The MicroRestore project, presented by Dr. Gianluca Ianiro, has been awarded one of the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants, intended for talented young scientists who have completed their doctoral studies (PhD) no more than seven years ago. Following a rigorous selection process and an in-person interview, an international panel of experts draws up a merit ranking that rewards scientific excellence. The ERC Starting Grant—worth €1.5 million and lasting five years—is a highly prestigious recognition, that had never before been awarded to a researcher from the Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli/Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome.
MicroRestore, the project that won an ERC Starting Grant (Informed Ecological Rewiring of the Gut Microsystem for Dysbiosis Associated Disorders—focuses on the precise modulation of the gut microbiome, a topic of great current interest and expectations (in areas such as obesity, cancer, infectious and autoimmune diseases), but which still lacks solid scientific evidence.
“At present,” explains Dr. Gianluca Ianiro, researcher in Gastroenterology at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and medical consultant at the Gastroenterology Unit of Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, “there is a significant knowledge gap in the scientific literature. Much is said about microbiota testing and precision modulation of the gut microbiome, but no study has ever shown that a ‘precision’ approach provides real advantages over current practice, i.e. intervening on the microbiota without precision tools but only on the basis of symptoms. The question our research is trying to answer is therefore: do we truly need a precision medicine approach to microbiota modulation, or is a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach sufficient?”
The four steps of the research
To answer this question, the study will recruit patients with post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), that represents a precise and elegant model of dysbiosis. Researchers will analyze patients’ microbiota both during the acute phase of disease and after remission, comparing results with a control group, to identify the ‘key’ microbial species associated with acute disease.
“At this point,” continues Dr. Ianiro, “using ecological models (in silico analyses), we will evaluate what happens to the target microbial species under simulated (theorical) changes in the microbiota. This will help us generate hypotheses on possible modulation strategies—through the administration of antibiotics, or prebiotics, or even full microbiota replacement via fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).
In a second phase, we will use two pre-clinical models: an intestinal microbiota simulator (SHIME™), or ‘artificial intestine’, which allows us to observe very clearly what happens to the microbiota in vitro (in a test tube) without, however, providing us with information about the disease. To acquire additional information, we will then use an animal model (mouse) of post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Finally, after the in silico, in vitro and animal studies, our research will culminate in a randomized, controlled clinical trial in humans in which all patients with post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome will undergo microbiota analysis and will then be treated with a ‘precision’ modulation therapy—based on the algorithm we will have developed through the various pre-clinical steps of this experiment—while the control group will receive a placebo.”
The five-year project will involve the collaboration of the Microbiology Unit and the CEMAD (Center for Digestive Diseases) Translational Lab of Policlinico Gemelli, as well as international experts.
Institutional statements
“The awarding of this prestigious ERC grant to Dr. Gianluca Ianiro,” comments Professor Antonio Gasbarrini, Scientific Director of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS and Full Professor of Internal Medicine at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, “represents a historic milestone not only for our Foundation and our University, but for the entire country. It proves that Italy, too, can attract highly competitive international funding by investing in young talented researchers and innovative projects. This ERC Starting Grant is tangible proof that Gemelli and Università Cattolica are places where scientific excellence finds fertile ground and concrete prospects for growth.”
“The outstanding achievement of Dr. Ianiro confirms the leading role of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS in the study and modulation of the gut microbiome,” adds Professor Maurizio Sanguinetti, Full Professor of Microbiology at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Director of the Department of Laboratory and Hematological Sciences at Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS. “This success testifies to international leadership built on an integrated approach, from microbiota characterization to targeted therapeutic strategies—made possible also thanks to the presence in our Institution of a dedicated Unit for the preparation of material for microbiota transplantation.”
“This result,” states Professor Giovanni Cammarota, Full Professor of Gastroenterology at Università Cattolica, Director of the Gastroenterology Unit and of the FMT Center at Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, “testifies to the strength and excellence of a research line that has deep roots in our center, and has been consolidated over time through the continuous, harmonious collaboration of a cohesive and productive research team.”
“The success achieved by Dr. Ianiro with this ERC grant,” concludes Professor Alessandro Sgambato, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, “represents an extraordinary milestone for our School. It Is a recognition that rewards not only the talent and dedication of one of our young researchers, but also the quality of the academic and clinical environment in which he trained and continues to develop his scientific activity. This recognition, in fact represents the synthesis of years of synergistic collaboration between different specialties, primarily Gastroenterology and Microbiology, and demonstrates how teamwork across disciplines allows us to address complex challenges and identify new opportunities, that were once unthinkable, for the benefit of our patients. The ERC Starting Grant thus testifies to our University’s ability to compete internationally and to lead in highly innovative research areas. It also shows how the integration of research, teaching, and clinical practice—developed in synergy with Policlinico Gemelli—constitutes a powerful model for generating new knowledge. We wish Gianluca Ianiro every success as he continues on a research path that promises to have a significant impact on human health and the future of medicine.”