Raffaele De Caro

Medical doctor specialised in Pathology and Forensic Medicine. Full professor of Human Anatomy from 2000. He personally made over 10000 cadaver dissections for research and teaching.  Scientific activity devoted to embryogenesis of cerebral vessels, the nuclei of the human medulla, clinical anatomy and forensic clinical anatomy.

The neuroanatomical group is focused mainly in understanding the anatomical organization of the central nervous system, through an integrated approach based on brain cutting, histological and immunohistichemical methods, morphometric analysis and radiological techinques.

The following projects are underway at our laboratory:
- an interactive atlas of the ex-vivo human brain employing ultra-high field 7T MRI with anatomo-microscopical validation and 3D reconstruction of both MRI scans and histological sections.
- topographical studies of nuclei of the brainstem
- topographical studies of subtalamic nucleus related to PD

Case Report: The Carotid Body in COVID-19: Histopathological and Virological Analyses of an Autopsy Case Series.
Porzionato A, Emmi A, Contran M, Stocco E, Riccetti S, Sinigaglia A, Macchi V, Barzon L, De Caro R.
Front Immunol. 2021 Oct 26;12:736529. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.736529.

Sympathetic activation: a potential link between comorbidities and COVID-19.
Porzionato A, Emmi A, Barbon S, Boscolo-Berto R, Stecco C, Stocco E, Macchi V, De Caro R.
FEBS J. 2020 Sep;287(17):3681-3688. doi: 10.1111/febs.15481.

The potential role of the carotid body in COVID-19.
Porzionato A, Emmi A, Stocco E, Barbon S, Boscolo-Berto R, Macchi V, De Caro R.
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2020 Oct 1;319(4):L620-L626.

Impairment of human dopaminergic neurons at different developmental stages by perfluoro-octanoic acid (PFOA) and differential human brain areas accumulation of perfluoroalkyl chemicals.
Di Nisio A, Pannella M, Vogiatzis S, Sut S, Dall'Acqua S, Rocca MS, Antonini A, Porzionato A, De Caro R, Bortolozzi M, Toni L, Foresta C.
Environ Int. 2022 Jan;158:106982. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106982.

3D Reconstruction of the Morpho-Functional Topography of the Human Vagal Trigone.
Emmi A, Porzionato A, Contran M, De Rose E, Macchi V, De Caro R.
Front Neuroanat. 2021 Apr 16;15:663399. doi: 10.3389/fnana.2021.663399.

Anatomy and Connectivity of the Subthalamic Nucleus in Humans and Non-human Primates.
Emmi A, Antonini A, Macchi V, Porzionato A, De Caro R.
Front Neuroanat. 2020 Apr 22;14:13. doi: 10.3389/fnana.2020.00013.