experts

Dr. Valentina Comunanza is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Oncology at the University of Torino. Her research interests are mainly focused on the study of tumor microenvironment with a specific interest in its role in tumor progression and response to therapy. In the last years, she focused her scientific efforts on the study of VEGF to identify cellular and molecular changes that regulate the interplay between endothelial (ECs) and immune cells. She demonstrated that VEGFA/BRAF targeting in melanoma induces the activation of innate and adaptive immunity and sensitizes tumors to receive immunotherapy, improving the understanding of the tumor biology of BRAFV600E melanoma and suggesting VEGFA as a therapeutic target.