Long time ICIS member, Alberto Mantovani, was recently elected into the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in recognition of his distinguished achievements in original research. See the May 3 issue of the Signals+ Newsletter for more on that honor.
This issue, we’re pleased to feature Prof. Emeritus Mantovani in the Member Highlight section and share a more personal side of our esteemed colleague. This is the first in an occasional series to feature ICIS members who have been elected to the NAS.
Please tell us your name, degree, where you currently work, and position.
Alberto Mantovani, MD, Emeritus Professor of Pathology at Humanitas University, Milan, Italy; Scientific Director at Istituto Clinico Humanitas in Milan, Italy, and Chair of Inflammation and Therapeutic Innovation, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University London, UK.
Where did you do your training?
I got my MD and Board in Oncology in Milan, Italy. So I am a physician and oncologist by training but an immunologist by vocation and choice. My training included stays in London (1974-1975, Chester Beatty Res. Institute; Royal Marsden, Sutton), Bethesda (NIH, 1978,1979) and Frederick (NIH, 1984-1985).
Briefly, what is your research about?
I have been focused on innate immunity and cancer. In that context, I have been involved in the dissection of the complexity and functions of members of the IL-1/IL-1 receptor family. I am still working on a fringe member of the family (IL-1R8) which we originally discovered. From IL-1, we moved to the discovery of the first member of the long pentraxin family (PTX3) and we are still working on it, including clinical translation. Stemming from cytokine and cancer, since the early ’80 we have been involved in the discovery and characterization of chemokines. We are currently pursuing a new chemoattractant and, in general, the dark matter of the genome (ignorome), i.e. genes of unknown function.
Tell us your thoughts about ICIS: how has being involved in the Cytokine Society help your career?
ICIS and its predecessors have played a fundamental role in my scientific career with invaluable exchange of data, ideas and general views. I had the honor of serving as ICI President and be instrumental to the birth of ICIS. I was honored by the Society with the Milstein Award in 2015.
Are there any particular friendships or collaborations that came specifically out of Cytokines meetings?
I made so many friends and collaborative interactions that it is embarassing to select a few. Here are some: Jo Van Damme, with whom we collaborated for many years; Charles Dinarello, mentoring and collaboration over many years, common passion for Opera and Verdi; Joost Oppenheim, who hosted me in Frederick; Warren Leonard who opened my mind on IL-2 receptors; Giorgio Trinchieri, who discovered IL-12, plasmacytoid DC, with whom I have now the priviledge of being elected as member of NAS. I apologize with the many I did not mention.
What Cytokines meeting(s) have been your favorites? Tell us about any special memories or anecdotes.
My favourite meetings are the international congresses of the Society, the dedicated Gordon Conferences and Keystone meetings. Together with Pietro Ghezzi I organized the international meeting in Stresa. Here are selected anecdotes: The birth of the Interleukin name in Interlaken; a conversation with Jo Oppenheim in front of a lift discussing the name “chemokines”; the chemokine nomenclature; the excitement at every birth (= molecular cloning) of a cytokine, chemokine and cognate receptors.
What do you like to do when not in the lab?
I have a large extended family with two sons, two daughters and 10 grandchildren. One of my passions is mountaineering, climbing, and ski mountaineering. I support an Italian NGO, Medici con l’Africa (Medical Doctors with Africa) CUAMM, and with them I spent time in some of the most fragile african countries (Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Mozambique).
What is the best life/career advice you’ve ever received?
“Follow your passion” my wife; “So what?” Joost Oppenheim.
What book or TV show are you reading/watching right now that you recommend?
Eshkol Nevo, Three floors up, and Katalyn Karikò, autobiography.
What is your favorite cytokine?
IL-1 superfamily, chemoattractants and the new one I am working on!