Recent highlights:

Ex vivo characterization of antigen-specific CD8 T cells is crucial but often limited by expansion bottlenecks. We identify p16^INK4A as a key regulator of TCR-dependent and homeostatic proliferation. CRISPR/Cas9 deletion of CDKN2A rescues proliferation and improves IFN-γ secretion while maintaining TCR-dependency, enabling robust expansion for functional characterization and clinical applications.

From Fiori et al., EJI 2026, https://doi.org/10.1002/eji.70224

List of selected publications:

• Optimizing CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in primary human hematopoietic cells to advance studies into HIV biology. Chen HR, Kadzioch NP, Gapp M, Yang HH, Ruhle A, Villamizar Cujar J, Fuchs T, Schmacke NA, Hornung V, Speck RF, Keppler OT & Albanese M. bioRxiv 2026. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.08.05.741689

• Cell senescence emerges as a hallmark and therapeutic target of chronic intracellular infection. Scarpa E, Oliveri D, Rondelli D, Chernichero C, Russo F, Nodari R, Moschetti G, Griego A, Zaccaria M, Di Marco F, Saliu F, Marchello G, Cannella F, Albanese M, Cidonio G, Manganaro L, Cirillo DM, De Francesco R, Abrignani S, Di Micco R, Lorè NI, Rizzello L. Nature Communications 2026, 17, 9896. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76651-9

• CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Knockout Reveals a Nonredundant Role for p16INK4A in Controlling TCR-Dependent and Independent CD8 T Cell Expansion. Fiori S, Adragna C, Malvicini E, Basini T, Galgano D, Scarpa E, Jovic S, Schmacke NA, Hornung V, Sallusto F, Bruno L, Lanzavecchia A & Albanese M.
  European Journal of Immunology 2026,  https://doi.org/10.1002/eji.70224

• A vesicle-based platform for high-efficiency, high-viability CRISPR/Cas9 knockout in primary human myeloid cells Fiori S, Russo M, Randon A, Ferraro AN, Schmidt TJN, Pinca E, Elnady RKMA, Castello Serrano I, Capasso P, Mahfoud A, Moschetti G, Scarpa E, Schmacke NA, Hornung V, Tagawa T, Papa G, Albanese M.
  Preprint Biorxiv 2025, doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.28.696771

• A rapid and robust luciferase-based reporter system to assess SARS-CoV-2 protease activity.
  Lucini Paioni A, Donnici L, Nodari R, Longo Minnolo M, Ferraro A, Alberico A , Brindisi M, Mejías Pérez E, Keppler OT , Summa V , Guidotti LG , Albanese M & De Francesco R
  Virology 2025, doi:10.1016/j.virol.2025.110659

• Autoantibody-enhanced, CD32-driven trogocytosis creates functional plasticity of immune cells and is hijacked by HIV-1 to infect resting CD4 T cells.
  Albanese M, Chen HR, Gapp M, Muenchhoff M, Yang H-H, Peterhoff D, Hoffmann K, Xiao Q, Ruhle A, Ambiel I, Schneider S, Mejías-Pérez E, Stern M, Wratil PR, Hofmann K, Amann L, Jocham L, Fuchs T, Ulivi AF, Besson-Girard S, Weidlich S, Schneider J, Spinner C, Sutter K, Dittmer U, Humpe A, Baumeister P, Wieser A, Rothenfusser S, Bogner J, Roider J, Knolle P, Hengel H, Wagner R, Laketa V, Fackler O, Keppler O.
  Cell Reports Medicine 2024, Volume 5, Issue 4, 16 April 2024, 101483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101483

• Strategies of Epstein-Barr virus to evade innate antiviral immunity of its human host.
  Albanese M, Tagawa T, and Hammerschmidt W.
  Frontiers in Microbiology 2022. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.955603

• Rapid, efficient and activation-neutral gene editing of polyclonal primary human resting CD4+ T cells allows complex functional analyses.
  Albanese M, Ruhle A, Mittermaier J, Mejías-Pérez E, Gapp M, Linder A, Schmacke NA, Hofmann K, Hennrich AA, Levy DN, Humpe A, Conzelmann KK, Hornung V, Fackler OT, Keppler OT.
  Nature Methods 2022. doi: 10.1038/s41592-021-01328-8.

• Three exposures to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 by either infection or vaccination elicit superior neutralizing immunity to all variants of concern.
  Wratil PR, Stern M, Priller A, Willmann A, Almanzar G, Vogel E, Feuerherd M, Cheng CC, Yazici S, Christa C, Jeske S, Lupoli G, Vogt T, Albanese M, Mejías-Pérez E, Bauernfried S, Graf N, Mijocevic H, Vu M, Tinnefeld K, Wettengel J, Hoffmann D, Muenchhoff M, Daechert C, Mairhofer H, Krebs S, Fingerle V, Graf A, Steininger P, Blum H, Hornung V, Liebl B, Überla K, Prelog M, Knolle P, Keppler OT, Protzer U.
  Nature Medicine 2022. doi: 10.1038/s41591-022-01715-4.

• LFA1 and ICAM1 are critical for fusion and spread of murine leukemia virus in vivo.
  Engels M, Falk L, Albanese M, Keppler OT, Sewald X.
  Cell Reports 2022. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110279.

• MicroRNAs are minor constituents of extracellular vesicles that are rarely delivered to target cells.
  Albanese M, Chen YA, Hüls C, Gärtner K, Tagawa T, Mejias-Perez E, Keppler O, Göbel C, Zeidler R, Shein M, Schütz A, Hammerschmidt W. PLoS Genetics 2021. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009951.

• Highly efficient CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene knockout in primary human B cells for functional genetic studies of Epstein-Barr virus infection.
  Akidil E, Albanese M, Buschle A, Ruhle A, Keppler OT, Hammerschmidt W.
  PLoS Pathog. 2021. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009117.

• microRNAs of Epstein-Barr virus control innate and adaptive anti-viral immunity.
  Albanese M, Tagawa T, Buschle A and Hammerschmidt W.
  Journal of Virology 2017. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01667-16.

• Epstein-Barr virus miRNAs mediate escape from CD8+ T cell recognition.
  Albanese M, Tagawa T, Bouvet M, Lutter D, Hoser J, Hastreiter M, Hayes M, Sugden B, Martin LK, Moosmann A, and Hammerschmidt W.
  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 2016. doi:10.1073/pnas.1605884113.

• Epstein-Barr Viral miRNAs inhibit antiviral CD4+ T cell responses targeting IL-12 and antigen presentation.
  Tagawa T, Albanese M, Bouvet M, Mautner J, Heissmeyer V., Zielinski C., Lutter D., Hoser J., Hastreiter M., Hayes M., Sugden B., Martin L.K., Moosmann A., and Hammerschmidt W.
  The Journal of Experimental Medicine 2016. doi: 10.1084/jem.20160248