biography
I was born in Medellín (Colombia) in 1979, but I grew up in Pescara (Italy). I graduated from the University of Milan (Italy) with a degree in Biological Sciences (Molecular Biology) in 2003. Then, I received my PhD degree in Gene and Cell Therapy at the University of Navarra (Spain) in 2010. Currently, I am a Senior Research Fellow in the Cardiovascular Molecular Imaging laboratory – Division of Cardiovascular Diseases – at Mayo Clinic, Rochester (MN, USA). In 2013, I have been awarded with an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship. In July 2015, my work has been selected amongst the finalists to the 2015 ISSNAF (Italian Scholars and Scientists of North America Foundation) Young Investigator Award.
Area of Interest
My research focuses on the translational application of novel stem cell therapies and molecular imaging to investigate the biology of transplanted stem cells. These studies encompass experiments on animal models of cardiovascular and renovascular diseases.
Regenerative medicine
Stem cell
Stem cell biology
Molecular imaging
Atherosclerosis
Myocardial infarction
Renovascular hypertension
Polycystic Kidney disease
Oxidative stress
top publication
1. Aoki, T, Rodriguez-Porcel, M, Matsuo, Y, Cassar, A, Franchi, F, Gulati, R, Kushwaha, SS, Lennon, RJ,Lerman, LO, Ritman, EL, Lerman, A. Evaluation of Microchannel Volume Using 3D Coronary Optical Coherence Tomography – Animal and Human Studies. Atherosclerosis 2015 Jan 20;239(1):203-208.doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2015.01.016. (Pubmed).
2. Franchi, F, Peterson, KM, Xu, R, Miller, B, Psaltis, PJ, Harris, PC, Lerman, LO, Rodriguez-Porcel, M.Mesenchymal stromal cells improve renovascular function in Polycystic Kidney Disease. Cell Transplant 2014 Oct 6 (Pubmed).
3. Franchi F, Ezenekwe, A, Wellkamp, L, Peterson, KM, Lerman, LO, Rodriguez-Porcel, M. Renin inhibition improves the survival of mesenchymal stromal cells in a mouse model of myocardial infarction. J Cardiovasc Transl Res 2014 Aug; 7(6):560-9. doi: 10.1007/s12265-014-9575-3. (Pubmed).
4. Peterson KM, Franchi F, Loeffler DL, Psaltis PJ, Harris PC, Lerman LO, Lerman A, Rodriguez-Porcel M.Endothelial dysfunction occurs prior to clinical evidence of polycystic kidney disease. Am J Nephrol.2013;38(3):233-40. doi: 10.1159/000354236. (Pubmed).
5. Franchi F, Knudsen BE, Oehler E, Textor SC, Lerman LO, Grande JP, Rodriguez-Porcel M. Non-invasiveassessment of cardiac function in a mouse model of renovascular hypertension. Hypertens Res. 2013 Sep;36(9):770-5. doi: 10.1038/hr.2013.43. (Pubmed). Federico Franchi - Resume !2
6. Psaltis PJ, Peterson KM, Xu R, Franchi F, Witt T, Chen IY, Lerman A, Simari RD, Gambhir SS,Rodriguez-Porcel M. Noninvasive monitoring of oxidative stress in transplanted mesenchymal stromal cells. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2013 Jul;6(7):795-802. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2012.11.018. (Pubmed).
7. Xu R*, Franchi F*, Miller B, Crane JA, Peterson KM, Psaltis PJ, Harris PC, Lerman LO, Rodriguez-Porcel M. Polycystic kidneys have decreased vascular density: a micro-CT study. Microcirculation. 2013 Feb;20(2):183-9. doi: 10.1111/micc.12022. (Pubmed).
8. M. Barajas*, F. Franchi*, C. Clavel, X.L. Aranguren, M.G. Kramer, G. Abizanda, J. Merino, C. Moreno,L. Gárate, A. Guitart, I. Narvaiza, M. Gutiérrez-Perez, J.I. Riezu-Boj, C. Berasain, J. Prieto, and F.Prósper. Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cells (MAPC) contribute to hepatocarcinoma neovasculature.
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 364 (2007) 92-9. (Pubmed). 9. J. Nogales, R. Macchi, F. Franchi, D. Barzaghi, C. Fernandez, J.L. Garcia, G. Bertoni, and E. Diaz.Characterization of the last step of the aerobic phenylacetic acid degradation pathway. Microbiology 153 (2007) 357-65 (Pubmed).