Enrico Palermo
Tenured Researcher
enrico.palermo@istitutopasteur.it; e.palermo@istitutopasteuritalia.it
Academic Appointments
• 2015 MSc Medical Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome
• 2018 PhD Life Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome
• 2019-2021 Postdoctoral fellow, Institut Pasteur Italy
• 2021 Researcher, Institut Pasteur Italy
Honors and Awards:
• Member of the European Society of Virology (Ulm, Germany)
• Member of the Microbiology Society (London, GB)
• Member of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) (Birmingham, GB)
Scientific interests
Study of the molecular processes involved in host-pathogens interaction, with a focus on type I interferon response and mechanisms of viral immune evasion exploited by SARS-CoV-2 and Flaviviruses (DENV, ZIKV, USUV). Evaluation of novel therapeutic approaches, based on innate immune stimulation and epigenetic reprogramming, to clear latent HIV-1 infection. Development of Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) as cell-specific vectors to deliver therapeutic nucleic acids, and investigation of the effects of cellular metabolism alterations on immune response against Dengue virus infection and in various type of cancers.
Contribution to Science
In my previous studies I have demonstrated that the combination of a cGAS-STING agonist and epigenetic modulators could represent a novel strategy for HIV-1 eradication by inducing selective death of HIV-infected cells and reducing the viral reservoir in cell lines and primary T lymphocytes from healthy donors and PLWH. More recently, I have developed a therapeutic and prophylactic vaccine platform based on Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) incorporating a small RNA able to induce a type I interferon response (M8). The administration of VLPs-M8 in cell lines generated an antiviral state that conferred resistance against multiple viruses and elicited a therapeutic effect by inhibiting ongoing viral replication in previously infected cells. The modification of VLP surface glycoproteins allows the modulation of particle tropism, directing specific innate and adaptive immune responses in target tissues, boosting immunogenicity while minimizing off-target effects.
5 Selected publications
1. The inactivation of the Niemann Pick C1 cholesterol transporter restricts SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells by decreasing ACE2 abundance at the plasma membrane. La Rosa P, Tiberi J, Palermo E*, Stefanelli R, Tiano SML, Canterini S, Cortese M, Hiscott J, Fiorenza MT. Cell Biosci. 2024 Dec 20;14(1):148. doi: 10.1186/s13578-024-01331-4.
2. Virus-like particle – mediated delivery of the RIG-I agonist M8 induces a type I interferon response and protects cells against viral infection. Palermo E*, Alexandridi M, Di Carlo D, Muscolini M, Hiscott J. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022 Dec 14;12:1079926. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.
3. Inhibition of Glycolysis Impairs Retinoic Acid-Inducible Gene I-Mediated Antiviral Responses in Primary Human Dendritic Cells. Zevini A, Palermo E*, Di Carlo D, Alexandridi M, Rinaldo S, Paone A, Cutruzzola F, Etna MP, Coccia EM, Olagnier D, Hiscott J. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022 Jul 18;12:910864. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.910864.
*Co-first authorship
4. Dengue Virus Targets Nrf2 for NS2B3-Mediated Degradation Leading to Enhanced Oxidative Stress and Viral Replication. Ferrari M, Zevini A, Palermo E, Muscolini M, Alexandridi M, Etna MP, Coccia EM, Fernandez-Sesma A, Coyne C, Zhang DD, Marques ETA, Olagnier D, Hiscott J. J Virol. 2020 Nov 23;94(24):e01551-20. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01551-20.
5. Activation of latent HIV-1 T cell reservoirs with a combination of innate immune and epigenetic regulators. Palermo E, Acchioni C, Di Carlo D, Zevini A, Muscolini M, Ferrari M, Castiello L, Virtuoso S, Borsetti A, Antonelli G, Turriziani O, Sgarbanti M, Hiscott J. J Virol. 2019 Aug 14. pii: JVI.01194-19. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01194-19.
On-going Grants
| Project Title | Funding source | Amount (Euros) | Period | Role of the PI |
| Investigating the SARS-CoV-2 PLpro-mediated inhibition of Interferon Regulatory Factor 7 (IRF-7) signaling: from molecular analysis towards potential therapeutic targets | Istituto Pasteur Italia – Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti | 40.000 | 2025-2027 | PI (100 % of time) |
Complete list of published work in MyBibliography:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=palermo+enrico
KEYWORDS
Innate Immunity; HIV-1; SARS-CoV-2; Flaviviruses; Immunometabolism
