Francesco Michelassi

Assistant Professor, Neurology

gsg6tr@uvahealth.org

 

 

Research Interests

Neuronal Vulnerability

Peripheral Neuropathy

Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

 

Research Description

As a newly appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia, my research focuses on understanding the biological mechanisms underlying the selective vulnerability of peripheral neurons to genetic and toxic insults, with the ultimate goal of developing disease-modifying therapies.

A central focus of my work is paclitaxel, a widely used chemotherapeutic agent known to cause sensory peripheral neuropathy. I aim to elucidate the pathological mechanisms driving paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy and identify the initial site along the neuron where paclitaxel exerts its neurotoxic effects, leading to axonal degeneration. To address these questions, I employ an integrative approach that combines mouse behavioral analysis, immunohistochemistry, confocal imaging, primary neuronal cultures, and analysis of human tissue samples collected from patients undergoing chemotherapy.

In addition, I am pursuing a translational research program targeting other causes of peripheral neuropathy, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease and idiopathic peripheral neuropathy. By collecting blood and skin samples from affected individuals, I plan to conduct multi-omics analyses and generate patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to investigate disease pathophysiology at a cellular and molecular level.

Looking ahead, I intend to initiate several clinical studies, including trials aimed at pharmacologic prevention of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), as well as a natural history study of idiopathic peripheral neuropathy.