The University of Malta announced its ongoing research in collaboration with the University of Palermo, in the fields of baldness and cancer immunotherapy for pets.

Researchers, headed by Prof. Pierre Schembri-Wismayer are developing a therapeutic immunotherapy option for pets whose cancer has spread. This is being planned with local vet Trevor Zammit, but needs to be expanded further for more significant results. A tumour in a pet rat which was treated in this manner, resulted in dissolution of much of the tumour. Histological analysis in the lab of Prof. Francesco Cappello, University of Palermo, confirmed loss of tumour tissue, increased blood supply of the tumour and increased scar (healing) tissue. The researchers helping in this study included a number of graduate and undergraduate students who prepared the tumour vaccine from the pet tumours. 

The University of Malta’s collaboration has received the financial support provided by the Malta Council for Science and Technology’s Internationalisation Partnership Awards Scheme. Using these funds, the researchers from both universities have visited the other’s labs and carried out some new experiments.

During a visit to Palermo, one of the Masters students at Prof. Schembri-Wismayer’s lab, Roberta Camilleri was trained on the immunohistochemistry and histochemistry of the hair follicles. The MCST funds also helped buy a number of the expensive consumables required for these tests. Samples are further being analysed using sophisticated ORBI-TRAP technology by Prof. Giampiero La Rocca in Palermo to indicate possible differences between balding and non-balding skin.

This research in male pattern balding (alopecia) and in tumour immunotherapy has benefitted from the significant histopathological expertise of the Palermo lab. The synergy and blending of skills allows for better and higher quality publications in fields of common interest.

This visit to Malta by Prof. Cappello and Prof. La Rocca brings to an end this MCST-sponsored collaboration. During the visit, Prof. Cappello will be updating local researchers on his most recent work on heat shock proteins. However, the main part of this visit will be taken up with a reviewing of new results and discussing how to proceed with the next stage of these two research projects. 

Previous collaborations, between the Maltese lab with Prof. Francesco Cappello and his team at the Sezione di Anatomia Umana, Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche at the Università degli Studi di Palermo have resulted in publications in the fields of dental biomaterials and heat shock proteins.