Franco Falcone

Contact

• workRoom D03 Boots Science Building
  University Park
  Nottingham
  NG7 2RD
  UK
• work0115 8466073
• fax0115 9515102
• franco.falcone@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

I have a Degree in Biochemistry (Dipl.-Biochem.) from the University of Tübingen, and a Degree in Biology (Dipl.-Biol.), also from the University of Tübingen.

I received a PhD (Dr. rer. nat.) in Immunology from the University of Lübeck in 1996. I received two scientific awards for the work (Best Doctotral Thesis of the Year 2006). I have worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Research Centre Borstel, Germany, then obtained a Fellowship from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) which took me to Edinburgh University (Prof. R. Maizels, Prof. A. G. Rossi and Prof. J. Allen). I then worked as a Scientific Manager of the Association of Clinical Research Centers in Münster, Germany, before returning to a research career with a Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellowship which took me to Nottingham.

Teaching

Pharmaceutical Microbiology: Lectures and Course work

Hospital Sterile Production and Aseptic Dispensing

Postgraduate PCR workshop

Lead and Convenor of new Viral and Parasitic Disease Module to start in 2014

Research Summary

I have two main lines of research interests. I have been involved in human basophil research for the past decade. I have worked on optimizing protocols for the purification of this very rare… read more

Recent Publications

• RENAULT, N K, GADDIPATI, S R, WULFERT, F, FALCONE, F H, MIROTTI, L, TIGHE, P J, WRIGHT, V and ALCOCER, M J C, 2011. Multiple protein extract microarray for profiling human food-specific immunoglobulins A, M, G and E. Journal of Immunological Methods. 364(1-2), 21-32
• FALCONE, F H, KNOL, E F and GIBBS, B F, 2011. The role of basophils in the pathogenesis of allergic disease. Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 41(7), 939-47
• GENTINETTA, T, PECARIC-PETKOVIC, T, WAN, D, FALCONE, FH, DAHINDEN, CA, PICHLER, WJ and HAUSMANN, OV, 2011. Individual IL-3 Priming Is Crucial For Consistent In Vitro Activation Of Donor Basophils In Patients With Chronic Urticaria Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 128(6), 1227-1234
• FEARY, J R, VENN, A J, MORTIMER, K, BROWN, A P, HOOI, D, FALCONE, F H, PRITCHARD, D I and BRITTON, J R, 2010. Experimental hookworm infection: a randomized placebo-controlled trial in asthma. Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 40(2), 299-306

• View all publications

Current Research

I have two main lines of research interests. I have been involved in human basophil research for the past decade. I have worked on optimizing protocols for the purification of this very rare leukocyte, and studied mechanisms of alternative (non-classical) basophil activation, some of which are IgE-dependent, but do not dependent on IgE specificity. I am interested in understanding the role of basophils in innate immunity, immunity to parasites and allergy. More recently, I have been involved as a collaborator in the development of a diagnostic device which combines the analytical power of protein arrays with the biological specificity and sensitivity of live basophils. My other line of research, which is more recent and goes back to 2003, involves the study of human chitinases and chitinase-like lectins in innate immunity and diseases such as cancer. One prominent chilectin we research is YKL-40 (a.k.a. Chi3L1 or HC-gp39), which appears to play a role in particularly malignant cancers. We are also studying the role of human macrophage chitotriosidase in antimicrobial activity.

Memberships of Committees and Professional Bodies

• Member of the British Society for Immunology (BSI)
• Member of the German Society for Parasitology (DGP)
• Member of the European Histamine Research Society (EHRS)
• Member of the European Chitin Society (EUCHIS)
• Founding member of the European Mast Cell and Basophil Research Network (EMBRN)
• Member of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI)

• RENAULT, N K, GADDIPATI, S R, WULFERT, F, FALCONE, F H, MIROTTI, L, TIGHE, P J, WRIGHT, V and ALCOCER, M J C, 2011. Multiple protein extract microarray for profiling human food-specific immunoglobulins A, M, G and E. Journal of Immunological Methods. 364(1-2), 21-32
• FALCONE, F H, KNOL, E F and GIBBS, B F, 2011. The role of basophils in the pathogenesis of allergic disease. Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 41(7), 939-47
• GENTINETTA, T, PECARIC-PETKOVIC, T, WAN, D, FALCONE, FH, DAHINDEN, CA, PICHLER, WJ and HAUSMANN, OV, 2011. Individual IL-3 Priming Is Crucial For Consistent In Vitro Activation Of Donor Basophils In Patients With Chronic Urticaria Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 128(6), 1227-1234
• FEARY, J R, VENN, A J, MORTIMER, K, BROWN, A P, HOOI, D, FALCONE, F H, PRITCHARD, D I and BRITTON, J R, 2010. Experimental hookworm infection: a randomized placebo-controlled trial in asthma. Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 40(2), 299-306
• FEARY, J, VENN, A, BROWN, A, HOOI, D, FALCONE, F H, MORTIMER, K, PRITCHARD, D I and BRITTON, J, 2009. Safety of hookworm infection in individuals with measurable airway responsiveness: a randomized placebo-controlled feasibility study. Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 39(7), 1060-8
• FALCONE, FRANCO H, TELFORD, GARY, HOOI, DOREEN, BROWN, ALAN P, SEABRA, RITA, FEARY, JOHANNA, VENN, ANDREA, BRITTON, JOHN and PRITCHARD, DAVID I, 2009. Antigen-driven basophil activation is indicative of early Necator americanus infection in IgE-seronegative patients. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 124(6), 1343-50
• WANG, NAN, ADAMS, GARY, BUTTERY, LEE, FALCONE, FRANCO H and STOLNIK, SNOW, 2009. Alginate encapsulation technology supports embryonic stem cells differentiation into insulin-producing cells. Journal of Biotechnology. 144(4), 304-12
• FALCONE, F., LIN, J., RENAULT, N., HAAS, H., SCHRAMM, G., BERNARD, F. and ALCOCER, M.J.C., 2009. The Live Basophil Allergen Array (LBAA): A Pilot Study. In: FALUS, A., ed., Immunomics Reviews 2. Springer. 153-169
• GIBBS BF, STREATFIELD C and FALCONE FH, 2009. Basophils As Critical Orchestrators Of Th2-Type Immune Responses Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 5(6), 725-734
• HALL, ANDREW J, MORROLL, SHAUN, TIGHE, PATRICK, GÖTZ, FRIEDRICH and FALCONE, FRANCO H, 2008. Human chitotriosidase is expressed in the eye and lacrimal gland and has an antimicrobial spectrum different from lysozyme. Microbes and Infection. 10(1), 69-78
• BYRNE, G D, PITTER, M C, ZHANG, J, FALCONE, F H, STOLNIK, S and SOMEKH, M G, 2008. Total internal reflection microscopy for live imaging of cellular uptake of sub-micron non-fluorescent particles. Journal of microscopy. 231(1), 168-79
• GIBBS, B F, PAPENFUSS, K and FALCONE, F H, 2008. A rapid two-step procedure for the purification of human peripheral blood basophils to near homogeneity. Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 38(3), 480-5
• GIBBS, B F, PAPENFUSS, K and FALCONE, F H, 2008. A comparison of procedures for purifying human basophils to near homogeneity. Inflammation Research. 57 Suppl 1, S11-2
• GIBBS, B.F., PAPENFUSS, K. and FALCONE, F.H., 2008. A rapid two-step procedure for the purification of human peripheral blood basophils to near homogeneity. Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 38(3), 480-5
• LIN, J., RENAULT, N., HAAS, H., SCHRAMM, G., VIETHS, S., VOGEL, L., FALCONE, F.H. and ALCOCER, M.J.C., 2007. A novel tool for the detection of allergic sensitization combining protein microarrays with human basophils. <b>Clinical & Experimental Allergy</b> Blackwell Synergy. Available at: <http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/cea>
• HALL, A.J., QUINNELL, R.J., RAIKO, A., LAGOG, M., SIBA, P., MORROLL, S. and FALCONE, F.H., 2007. Allelic frequency of the 24bp mutation in human chitotriosidase (CHIT1) in a population from a hookworm-endemic region of Papua New Guinea Infection Genetics & Evolution. 7, 743-747
• FALCONE, F.H., ZILLIKENS, D. and GIBBS, B.F., 2006. The 21st Century Renaissance of the Basophil ? Current insights into their role in allergic responses and innate immunity Experimental Dermatology. 15(11), 855-64
• FALCONE, F.H. and PRITCHARD, D.I., 2005. Parasite role reversal: Worms on trial Trends in Parasitology. 21(4), 157-160
• FALCONE, F H, MORROLL, S and GIBBS, B F, 2005. Lack of protease activated receptor (PAR) expression in purified human basophils. Inflammation Research. 54 Suppl 1, S13-4
• FALCONE, FRANCO H, LOUKAS, ALEX, QUINNELL, RUPERT J and PRITCHARD, DAVID I, 2004. The innate allergenicity of helminth parasites. Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology. 26(1), 61-72
• FALCONE,F.H., 2004. Basophils and immunity to parasites: an update Revue Francaise d'Allergologie et Immunologie Clinique. 44(1), 14-22
• SCHRAMM, G., FALCONE, F.H., GRONOW, A., HAISCH, K., MAMAT, U., DOENHOFF, M.J., OLIVEIRA, G., GALLE, J., DAHINDEN, C.A. and HAAS, H., 2003. Molecular characterization of an interleukin-4-inducing factor from Schistosoma mansoni eggs. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 278(20), 18384-18392
• FALCONE, F.H., ROSSI, A.G., SHARKEY, R., BROWN, A.P., PRITCHARD, D.I. and MAIZELS, R.M., 2001. Ascaris suum-derived products induce human neutrophil activation via a G protein-coupled receptor that interacts with the interleukin-8 receptor pathway Infection and Immunity. 69(6), 4007-4018
• FALCONE, F H, PRITCHARD, D I and GIBBS, B F, 2001. Do basophils play a role in immunity against parasites? Trends in Parasitology. 17(3), 126-9
• FALCONE, F.H., LOKE, P., ZANG, X., MACDONALD, A.S., MAIZELS, R.M. and ALLEN, J.E., 2001. A Brugia malayi homolog of macrophage migration inhibitory factor reveals an important link between macrophages and eosinophil recruitment during nematode infection The Journal of Immunology. 167(9), 5348-5354
• HAISCH, K., SCHRAMM, G., FALCONE, F.H., ALEXANDER, C., SCHLAAK, M. and HAAS, H., 2001. A glycoprotein from <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> eggs binds non-antigen-specific immunoglobulin E and releases interleukin-4 from human basophils Parasite Immunology. 23(8), 427-434
• FALCONE, F H, HAAS, H and GIBBS, B F, 2000. The human basophil: a new appreciation of its role in immune responses. Blood. 96(13), 4028-38
• FALCONE, F H, TETTEH, K K, HUNT, P, BLAXTER, M L, LOUKAS, A and MAIZELS, R M, 2000. The new subfamily of cathepsin-Z-like protease genes includes Tc-cpz-1, a cysteine protease gene expressed in Toxocara canis adults and infective stage larvae. Experimental Parasitology. 94(3), 201-7
• MAIR, G, SHI, H, LI, H, DJIKENG, A, AVILES, H O, BISHOP, J R, FALCONE, F H, GAVRILESCU, C, MONTGOMERY, J L, SANTORI, M I, STERN, L S, WANG, Z, ULLU, E and TSCHUDI, C, 2000. A new twist in trypanosome RNA metabolism: cis-splicing of pre-mRNA. RNA. 6(2), 163-9
• MAIZELS, R M, HOLLAND, M J, FALCONE, F H, ZANG, X X and YAZDANBAKHSH, M, 1999. Vaccination against helminth parasites--the ultimate challenge for vaccinologists? Immunological reviews. 171, 125-47
• HAAS, H., FALCONE, F.H., SCHRAMM, G., HAISCH, K., GIBBS, B.F., KLAUCKE, J., POPPELMANN, M., BECKER, W.M., GABIUS, H.J. and SCHLAAK, M., 1999. Dietary lectins can induce in vitro release of IL-4 and IL-13 from human basophils Eur. J. Immunol. 29, 918-927 (In Press.)
• HAAS, H., FALCONE, F.H., HOLLAND, M.J., SCHRAMM, G., HAISCH, K., GIBBS, B.F., BUFE, A. and SCHLAAK, M., 1999. Early interleukin-4: Its role in the switch towards a Th2 response and lgE-mediated allergy. Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol.. 119, 86-94 (In Press.)
• GIBBS, B.F., NOLL, T., FALCONE, F.H., HAAS, H., VOLLMER, E., VOLLRATH, I., WOLFF, H.H. and AMON, U., 1997. A three-step procedure for the purification of human basophils from buffy coat blood. Inflammation Research. 46, 137-142 (In Press.)
• GIBBS, B F, HAAS, H, FALCONE, F H, ALBRECHT, C, VOLLRATH, I B, NOLL, T, WOLFF, H H and AMON, U, 1996. Purified human peripheral blood basophils release interleukin-13 and preformed interleukin-4 following immunological activation. European Journal of Immunology. 26(10), 2493-8
• FALCONE, F H, DAHINDEN, C A, GIBBS, B F, NOLL, T, AMON, U, HEBESTREIT, H, ABRAHAMSEN, O, KLAUCKE, J, SCHLAAK, M and HAAS, H, 1996. Human basophils release interleukin-4 after stimulation with Schistosoma mansoni egg antigen. European Journal of Immunology. 26(5), 1147-55
• FALCONE, F H, ZAHNER, H, SCHLAAK, M and HAAS, H, 1995. In vitro cultivation of third-stage larvae of Brugia malayi to the young adult stage. Tropical Medicine and Parasitology. 46(4), 230-4
• FALCONE, F H, SCHLAAK, M and HAAS, H, 1995. In vitro cultivation of Brugia malayi, a parasitic nematode that causes human lymphatic filariasis ALTEX. 12(4), 179-187