Riccardo Cortese

Riccardo Cortese received his medical degree in 1968 from the University of Naples, Italy. Shortly after, he joined the lab of Bruce Ames at the University of California Berkeley as a PhD student, where he studied transcriptional regulation and RNA post-transcriptional modification in bacteria. In 1973, he returned to Naples as an assistant professor at the Institute of Biochemistry of the II Medical School, where he pursued research efforts investigating post-transcriptional modifications of tRNA dealing in particular with tRNA pseudouridylation.{{Cite journal|date=1972|title=Mutant tRNAHis ineffective in repression and lacking two pseudouridine modifications|journal=Nature New Biology|doi=10.1038/newbio238072a0|pmid=4558263|last1=Singer |first1=Cliff E. |last2=Smith |first2=Gerald R. |last3=Cortese |first3=Riccardo |last4=Ames |first4=Bruce N. |volume=238 |issue=81 |pages=72–74 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1974|title=Biosynthesis of pseudouridine in transfer Ribonucleic Acid|journal=Journal of Biological Chemistry|doi=10.1016/S0021-9258(19)42947-5|pmid=4592259|doi-access=free|last1=Cortese |first1=Riccardo |last2=Kammen |first2=Harold O. |last3=Spengler |first3=Sylvia J. |last4=Ames |first4=Bruce N. |volume=249 |issue=4 |pages=1103–1108 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1974|title=Pleiotrophy of hisT mutants blocked in pseudouridine synthesis in tRNA: leucine and isoleucine-valine operons|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States|doi=10.1073/pnas.71.5.1857|pmid=4151955|pmc=388341|bibcode=1974PNAS...71.1857C|doi-access=free|last1=Cortese |first1=Riccardo |last2=Landsberg |first2=Raymond |last3=Vonder Haar |first3=R. A. |last4=Umbarger |first4=H. E. |last5=Ames |first5=Bruce N. |volume=71 |issue=5 |pages=1857–1861 |display-authors=1 }}

In 1976 he took a post-doctoral position at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, where he forged lasting professional relationships with leading figures in Molecular biology, including Max Perutz, John Gurdon, Fred Sanger and Sydney Brenner. While at the MRC, his research focus was the maturation of tRNAs in eukaryotic systems.{{Cite journal|date=1979|title=Transcription of cloned tRNA genes and the nuclear partitioning of a tRNA precursor|journal=Cell|doi=10.1016/0092-8674(79)90229-0|pmid=391407|s2cid=6018125|last1=Melton |first1=D.A. |last2=Cortese |first2=R. |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=1165–1172 |display-authors=1 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal|date=1980|title=Transcription of tRNA genes in vivo: Single-stranded compared to double-stranded templates|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|doi=10.1073/pnas.77.7.4147|pmid=7001455|pmc=349787|bibcode=1980PNAS...77.4147C|doi-access=free|last1=Cortese |first1=R. |last2=Harland |first2=R. |last3=Melton |first3=D. |volume=77 |issue=7 |pages=4147–4151 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1980|title=Order and intracellular location of the events involved in the maturation of a spliced tRNA|journal=Nature|doi=10.1038/284143a0|pmid=6987526|bibcode=1980Natur.284..143M|s2cid=4234355|last1=Melton |first1=D. A. |last2=De Robertis |first2=E. M. |last3=Cortese |first3=R. |volume=284 |issue=5752 |pages=143–148 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1982|title=Site-directed mutagenesis of a tRNA gene: base alterations in the coding region affect transcription|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|doi=10.1073/pnas.79.5.1388|pmid=6951183|pmc=345978|bibcode=1982PNAS...79.1388C|doi-access=free|last1=Ciampi |first1=M. S. |last2=Melton |first2=D. A. |last3=Cortese |first3=R. |volume=79 |issue=5 |pages=1388–1392 |display-authors=1 }}

In 1979 Cortese was recruited as Group Leader at the EMBL-Heidelberg, and subsequently established and directed the Gene Expression Programme (now the Genome Biology Unit).{{citation needed|date=March 2022 }}

During this period, Cortese and his lab published numerous seminal papers on the transcriptional regulation of RNA polymerase III-transcribed genes{{Cite journal|date=1982|title=Promoter of a eukaryotic tRNAPro gene is composed of three noncontiguous regions|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|doi=10.1073/pnas.79.4.1195|pmid=6951168|pmc=345928|bibcode=1982PNAS...79.1195C|doi-access=free|last1=Ciliberto |first1=G. |last2=Castagnoli |first2=L. |last3=Melton |first3=D. A. |last4=Cortese |first4=R. |volume=79 |issue=4 |pages=1195–1199 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1982|title=Relationship between the two components of the split promoter of eukaryotic tRNA genes|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|doi=10.1073/pnas.79.6.1921|pmid=6952243|pmc=346093|bibcode=1982PNAS...79.1921C|doi-access=free|last1=Ciliberto |first1=G. |last2=Traboni |first2=C. |last3=Cortese |first3=R. |volume=79 |issue=6 |pages=1921–1925 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1982|title=A novel method for site-directed mutagenesis: its application to an eukaryotic tRNAPro gene promoter|journal=The EMBO Journal|doi=10.1002/j.1460-2075.1982.tb01184.x|pmid=6329678|pmc=553061|last1=Traboni |first1=C. |last2=Ciliberto |first2=G. |last3=Cortese |first3=R. |volume=1 |issue=4 |pages=415–420 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1982|title=A prokaryotic tRNATyr gene, inactive in Xenopus laevis oocytes, is activated by recombination with a eukaryotic tRNAPro gene|journal=The EMBO Journal|doi=10.1002/j.1460-2075.1982.tb01253.x|pmid=6329706|pmc=553115|last1=Dente |first1=L. |last2=Fasano |first2=O. |last3=Costanzo |first3=F. |last4=Traboni |first4=C. |last5=Ciliberto |first5=G. |last6=Cortese |first6=R. |volume=1 |issue=7 |pages=817–820 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1983|title=Common and interchangeable elements in the promoters of genes transcribed by RNA polymerase III|journal=Cell|doi=10.1016/0092-8674(83)90058-2|pmid=6299574|s2cid=6357594|last1=Ciliberto |first1=G. |last2=Raugei |first2=G. |last3=Costanzo |first3=F. |last4=Dente |first4=L. |last5=Cortese |first5=R. |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=725–733 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1984|title=Mutations in Box B of the promoter of a eucaryotic tRNAPro gene affect rate of transcription, processing, and stability of the transcripts|journal=Cell|doi=10.1016/0092-8674(84)90087-4|pmid=6559106|s2cid=33914591|last1=Traboni |first1=C. |last2=Ciliberto |first2=G. |last3=Cortese |first3=R. |volume=36 |issue=1 |pages=179–187 |display-authors=1 }} and on liver-specific gene expression. To identify gene products enriched in the liver, he undertook the first ever direct DNA sequencing experiment on tissue-specific cDNAs libraries.{{Cite journal|date=1983|title= Cloning of several cDNA segments coding for human liver proteins|journal=The EMBO Journal|doi=10.1002/j.1460-2075.1983.tb01380.x|pmid=11894909 |pmc=555086 |s2cid=9467631|last1= Costanzo|first1= F.|last2= Castagnoli|first2= L.|last3= Dente|first3= L.|last4= Arcari|first4= P.|last5= Smith|first5= M.|last6= Costanzo|first6= P.|last7= Raugei|first7= G.|last8= Izzo|first8= P.|last9= Pietropaolo|first9= T.C.|last10= Bougueleret|first10= L.|last11= Cimino|first11= F.|last12= Salvatore|first12= F.|last13= Cortese|first13= R.|volume= 2|issue= 1|pages= 57–61|display-authors=1 }}

In 1990, Cortese left EMBL to found and direct the Istituto di Ricerche di Biologia Molecolare (IRBM) in Pomezia (Rome, Italy), a joint venture between Merck and Sigma Tau, where he remained until 2006. In 2000, Merck bought out the shares it did not own in IRBM, making it a fully owned subsidiary.{{citation needed|date=March 2022 }}

At IRBM, Cortese created an internationally renowned research center with approximately 200 employees. IRBM's research focus was the development of drugs and vaccines for the treatment of infectious diseases. He used Phage display technology to isolate peptides for diagnostic and vaccination purposes.{{Cite journal|date=1994|title=A general strategy to identify mimotopes of pathological antigens using only random peptide libraries and human sera|journal=The EMBO Journal|doi=10.1002/j.1460-2075.1994.tb06501.x|pmid=7514533|pmc=395079|last1=Folgori |first1=A. |last2=Tafi |first2=R. |last3=Meola |first3=A. |last4=Felici |first4=F. |last5=Galfré |first5=G. |last6=Cortese |first6=R. |last7=Monaci |first7=P. |last8=Nicosia |first8=A. |volume=13 |issue=9 |pages=2236–2243 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1995|title=Identification of biologically active peptides using random libraries displayed on phage|journal=Current Opinion in Biotechnology|doi=10.1016/0958-1669(95)80012-3|pmid=7534506|last1=Cortese |first1=Riccardo |last2=Monaci |first2=Paolo |last3=Nicosia |first3=Alfredo |last4=Luzzago |first4=Alessandra |last5=Felici |first5=Franco |last6=Galfré |first6=Giovanni |last7=Pessi |first7=Antonello |last8=Tramontano |first8=Anna |last9=Sollazzo |first9=Maurizio |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=73–80 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1995|title=Derivation of vaccines from mimotopes. Immunologic properties of Human Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen mimotopes displayed on filamentous phage|journal=The Journal of Immunology|pmid=7534789|last1=Meola |first1=A. |last2=Delmastro |first2=P. |last3=Monaci |first3=P. |last4=Luzzago |first4=A. |last5=Nicosia |first5=A. |last6=Felici |first6=F. |last7=Cortese |first7=R. |last8=Galfrè |first8=G. |volume=154 |issue=7 |pages=3162–3172 |doi=10.4049/jimmunol.154.7.3162 |s2cid=42441516 |display-authors=1 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal|date=1996|title=Coupling protein design and in vitro selection strategies: improving specificity and affinity of a designed β-protein IL-6 antagonist|journal=Journal of Molecular Biology|doi=10.1006/jmbi.1996.0008|pmid=8568877|last1=Martin |first1=Franck |last2=Toniatti |first2=Carlo |last3=Salvati |first3=Anna Laura |last4=Ciliberto |first4=Gennaro |last5=Cortese |first5=Riccardo |last6=Sollazzo |first6=Maurizio |volume=255 |issue=1 |pages=86–97 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite book|date=1996|title=Combinatorial Chemistry|series=Methods in Enzymology|doi=10.1016/S0076-6879(96)67008-6|pmid=8743312|isbn=9780121821685|last1=Galfrè |first1=Giovanni |last2=Monaci |first2=Paolo |last3=Nicosia |first3=Alfredo |last4=Luzzago |first4=Alessandra |last5=Felici |first5=Franco |last6=Cortese |first6=Riccardo |chapter=Immunization with phage-displayed mimotopes |volume=267 |pages=109–115 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1996|title=Nonrheumatoid IgM in Human Hepatitis C Virus-Associated Type II Cryoglobulinemia Recognize Mimotopes of the CD4-Like LAG-3 Protein|journal=The Journal of Immunology|pmid=8871676|last1=Mecchia |first1=M. |last2=Casato |first2=M. |last3=Tafi |first3=R. |last4=Filocamo |first4=G. |last5=Bonomo |first5=L. |last6=Fiorilli |first6=M. |last7=Cortese |first7=R. |last8=Migliaccio |first8=G. |last9=Nicosia |first9=A. |volume=157 |issue=8 |pages=3727–3736 |doi=10.4049/jimmunol.157.8.3727 |s2cid=21887161 |display-authors=1 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal|date=1996|title=Identification of peptides specific for cerebrospinal fluid antibodies in multiple sclerosis by using phage libraries|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|doi=10.1073/pnas.93.20.11063|pmid=8855309|pmc=38284|bibcode=1996PNAS...9311063C|doi-access=free|last1=Cortese |first1=I. |last2=Tafi |first2=R. |last3=Grimaldi |first3=L. M. |last4=Martino |first4=G. |last5=Nicosia |first5=A. |last6=Cortese |first6=R. |volume=93 |issue=20 |pages=11063–11067 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1998|title=Towards a solution for hepatitis C virus hypervariability: mimotopes of the hypervariable region 1 can induce antibodies cross-reacting with a large number of viral variants|journal=The EMBO Journal|doi=10.1093/emboj/17.13.3521|pmid=9649423|pmc=1170689|last1=Puntoriero |first1=G. |volume=17 |issue=13 |pages=3521–3533}}{{excessive citations inline|date=March 2022 }}

A substantial research effort at IRBM was in drug discovery aimed at identifying inhibitors of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), a virus that had been recently discovered but not yet fully characterized. The work at IRBM elucidated key features of the HCV replication cycle{{Cite journal|date=1994|title=Both NS3 and NS4A are required for proteolytic processing of hepatitis C virus nonstructural proteins|journal=Journal of Virology|doi=10.1128/jvi.68.6.3753-3760.1994|pmid=8189513|pmc=236880|last1=Failla |first1=C. |last2=Tomei |first2=L. |last3=De Francesco |first3=R. |volume=68 |issue=6 |pages=3753–3760 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1996|title=Identification and properties of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of hepatitis C virus|journal=The EMBO Journal|doi=10.1002/j.1460-2075.1996.tb00329.x|pmid=8598194|pmc=449913|last1=Behrens |first1=S. E. |last2=Tomei |first2=L. |last3=De Francesco |first3=R. |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=12–22 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=1998|title=Product inhibition of the hepatitis C virus NS3 protease|journal=Biochemistry|doi=10.1021/bi980313v|pmid=9636031|last1=Steinkühler |first1=Christian |last2=Biasiol |first2=Gabriella |last3=Brunetti |first3=Mirko |last4=Urbani |first4=Andrea |last5=Koch |first5=Uwe |last6=Cortese |first6=Riccardo |last7=Pessi |first7=Antonello |last8=De Francesco |first8=Raffaele |volume=37 |issue=25 |pages=8899–8905 |display-authors=1 }} and infection mechanisms{{Cite journal|date=2002|title=The human scavenger receptor class B type I is a novel candidate receptor for the hepatitis C virus|journal=The EMBO Journal|doi=10.1093/emboj/cdf529|pmid=12356718|pmc=129051|last1=Scarselli |first1=Elisa |last2=Ansuini |first2=Helenia |last3=Cerino |first3=Raffaele |last4=Roccasecca |first4=Rosa Maria |last5=Acali |first5=Stefano |last6=Filocamo |first6=Gessica |last7=Traboni |first7=Cinzia |last8=Nicosia |first8=Alfredo |last9=Cortese |first9=Riccardo |last10=Vitelli |first10=Alessandra |volume=21 |issue=19 |pages=5017–5025 |display-authors=1 }} and positioned the IRBM among the leading research centers in the field of HCV. This work would later inform the development of a novel class of antiretroviral agents, HIV integrase inhibitors, and ultimately of an approved drug product, Isentress, the first anti-integrase of HIV to reach the market.{{Cite journal|date=2004|title=Discovery of alpha,gamma-diketo acids as potent selective and reversible inhibitors of hepatitis C virus NS5b RNA-dependent RNA polymerase|journal=Journal of Medicinal Chemistry|doi=10.1021/jm0342109|pmid=14695815|last1=Summa |first1=Vincenzo |last2=Petrocchi |first2=Alessia |last3=Pace |first3=Paola |last4=Matassa |first4=Victor G. |last5=De Francesco |first5=Raffaele |last6=Altamura |first6=Sergio |last7=Tomei |first7=Licia |last8=Koch |first8=Uwe |last9=Neuner |first9=Philippe |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=14–17 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=2004|title=HCV NS5b RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitors: from alpha,gamma-diketoacids to 4,5-dihydroxypyrimidine- or 3-methyl-5-hydroxypyrimidinonecarboxylic acids. Design and synthesis|journal=Journal of Medicinal Chemistry|doi=10.1021/jm0494669|pmid=15481971|last1=Summa |first1=Vincenzo |last2=Petrocchi |first2=Alessia |last3=Matassa |first3=Victor G. |last4=Taliani |first4=Marina |last5=Laufer |first5=Ralph |last6=De Francesco |first6=Raffaele |last7=Altamura |first7=Sergio |last8=Pace |first8=Paola |volume=47 |issue=22 |pages=5336–5339 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=2007|title=From dihydroxypyrimidine carboxylic acids to carboxamide HIV-1 integrase inhibitors: SAR around the amide moiety|journal=Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters|doi=10.1016/j.bmcl.2006.10.054|pmid=17107799|last1=Petrocchi |first1=Alessia |last2=Koch |first2=Uwe |last3=Matassa |first3=Victor G. |last4=Pacini |first4=Barbara |last5=Stillmock |first5=Kara A. |last6=Summa |first6=Vincenzo |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=350–353 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=2004|title=A naphthyridine carboxamide provides evidence for discordant resistance between mechanistically identical inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|doi=10.1073/pnas.0402357101|pmid=15277684|pmc=509174|doi-access=free|last1=Hazuda |first1=Daria J. |last2=Anthony |first2=Neville J. |last3=Gomez |first3=Robert P. |last4=Jolly |first4=Samson M. |last5=Wai |first5=John S. |last6=Zhuang |first6=Linghang |last7=Fisher |first7=Thorsten E. |last8=Embrey |first8=Mark |last9=Guare |first9=James P. |last10=Egbertson |first10=Melissa S. |last11=Vacca |first11=Joseph P. |last12=Huff |first12=Joel R. |last13=Felock |first13=Peter J. |last14=Witmer |first14=Marc V. |last15=Stillmock |first15=Kara A. |last16=Danovich |first16=Robert |last17=Grobler |first17=Jay |last18=Miller |first18=Michael D. |last19=Espeseth |first19=Amy S. |last20=Jin |first20=Lixia |last21=Chen |first21=I-Wu |last22=Lin |first22=Jiunn H. |last23=Kassahun |first23=Kelem |last24=Ellis |first24=Joan D. |last25=Wong |first25=Bradley K. |last26=Xu |first26=Wei |last27=Pearson |first27=Paul G. |last28=Schleif |first28=William A. |last29=Cortese |first29=Riccardo |last30=Emini |first30=Emilio |volume=101 |issue=31 |pages=11233–11238 |display-authors=1 }}

In his last years at IRBM, Cortese oversaw the development of a new approach to vaccines based on chimpanzee adenoviral vectors.{{Cite journal|date=2006|title=A T-cell based HCV vaccine eliciting effective immunity against heterologous virus challenge in chimpanzees|journal=Nature Medicine|doi=10.1038/nm1353|pmid=16462801|s2cid=24882355|last1=Folgori |first1=A. |last2=Capone |first2=S. |last3=Ruggeri |first3=L. |last4=Meola |first4=A. |last5=Sporeno |first5=E. |last6=Ercole |first6=B. B. |last7=Pezzanera |first7=M. |last8=Tafi |first8=R. |last9=Arcuri |first9=M. |last10=Fattori |first10=E. |last11=Lahm |first11=A. |last12=Luzzago |first12=A. |last13=Vitelli |first13=A. |last14=Colloca |first14=S. |last15=Cortese |first15=R. |last16=Nicosia |first16=A. |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=190–197 |display-authors=1 }} This became the founding idea of Okairos, a biotech company that he founded in 2007 upon leaving IRBM.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

With Okairos, Cortese made major scientific contributions, establishing a successful pipeline of candidate vaccines against HCV, malaria, RSV and Ebola. These vaccines were tested in animal models and in clinical trials, demonstrating safety and immunogenicity{{Cite journal|date=2012|title=Novel Adenovirus-Based Vaccines Induce Broad and Sustained T Cell Responses to HCV in Man|journal=Science Translational Medicine|doi=10.1126/scitranslmed.3003155|pmid=22218690|pmc=3627207|last1=Barnes |first1=Eleanor |last2=Folgori |first2=Antonella |last3=Capone |first3=Stefania |last4=Swadling |first4=Leo |last5=Aston |first5=Stephen |last6=Kurioka |first6=Ayako |last7=Meyer |first7=Joel |last8=Huddart |first8=Rachel |last9=Smith |first9=Kira |last10=Townsend |first10=Rachel |last11=Brown |first11=Anthony |last12=Antrobus |first12=Richard |last13=Ammendola |first13=Virginia |last14=Naddeo |first14=Mariarosaria |last15=o'Hara |first15=Geraldine |last16=Willberg |first16=Chris |last17=Harrison |first17=Abby |last18=Grazioli |first18=Fabiana |last19=Esposito |first19=Maria Luisa |last20=Siani |first20=Loredana |last21=Traboni |first21=Cinzia |last22=Oo |first22=Ye |last23=Adams |first23=David |last24=Hill |first24=Adrian |last25=Colloca |first25=Stefano |last26=Nicosia |first26=Alfredo |last27=Cortese |first27=Riccardo |last28=Klenerman |first28=Paul |volume=4 |issue=115 |pages=115ra1 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=2012|title=Vaccine Vectors Derived from a Large Collection of Simian Adenoviruses Induce Potent Cellular Immunity Across Multiple Species|journal=Science Translational Medicine|doi=10.1126/scitranslmed.3002925|pmid=22218691|pmc=3627206|last1=Colloca |first1=Stefano |last2=Barnes |first2=Eleanor |last3=Folgori |first3=Antonella |last4=Ammendola |first4=Virginia |last5=Capone |first5=Stefania |last6=Cirillo |first6=Agostino |last7=Siani |first7=Loredana |last8=Naddeo |first8=Mariarosaria |last9=Grazioli |first9=Fabiana |last10=Esposito |first10=Maria Luisa |last11=Ambrosio |first11=Maria |last12=Sparacino |first12=Angela |last13=Bartiromo |first13=Marta |last14=Meola |first14=Annalisa |last15=Smith |first15=Kira |last16=Kurioka |first16=Ayako |last17=o'Hara |first17=Geraldine A. |last18=Ewer |first18=Katie J. |last19=Anagnostou |first19=Nicholas |last20=Bliss |first20=Carly |last21=Hill |first21=Adrian V. S. |last22=Traboni |first22=Cinzia |last23=Klenerman |first23=Paul |last24=Cortese |first24=Riccardo |last25=Nicosia |first25=Alfredo |volume=4 |issue=115 |pages=115ra2 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=2014|title=Chimpanzee adenovirus vaccine generates acute and durable protective immunity against ebolavirus challenge|journal=Nature Medicine|doi=10.1038/nm.3702|pmid=25194571|s2cid=20712490|last1=Stanley |first1=Daphne A. |last2=Honko |first2=Anna N. |last3=Asiedu |first3=Clement |last4=Trefry |first4=John C. |last5=Lau-Kilby |first5=Annie W. |last6=Johnson |first6=Joshua C. |last7=Hensley |first7=Lisa |last8=Ammendola |first8=Virginia |last9=Abbate |first9=Adele |last10=Grazioli |first10=Fabiana |last11=Foulds |first11=Kathryn E. |last12=Cheng |first12=Cheng |last13=Wang |first13=Lingshu |last14=Donaldson |first14=Mitzi M. |last15=Colloca |first15=Stefano |last16=Folgori |first16=Antonella |last17=Roederer |first17=Mario |last18=Nabel |first18=Gary J. |last19=Mascola |first19=John |last20=Nicosia |first20=Alfredo |last21=Cortese |first21=Riccardo |last22=Koup |first22=Richard A. |last23=Sullivan |first23=Nancy J. |volume=20 |issue=10 |pages=1126–1129 |display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=2014|title=A human vaccine strategy based on chimpanzee adenoviral and MVA vectors that primes, boosts, and sustains functional HCV-specific T cell memory|journal=Science Translational Medicine|doi=10.1126/scitranslmed.3009185|pmid=25378645|pmc=4669853|last1=Swadling |first1=Leo |last2=Capone |first2=Stefania |last3=Antrobus |first3=Richard D. |last4=Brown |first4=Anthony |last5=Richardson |first5=Rachel |last6=Newell |first6=Evan W. |last7=Halliday |first7=John |last8=Kelly |first8=Christabel |last9=Bowen |first9=Dan |last10=Fergusson |first10=Joannah |last11=Kurioka |first11=Ayako |last12=Ammendola |first12=Virginia |last13=Del Sorbo |first13=Mariarosaria |last14=Grazioli |first14=Fabiana |last15=Esposito |first15=Maria Luisa |last16=Siani |first16=Loredana 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Christabel|last4= Brown|first4= Anthony|last5= Capone|first5= Stefania|last6= Ansari|first6= M.|last7= Bonsall|first7= David|last8= Richardson|first8= Rachel|last9= Hartnell|first9= Felicity|last10= Collier|first10= Jane|last11= Ammendola|first11= Virginia|last12= Del Sorbo|first12= Mariarosaria|last13= von Delft|first13= Annette|last14= Traboni|first14= Cinzia|last15= Hill|first15= Adrian|last16= Colloca|first16= Stefano|last17= Nicosia|first17= Alfredo|last18= Cortese|first18= Riccardo|last19= Klenerman|first19= Paul|last20= Folgori|first20= Antonella|last21= Barnes|first21= Eleanor|volume= 4|issue= 3|page= 27|pmid= 27490575|pmc= 5041021|display-authors=1 }}{{Cite journal|date=2020|title= Optimising T cell (Re)boosting strategies for adenoviral and modified vaccinia Ankara vaccine regimens in humans|journal=npj Vaccines|doi=10.1038/s41541-020-00240-0|last1= Capone|first1= Stefania|last2= Brown|first2= Anthony|last3= Hartnell|first3= Felicity|last4= Sorbo|first4= Mariarosaria Del|last5= Traboni|first5= Cinzia|last6= Vassilev|first6= Ventzislav|last7= Colloca|first7= Stefano|last8= Nicosia|first8= Alfredo|last9= Cortese|first9= Riccardo|last10= Folgori|first10= Antonella|last11= Klenerman|first11= Paul|last12= Barnes|first12= Eleanor|last13= Swadling|first13= Leo|volume= 5|page= 94|pmid= 33083029|pmc= 7550607|display-authors=1 }}{{excessive citations inline|date=March 2022 }}

The success of Okairos led to its acquisition by Glaxo-Smith Kline (GSK) in 2013; from that date the company changed its name to ReiThera, and continued independent work in the further development and manufacture of viral vector-based therapeutics and vaccines.

In 2015, Cortese founded a new company, Nouscom, dedicated to the generation of anti-cancer vaccines.

During his career, Cortese received many academic and professional recognitions. Among others, he was elected member of the Academia Europaea; associate foreign member of the Academie des Sciences; elected Member of the Council of the European Molecular Biology Organization; President of the Italian Society of Life Science (FISV); and recipient of the Assobiotec Award in 2017.

Cortese died in Basel, Switzerland on April 27, 2017, of metastatic cancer. He was survived by his wife of almost 50 years, Karen Jonkman, two children, and five grandchildren.

{{Reflist}}

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• {{cite web | last1=Hasani | first1=Ilire | last2=Hoffmann | first2=Robert | title=Cortese Riccardo | website=Academy of Europe | date=April 27, 2017 | url=https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Cortese_Riccardo}}
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• {{google scholar id|W2XN_rYAAAAJ }}
• {{cite web | title=Obituary: EMBL alumnus Riccardo Cortese sadly passes away | website=EMBL | date=May 8, 2017 | url=https://www.embl.org/news/alumni/1705-obituary-riccardo-cortese/ }}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cortese, Riccardo}}

Category:1944 births

Category:2017 deaths

Category:Italian molecular biologists

Category:Italian immunologists

Category:Italian virologists

Category:People from Siena