Research student, UK based)
Together with second-supervisions (Elliot Brown, Daniel Fletcher and George Siskakis) involved in collaborations with a number of academics and clinicians in Italy and abroad.
Selected publications
Caserta S, Pera A. Editorial: Exploring immune memory dynamics in chronic antigen exposure and disease progression: implications for immunotherapy. Frontiers in Immunology, 2026 Corresponding last author
Tantoush F, Allsup D, Naylor-Adamson L, Voncken F and Caserta S. Ibrutinib enhances the bias of T cell responses towards staphylococcal superantigens sustaining inflammation in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Frontiers in Immunology, 2025 Corresponding last author
Naylor-Adamson L, Chacko AR, Booth Z, Caserta S, Jarvis J, Khan S, Hart SP, Rivero F and Allsup DJ, Arman M. Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors impair FcγRIIA-driven platelet responses to bacteria in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Frontiers in Immunology, 2021
Reus B* & Caserta S*, Larsen M, Morrow G, Bano A, Rajkumar C, Pera A, Kern F. In-depth profiling of T-cell responsiveness to commonly recognized CMV antigens in older people reveals important sex differences. Frontiers in Immunology, 2021 *equally contributing co-first author
Caserta S, Ghezzi P. Release of redox enzymes and micro-RNAs in extracellular vesicles, during infection and inflammation. Free Radic Biol Med, 2021
Kirkham F, Pera A, Simanek AM, Bano A, Morrow G, Reus B, Caserta S, Smith HE, Davies KA, Rajkumar C, Kern F. Cytomegalovirus infection is associated with an increase in aortic stiffness in older men which may be mediated in part by CD4 memory T-cells. Theranostics, 2021
Caserta S, Pera A. Editorial: Immune Responses to Persistent or Recurrent Antigens: Implications for Immunological Memory and Immunotherapy. Frontiers in Immunology, 2021 Corresponding author
Pera A, Caserta S, Albanese F, Blowers P, Morrow G, Terrazzini N, Smith HE, Rajkumar C, Reus B, Msonda JR, Verboom M, Hallensleben M, Blasczyk R, Davis KA, Kern F. CD28(null) pro-atherogenic CD4 T-cells explain the link between CMV infection and an increased risk of cardiovascular death. Theranostics, 2018
Terrazzini N, Mantegani P, Kern F, Fortis C, Mondino A, Caserta S. IL-7 unveils pathogen-specific T cells by enhancing antigen-recall responses. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2018 Corresponding last author
Caserta S, Mengozzi M, Kern F, Newbury SF, Ghezzi P, Llewelyn MJ. Severity of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Affects the Blood Levels of Circulating Inflammatory-Relevant MicroRNAs. Frontiers in Immunology, 2018 Corresponding author
Trub M, Barr TA, Morrison V, Brown S, Caserta S, Rixon J, Ivens A, and Gray D. Multi-stage development of T follicular helper cells leads to heterogeneity of phenotype and function. Frontiers in Immunology, 2017
Bajwa M, Vita S, Vescovini R, Larsen M, Sansoni P, Terrazzini N, Caserta S, Thomas D, Davies KA, Smith H, and Kern F. CMV-specific T-cell responses at older ages: broad responses with a large central memory component may be key to long-term survival. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2017
Bajwa M, Vita S, Vescovini R, Larsen M, Sansoni P, Terrazzini N, Caserta S, Thomas D, Davies KA, Smith H, and Kern F. Functional diversity of CMV-specific T-cells is maintained in older people and significantly associated with protein specificity and response size. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2016
Caserta S, Kern F, Cohen J, Drage S, Newbury SF and Llewelyn MJ. Circulating Plasma microRNAs can differentiate Human Sepsis and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS). Scientific Reports, 2016 Corresponding author
Sylwester A, Nambiar K, Caserta S, Klenerman P, Picker L, and Kern F. A new perspective of the structural complexity of HCMV-specific T cell responses. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 2016
Caserta S, Taylor AL, Terrazzini N and Llewelyn MJ. Induction of human regulatory T cells with bacterial superantigens. Methods Mol Biol., 2016 Corresponding author
Caserta S, Nausch N, Sawtell A, Drummond R, Barr T, MacDonald AS, Mutapi F, Zamoyska R. Chronic infection drives expression of the inhibitory receptor CD200R, and its ligand CD200, by mouse and human CD4 T cells. PLoS One, 2012
Caserta S, Borger JG, Zamoyska R. Central and Effector Memory CD4 and CD8 T cell Responses to Tumor-associated Antigens. Critical Reviews in Immunology, 2012
Caserta S, Kleczkowska J, Mondino A, Zamoyska R. Reduced functional avidity promotes central and effector memory CD4 T cell responses to tumor-associated antigens. J Immunol., 2010
Caserta S, Alessi P, Basso V, Mondino A. IL-7 is superior to IL-2 for ex vivo expansion of tumour- specific CD4(+) T cells. Eur J Immunol., 2010
Parravicini V, Caserta S. The immunomodulatory roles of vitamin D: new tricks for an old dog. Mol Interv., 2010
Salmond RJ, Filby A, Qureshi I, Caserta S, Zamoyska R. T-cell receptor proximal signaling via the Src- family kinases, Lck and Fyn, influences T-cell activation, differentiation, and tolerance. Immunol Rev., 2009
Caserta S, Alessi P, Guarnerio J, Basso V and Mondino A. Synthetic CD4+ T cell-targeted antigen- presenting cells elicit protective antitumor responses. Cancer Res., 2008
Zimmermann VS, Casati A, Schiering C, Caserta S, Michelini RH, Basso V and Mondino A. Tumors hamper the immunogenic competence of CD4+ T cell-directed dendritic cell vaccination. J Immunol., 2007
Caserta S and Zamoyska R. Memories are made of this: synergy of T cell receptor and cytokine signals in CD4 central memory cell survival. Trends Immunol., 2007
Benigni F, Zimmermann VS, Hugues S, Caserta S, Basso V, Rivino L, Ingulli E, Malherbe L, Glaichenhaus N and Mondino A. Phenotype and homing of CD4 tumor-specific T cells is modulated by tumor bulk. J Immunol., 2005