The Pasteur Network Annual Meeting (PNAM) 2025

This flagship event has convened leaders, researchers, and public health experts from across the Pasteur Network and beyond, offering a platform to address today’s most pressing global health challenges.

A central focus of PNAM 2025 has been the “40 Under 40” initiative, which highlighted 40 emerging researchers under the age of 40 from across the Pasteur Network.

These young scientists led six plenary sessions, showcasing their contributions to infectious disease research, public health innovation, and global collaboration.

Enrico Palermo, our researcher under 40 at Istituto Pasteur Italia – Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, presented his project entitled “Metabolic regulation of antiviral innate immunity to Dengue virus infection”. Enrico investigates the molecular processes of the type I interferon response to viral infections and viral immune evasion strategies. His current research focuses on how the modulation of cellular metabolism affects the antiviral response to Dengue virus (DENV) infection. He found that the metabolite 4-octyl-itaconate (4-OI) impairs type I IFN response and increases DENV replication by triggering a metabolic switch from glycolysis to β-oxidation. This study aims to unveil potential viral- and host- derived early predictors of severe disease and novel therapeutic targets for DENV infection.