Marco Colonna

Marco Colonna identified key transcriptional programs distinguishing ILC subsets in tumor versus normal tissues, revealing that the tumor microenvironment drives unique ILC states not observed in homeostatic conditions, including a dysfunctional ILC1 population with upregulated inhibitory receptors and reduced cytotoxicity. His discovery of TREM receptors and their role in myeloid-ILC crosstalk demonstrated how tumor-associated macrophages modulate ILC anti-tumor functions through cell-cell contact and soluble mediators. He has characterized novel ILC surface markers enabling therapeutic targeting of specific ILC populations in cancer.