Professor Francesco Dell’Accio profile page

Professor Francesco Dell’Accio is a rheumatologist and a scientist who focuses on the molecular mechanisms underpinning cartilage and bone regeneration. Three of the discovered molecules are currently in the translational pipeline. Dell’Accio graduated in medicine and specialized in rheumatology at the University of Bari, Italy. In 1997, he moved to Leuven, Belgium, where he obtained his PhD. During this time, he contributed to the development of the first cell-based product approved by the EMEA for the repair of cartilage injuries. In 2003, Dell’Accio moved to the UK to start his independent investigator career. Since then, he has investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving the reparative responses in musculoskeletal tissues, with an emphasis on the early molecular responses to cartilage injury and how these regulate the morphogenesis of the regenerating tissues. The Dell’Accio laboratory is particularly well known for discovering that molecular pathways that drive the embryonic joint morphogenesis in adulthood are re-activated to activate joint tissue regeneration. His current research aims at translating these findings into therapeutics for cartilage regeneration and osteoarthritis.