Ageop Ricerca

Galletti for Ageop Ricerca: together for research into the gut microbiota "Sono cavoli miei"

Every year in Italy, around 1,500 children and 700 adolescents are diagnosed with cancer. For them begins a journey of treatment, hospital stays and long periods away from home, school and everyday relationships.

For over ten years, Ageop Ricerca has supported, at the IRCCS Sant'Orsola Polyclinic in Bologna, a scientific research project dedicated to intestinal microbiota transplantation: a therapy that has already delivered significant results in children undergoing bone marrow transplants, substantially reducing rejection-related complications.

Galletti confirms its support for the "Sono Cavoli Miei" awareness campaign, promoted by Ageop for Settembre d'Oro, the international month dedicated to raising awareness of paediatric cancers. As part of the campaign, Galletti has chosen to fund the contract of Dr Livia Galletti, a nutritional biologist, engaged in scientific outreach on intestinal microbiota transplantation. The doctor supports the research through external outreach activities and, internally at the IRCCS Sant'Orsola Polyclinic in Bologna, through activities aimed at all families/protocols that include a nutritional assessment.

The research project

The research is coordinated by Prof. Riccardo Masetti of the IRCCS Sant'Orsola Polyclinic in Bologna.

Childhood cancers are predominantly genetic in origin, and the main treatments — bone marrow transplantation and chemotherapy — cause significant side effects for young patients in terms of diet and nutritional status.

The gut microbiota plays a key role in this journey: the body's different microbiomes (intestinal, skin, pulmonary...) are in balance with one another, and improving one benefits the overall wellbeing of the body. The studies and research carried out thanks to Ageop and the Sant'Orsola Polyclinic show that intestinal microbiota transplantation, in particular, can significantly reduce complications from rejection after bone marrow transplantation, substantially improving young patients' chances of recovery.

To support the research, a nutritional education programme for families has also been launched, led by Dr Livia Galletti.