Diomira Luongo

Donna

Name: Diomira

Surname: Luongo

Skill: Researcher
Phone: (Office) +39 0825 299 391
Phone: (Lab) +39 0825 299 161
Fax: +39 0825 299 641
e-mail: diomira.luongo@isa.cnr.it
 
CNR People WEB Site: http://www.cnr.it/people/diomira.luongo
Keywords: 
Curriculum EN: (click here to view it)

Researcher Activities

 

My research is essentially the study of the interactions between food and the immune system in in vivo and in vitro experimental models. One of the main goals of the immunobiology group to which I belong has long been the development of a mouse model of intestinal hypersensitivity to gluten with immunological features and mucosal damage similar to those found in celiac disease, a severe form of food intolerance linked to ‘ingestion of gliadin and that manifests in genetically susceptible individuals. Only recently we were able to characterize for the first time a model of gliadin-induced enteropathy in HLA-DQ8 transgenic mice. Another line of research closely linked to the previous one is the development of protocols aimed at the detoxification of gluten for subjects intolerant to this food, through enzymatic transamidation. In addition, my research has also affected other activities, in particular

1) the assessment of immunotoxic effects of some mycotoxins,  secondary metabolites of fungal origin, frequently found as contaminants in many food substrates. The studies were conducted in different cell models, as Jurkat cells, human lymphoblastoid cell line widely used as a model of T lymphocyte, porcine lymphocytes, species particularly sensitive to the effects of studied fusariotossine and dendritic cells, considered the true orchestrators of the immune response.

2) the characterization of probiotic strains (isolates of L. gasseri) in the modulation of biological activity in vitro;
3) the evaluation of the biological effects induced in vitro by samples of carotenoids and polyphenols extracted from different food substrates;
4) the characterization of component lactobacilli / bifidobacteria microbiota from different diets, through the evaluation of the biological effects in murine dendritic cells and human cells CaCo-2, used as a model of enterocytes.

 

Key Publications

 

  • Ogita T, Bergamo P, Maurano F, D’Arienzo R, Mazzarella G,  Bozzella G,  Luongo D,  Sashihara T,  Suzuki T,  Tanabe S,  Rossi M. “Modulatory activity of Lactobacillus rhamnosus OLL2838 in a mouse model of intestinal immunopathology” 2015 Immunobiology (in press).
  • Mazzarella G, Bergamo P, Maurano F, Luongo D, Rotondi Aufiero V, Bozzella G, Palmieri G, Troncone R, Auricchio S, David CS, Rossi M. “Gliadin intake alters the small intestinal mucosa in indomethacin-treated HLA-DQ8 transgenic mice”. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2014 Jun 12.  pii: ajpgi.00002.2014. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Luongo D, Russo R, Balestrieri A, Marzocco S, Bergamo P, Severino L. “In vitro study of AFB1 and AFM1 effects on human lymphoblastoid Jurkat T-cell model”. J Immunotoxicol. 2014 Oct 22. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Luongo D, Miyamoto J, Bergamo P, Nazzaro F, Baruzzi F, Sashihara T, Tanabe S, Rossi M. “Differential modulation of innate immunity in vitro by probiotic strains of Lactobacillus gasseri.” BMC Microbiol. 2013 Dec 23;13:298. doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-298.
  • Lombardi E, Bergamo P, Maurano F, Bozzella G, Luongo D, Mazzarella G, Rotondi Aufiero V, Iaquinto G, Rossi M. “Selective inhibition of the gliadin-specific, cell-mediated immune response by transamidation with microbial transglutaminase.” J Leukoc Biol. 2013 Apr;93(4):479-88.
  • G. Mazzarella, VM . Salvati, G. Iaquinto, R. Stefanile, F. Capobianco, D. Luongo, P. Bergamo, F. Maurano, N.  Giardullo, B.  Malamisura, M. Rossi. “Reintroduction of gluten following flour transamidation in adult celiac patients: a randomized, controlled clinical study”. Clin & Dev Immunol 2012; 2012:329150. doi: 10.1155/2012/329150. Epub 2012 Jul 31.
  • D. Luongo, L. Severino, P. Bergamo, R. D’Arienzo, M. Rossi  “Trichothecenes NIV and DON modulate the maturation of murine dendritic cells”. Toxicon 2010, 55:73-80.
  • D. Luongo; R D’Arienzo; P. Bergamo; F. Maurano; M. Rossi “Immunomodulation of Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue: current perspectives.” International Reviews of Immunology 2009, 28:446-464.
  • R D’Arienzo, R Stefanile,  F. Maurano, D. Luongo, P. Bergamo, G. Mazzarella, R.Troncone, S. Auricchio, C. David, M. Rossi. “A deregulated immune response to gliadin causes a decreased villus height in DQ8 transgenic mice.” European Journal of Immunology 2009, 39:3552-3561.
  • D. Luongo, R. De Luna, R. Russo, L. Severino, “Effects of four Fusarium toxins (fumonisin B1, alpha-zearalenol, nivalenol and deoxynivalenol) on porcine whole blood cellular proliferation”. Toxicon 2008, 52:156-162.
  • R D’Arienzo, F. Maurano, D. Luongo, G. Mazzarella, R Stefanile, R.Troncone, S. Auricchio E. Ricca, C. David , M. Rossi. “Adjuvant effect of Lactobacillus casei in a mouse model of gluten sensitivity” Immunology Letters 2008, 119:78-83.
  • Bergamo P, Luongo D, Miyamoto J, Cocca E, Kishino S, Ogawa J, Tanabe S and Rossi M. Immunomodulatory activity of a gut microbial metabolite of dietary linoleic acid, 10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid, associated to improved antioxidant/detoxifying defences. 2014 J Funct Food 11:192-202 doi10.1016/j.jff.2014.10.007