Position: Healthcare Researcher at IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna – Sant’Orsola
Academic affiliation: Former Postdoctoral Fellow at DIMEC, University of Bologna
Email: valerio.gelfo@aosp.bo.it
ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9312-8406
📚 Education and Career Overview
Valerio Gelfo holds a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of Bologna, where he carried out
preclinical research in cancer biology. He later worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Lauriola Lab,
contributing to translational oncology projects. He is currently a Healthcare Researcher at the IRCCS Sant’Orsola in Bologna,
and teaches Histology in the School of Medicine at the University of Bologna.
🔬 Research Lines
IL-1 and therapy resistance in colorectal cancer
Investigates the role of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in modulating the response to targeted therapies,
with a focus on microsatellite instable (CMS1) colorectal tumors and DNA damage response.
Studies the interaction between IL-1 and the tumor microenvironment and its potential synergy with anti-PD1 immunotherapy.
Drug-tolerant persister cells (DTPc) and adaptive resistance to anti-EGFR therapy
Uses colorectal cancer cell models (SW48, DiFi, Caco-2) to investigate tolerance mechanisms to Cetuximab
and the reversibility of the persister phenotype. Evaluates clonogenic growth, Ki-67 expression, and inflammatory signaling
in DTPc, with a focus on IL-1 as a driver of drug persistence.
Digital histology and computational analysis of the tumor microenvironment
Develops image analysis strategies for automated histopathological evaluation of tumor samples.
Integrates tools such as QuPath, Fiji, and AI-based segmentation (e.g., StarDist) to quantify necrosis,
proliferation, and immune infiltration at high resolution.
📢 Selected Publications
- Gelfo V. et al. (2024) – IL-1 signaling and therapeutic resistance in colorectal cancer. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research.
- Gelfo V. et al. (2023) – Persistence and inflammation in EGFR blockade resistance. Cancer Immunology Research.
- Gelfo V. et al. (2022) – Automated digital pathology analysis in CRC. Modern Pathology.