Alessio Fasano

Alessio Fasano is an Italian-born medical doctor, pediatric gastroenterologist and researcher. He currently holds many roles, including professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and professor of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, both in Boston. He serves as director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) and co-director of the Harvard Medical School Celiac Research Program. In addition, he is director of the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center at MGHfC, where he oversees a research program with approximately 50 scientists and staff researching a variety of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, including cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, enteric infections and necrotizing enterocolitis. A common theme of these programs is the study of the emerging role of the gut microbiome in health and disease. Dr. Fasano is also the scientific director of the European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno (EBRIS) in Italy. Along with these leadership positions, he is a practicing outpatient clinician in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition and the division chief.

Education

After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Naples School of Medicine in Italy (medicine and surgery), Fasano undertook intensive medical internships and residency in pediatrics, emergency medicine, and pediatric social medicine. After completing his final internship in 1993, he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD as an associate professor, became a professor of pediatrics, medicine, and physiology in 1996, and remained in teaching roles at the university for over 20 years. He founded the Center for Celiac Research in 1996, which he moved to Massachusetts General Hospital in 2003. He is still an active professor of pediatrics and nutrition.

Work

Fasano began his career as a pediatric gastroenterologist interested in treating debilitating diarrhea, as well as a researcher determined to find a vaccine for cholera. He was responsible for the discovery of several new enterotoxins involved in the diarrheal pathogenesis of several pathogens, including Shigella, E. coli, and V. cholerae. These discoveries led to the engineering of attenuated enteric vaccines, some of them currently used in clinical practice.

The course of this research path eventually led him and his team to the “serendipitous” discovery of zonulin in 2000, a protein responsible for regulating intestinal tight-junctions (and the over secretion of which causes “leaky-gut”). His major research focus then shifted to the study of intestinal permeability, the pathophysiology of the paracellular pathway, and how disruption of gut barrier function factors into chronic inflammatory disease development.

His current research focuses include intestinal mucosal biology and immunology, the gut microbiome, and bacterial pathogenesis, as well as the immune host response. His clinical specialty lays in gluten-related disorders (celiac disease, wheat allergy, non-celiac gluten sensitivity) as well as other autoimmune and inflammatory disorders (diabetes mellitus type 1, autism, schizophrenia, and others).

Ultimately, Fasano is a dedicated physician who aspires to improve the quality of life for patients affected by disorders around the biological and immune functions of the intestinal mucosa.

Impact

Fasano is considered an expert and pioneering researcher worldwide in the field of celiac disease and bacterial pathogenesis. Not only did he found the premier celiac research center in the United States, but the impact of his more than 300 peer-reviewed journal publications and 160 patents has greatly shaped and advanced the knowledge of a multitude of chronic inflammatory diseases and immune diseases.

Throughout his career, he has prioritized and advocated for his patients by disseminating his research to the general public along with expansive outreach efforts. He often collaborates with celiac support organizations and government agencies to work toward this goal, and actively participates in fundraising efforts for the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment. He is the author of multiple books and has been featured in journals, magazines and interviews for the general public.

He has published numerous groundbreaking research studies, including the 2000 discovery of the zonulin protein and its regulation and modulation of intestinal permeability. In 2003, he published the results of the epidemiological study that demonstrated the prevalence of celiac disease in the U.S. to be far higher than previously thought, at a rate of 1 in 133 persons. His work also contributed to the development of an anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) diagnostic test for celiac disease, that is part of standard diagnostic testing for celiac disease.

Awards

Fasano has received several awards for his work. Some notable awards include:  

1998, 2002, 2003	Teacher of the Year	University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD	Teaching
2004	Physician Hero, Health Care Hero Award	The Daily Record, Baltimore, MD	Health care
2006	Innovator of the Year	The Daily Record, Baltimore, MD	Research
2006	Best Academic/Industry Collaboration, Bioscience Award	Greater Baltimore Committee, Baltimore, MD	Translational science
2006	Entrepreneur of the Year Award	University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD	Translating science to business
2008	Magister Insignis	La Nuova Scuola Medica Salernitana, Salerno, Italy	Excellence in clinical and translational research
2009	President’s Faculty Research Lecturer of the Year Award	University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD	Top researcher of the year
2010	Arnold Silverman, M.D. Lectureship in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition	University of Colorado, Denver, CO	Research and clinical care
2011	Kopelman Lecture	Canadian Association of Gastroenterology, Oakville, Ontario, Canada	Research
2012	Harry Shwachman Award	North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Flourtown, PA	Major lifelong scientific and/or educational contributions to the field of pediatric gastro-enterology, hepatology and nutrition in North America
2013	Linus Pauling Award for Functional Medicine	The Institute for Functional Medicine, Federal Way, WA	Visionary scientific contributions
2013	International Award Scuola Medica Salernitana	Salerno Medical School, Salerno, Italy	Visionary scientific contributions
2014	Paul Harris Fellow	Rotary Foundation, Rotary International, Salerno, Italy	Significant contributions in research and promoting international cooperation
2015	W. Allan Walker, MD Endowed Chair	Massachusetts General Hospital	Pediatric service in the Gastroenterology and Nutrition Division
2019	Traveling Genius Award	Giordano Bruno Guerri, president and general director of the Fondazione il Vittoriale degli Italiani	Significant scientific contributions over several decades

Book Publications

• Fast Facts. Celiac Disease. By Fasano A, Holmes G, Catassi C. Oxford: Health Press, 2009.
• Gluten Freedom. By Fasano A, Flaherty S. Wiley, 2014.
• Senza glutine. La celiachia non si cura, si gestisce (in Italian). By Fasano A. Mondadori, 2017.
• Se libérer du gluten: Le guide référence de la sensibilité au gluten et de la maladie coeliaque (Essai-Santé) (French Edition). By Fasano A. Marabout, 2017.
• A Clinical Guide to Gluten-Related Disorders Paperback. By Fasano A. LWW, 2013.
• Frontiers in Celiac Disease. By Fasano A, Troncone R, Branski D, eds. S. Karger Publishers, 2008.
• From Ptolemaus to Copernicus: The Evolving System of Gluten-Related Disorder. By Catassi C, Fasano A. Mdpi AG, 2018.
• Dieta Sem Glúten - Um Guia Essencial Para Uma Vida Saudável (in Portuguese). By Fasano A, Flaherty S, Rocha B. Madras, 2015.

Journal Publications

Fasano has authored (or co-authored) over 300 peer-reviewed publications. Some high-impact publications include:

• Fasano, Alessio; Not, Tarcisio; Wang, Wenle; Uzzau, Sergio; Berti, Irene; Tommasini, Alberto; Goldblum, Simeon E (April 2000). "Zonulin, a newly discovered modulator of intestinal permeability, and its expression in coeliac disease". The Lancet. 355 (9214): 1518–1519. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(00)02169-3.
• Fasano, Alessio; Catassi, Carlo (February 2001). "Current approaches to diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease: An evolving spectrum". Gastroenterology. 120 (3): 636–651. doi:10.1053/gast.2001.22123.
• Fasano, Alessio; Berti, Irene; Gerarduzzi, Tania; Not, Tarcisio; Colletti, Richard B.; Drago, Sandro; Elitsur, Yoram; Green, Peter H. R.; Guandalini, Stefano; Hill, Ivor D.; Pietzak, Michelle; Ventura, Alessandro; Thorpe, Mary; Kryszak, Debbie; Fornaroli, Fabiola; Wasserman, Steven S.; Murray, Joseph A.; Horvath, Karoly (10 February 2003). "Prevalence of Celiac Disease in At-Risk and Not-At-Risk Groups in the United States". Archives of Internal Medicine. 163 (3): 286. doi:10.1001/archinte.163.3.286.
• Hill, Ivor D.; Dirks, Martha H.; Liptak, Gregory S.; Colletti, Richard B.; Fasano, Alessio; Guandalini, Stefano; Hoffenberg, Edward J.; Horvath, Karoly; Murray, Joseph A.; Pivor, Mitchell; Seidman, Ernest G. (January 2005). "Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Celiac Disease in Children: Recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition". Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 40 (1): 1–19.
• Drago, Sandro; El Asmar, Ramzi; Di Pierro, Mariarosaria; Grazia Clemente, Maria; Sapone, Amit Tripathi Anna; Thakar, Manjusha; Iacono, Giuseppe; Carroccio, Antonio; D'Agate, Cinzia; Not, Tarcisio; Zampini, Lucia; Catassi, Carlo; Fasano, Alessio; Fasano, A (26 August 2009). "Gliadin, zonulin and gut permeability: Effects on celiac and non-celiac intestinal mucosa and intestinal cell lines". Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. 41 (4): 408–419. doi:10.1080/00365520500235334. PMID 16635908.
• Catassi, Carlo; Fabiani, Elisabetta; Iacono, Giuseppe; D'Agate, Cinzia; Francavilla, Ruggiero; Biagi, Federico; Volta, Umberto; Accomando, Salvatore; Picarelli, Antonio; De Vitis, Italo; Pianelli, Giovanna; Gesuita, Rosaria; Carle, Flavia; Mandolesi, Alessandra; Bearzi, Italo; Fasano, Alessio (January 2007). "A prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to establish a safe gluten threshold for patients with celiac disease". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 85 (1): 160–166. doi:10.1093/ajcn/85.1.160.
• Fasano, Alessio (August 2009). "Surprises from Celiac Disease". Scientific American. 301 (2): 54–61. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0809-54. PMID 19634568.
• Fasano, Alessio (2012). "Zonulin, regulation of tight junctions, and autoimmune diseases". Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1258 (1): 25–33. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06538.x. PMC 3384703.
• Sapone, Anna; Lammers, Karen M; Casolaro, Vincenzo; Cammarota, Marcella; Giuliano, Maria Teresa; De Rosa, Mario; Stefanile, Rosita; Mazzarella, Giuseppe; Tolone, Carlo; Russo, Maria Itria; Esposito, Pasquale; Ferraraccio, Franca; Cartenì, Maria; Riegler, Gabriele; de Magistris, Laura; Fasano, Alessio (9 March 2011). "Divergence of gut permeability and mucosal immune gene expression in two gluten-associated conditions: celiac disease and gluten sensitivity". BMC Medicine. 9: 23. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-9-23. PMC 3065425.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)

External Links

• Harvard Medical School https://hms.harvard.edu/
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/
• Center for Celiac Research and Treatment https://www.massgeneral.org/children/celiac-disease
• MassGeneral Hospital for Children https://www.massgeneral.org/children
• Harvard Medical School Celiac Research Program https://hms.harvard.edu/departments/hms-celiac-research-program
• Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center https://www.massgeneral.org/children/mucosal-immunology
• European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno https://www.ebris.eu/home-english
• University of Naples School of Medicine https://www.italymedicalschools.com/university-of-napoli-federico-ii/
• University of Maryland School of Medicine https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/
• Massachusetts General Hospital https://www.massgeneral.org/