We are an international, multidisciplinary team fascinated by an unexpected discovery: macrophages and monocytes carry functional Olfactory Receptors (ORs), the largest family of Gprotein–coupled receptors (GPCRs), the same receptor family that lets us smell.
These immune “noses” detect dietderived aldehydes, oxidativestress byproducts, microbial metabolites, and even tumor volatiles compounds, rewiring inflammation that drives atherosclerosis, metabolic disorders, sepsis and cancer. By pairing cutting-edge single-cell ‘omics with invivo models and cellular and molecular biology, we aim to translate chemosensory immunology into first-in-class GPCR-based therapeutics.
Marco Orecchioni, PhD
Assistant Professor
Immunology Center of Georgia
Immunology Center of Georgia
1410 Laney Walker Blvd, CN 4092
706-729-2204
A central goal of the Orecchioni Lab is to uncover how olfactory receptors modulate innateimmune behavior in disease, and to translate these insights into therapeutic strategies. We integrate CRISPR-engineered reporter mice, high-dimensional flow cytometry, CyTOF, “omics” technologies, and invivo and in vitro assays and imaging to follow OR-expressing monocytes and macrophages from blood to tissue and to chart the signaling, metabolic, and transcriptional programs they modulate.
Four projects illustrate our approach:
Natalya Resto
Puerto Rico
Adil Ijaz
Pakistan
Khalia Cummings
United States of America
Farjana Sharmen
Bangladesh
Layne Benson
United States of America
Recep Uyar
Turkey
Linda Giro
Italy