From USA to Italy for a degree in Medicine that will help transplants blood tumors

From Los Angeles to Italy to graduate in Medicine at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, in the course in English, with a thesis that will help to better select the ‘best’ donors for a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. J ohn Marra, 31, graduated with 110 cum laude, his supervisor was Andrea Bacigalupo, professor of Hematology at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Cattolica. “I am really happy and I hope to stay in Italy for the specialization,” said Marra who is likely to become a hematologist after the specialization. “The thesis compared two different types of donors – Bacigalupo explains to Adnkronos Salute – The goal of John’s work was to analyze haploidentical family donors (who share only one haplotype, so they are partially compatible) and compare them with donors fully compatible for the Hla system “, the human leukocyte antigen system. “We can say that the analysis of the data highlights a reduction of immunological complications in patients with identical Hl”, continues Bacigalupo. Marra’s thesis “has clinical relevance because it will allow us to better select the optimal donors for those who, affected by leukemia, need a transplant. Indeed, we are already following the indications of the thesis, in fact at Gemelli we choose identical Hla donors more frequently “.