Franco Torrente

Franco Torrente

Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist, Lead for IBD/clinical trials

Franco completed his undergraduate and specialist training in Italy and was then appointed Consultant at the Royal Free Hospital in London. After a short spell working at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Franco joined the team at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, in 2010. He contributes to the clinical work mostly by looking after children with inflammatory bowel disease and by doing endoscopy. 

Franco contributes to the translational research programme by helping with the collection of samples, and he is also involved in the departmental clinical trials for children with inflammatory bowel disease.

Key publications

  1. Patient-derived organoid biobank identifies epigenetic dysregulation of intestinal epithelial MHC-I as a novel mechanism in severe Crohn's Disease.
    Dennison TW, Edgar RD, Payne F, Nayak KM, Ross ADB, Cenier A, Glemas C, Giachero F, Foster AR, Harris R, Kraiczy J, Salvestrini C, Stavrou G, Torrente F, Brook K, Trayers C, Elmentaite R, Youssef G, Tél B, Winton DJ, Skoufou-Papoutsaki N, Adler S, Bufler P, Azabdaftari A, Jenke A, G N, Thomas N, Miele E, Al-Mohammad A, Guarda G, Kugathasan S, Venkateswaran S, Clatworthy MR, Castro-Dopico T, Suchanek O, Strisciuglio C, Gasparetto M, Lee S, Xu X, Bello E, Han N, Zerbino DR, Teichmann SA, Nys J, Heuschkel R, Perrone F, Zilbauer M.
    Gut. 2024 Aug 8;73(9):1464-1477. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2024-332043. PMID: 38857990; PMCID: PMC11347221.
  2. Thromboprophylaxis Use in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An International RAND Appropriateness Panel.
    Torrente F, Meade S, Benchimol EI, de Ridder L, Croft NM, Kammermeier J, Mack DR, Klomberg RCW, Turner D, Wilson DC, Martín-de-Carpi J, Bronsky J, Amil Dias J, Walker G, van Ommen CH, Powar MP, Burgess N, Irving PM, Samaan MA, Hansen R.
    J Crohns Colitis. 2022 Nov 1;16(10):1609-1616.
  3. Culture-Associated DNA Methylation Changes Impact on Cellular Function of Human Intestinal Organoids.
    Edgar RD, Perrone F, Foster AR, Payne F, Lewis S, Nayak KM, Kraiczy J, Cenier A, Torrente F, Salvestrini C, Heuschkel R, Hensel KO, Harris R, Jones DL, Zerbino DR, Zilbauer M.
    Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022;14(6):1295-1310. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2022.08.008. Epub 2022 Aug 28.
  4. Venous Thromboembolism in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: When is the Right Time for Thromboprophylaxis?
    Torrente F, Hansen R.
    J Crohns Colitis. 2022 Jun 24;16(5):691-692.
  5. Transition Services for Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Multicentre Study of Practice in the United Kingdom.
    Ashton JJ, Narula P, Kiparissi F, Spray C, Wilson DC, Tayler R, Howarth L, Torrente F, Deb P, Cameron FL, Muhammed R, Paul T, Epstein J, Lawson M, Maginnis J, Zamvar V, Fagbemi A, Devadason D, Bhavsar HS, Kammermeier J, Beattie RM.
    J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2021 Aug 1;73(2):251-258
  6. Adaptations to the current ECCO/ESPGHAN guidelines on the management of paediatric acute severe colitis in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: a RAND appropriateness panel.
    Hansen R, Meade S, Beattie RM, Auth MK, Croft N, Davies P, Devadason D, Doherty C, Epstein J, Howarth L, Kiparissi F, Muhammed R, Shivamurthy V, Spray C, Stanton MP, Torrente F, Urs A, Wilson D, Irving PM, Samaan M, Kammermeier J.
    Gut. 2021 Jun;70(6):1044-1052
  7. Transcription and DNA Methylation Patterns of Blood-Derived CD8+ T Cells Are Associated With Age and Inflammatory Bowel Disease But Do Not Predict Prognosis.
    Gasparetto M, Payne F, Nayak K, Kraiczy J, Glemas C, Philip-McKenzie Y, Ross A, Edgar RD, Zerbino DR, Salvestrini C, Torrente F, Ventham NT, Kalla R, Satsangi J, Sarkies P, Heuschkel R, Zilbauer M.
    Gastroenterology. 2021 Jan;160(1):232-244.e7. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.08.017. Epub 2020 Aug 16.
  8. The landscape of somatic mutation in normal colorectal epithelial cells.
    Lee-Six H, Olafsson S, Ellis P, Osborne RJ, Sanders MA, Moore L, Georgakopoulos N, Torrente F, Noorani A, Goddard M, Robinson P, Coorens THH, O'Neill L, Alder C, Wang J, Fitzgerald RC, Zilbauer M, Coleman N, Saeb-Parsy K, Martincorena I, Campbell PJ, Stratton MR
    Nature. 2019 Oct;574(7779):532-537. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1672-7. Epub 2019 Oct 23.PMID: 31645730
  9. Early Treatment Response Predicts Outcome in Paediatric Ulcerative Colitis: GASTROENTEROLOGY: INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE.
    Gasparetto M, Wong-Spracklen V, Torrente F, Howell K, Brennan M, Noble-Jamieson G, Heuschkel R, Zilbauer M.
    J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2018 Aug;67(2):217-220.
  10. A comparison of outcomes for adults and children undergoing resection for inflammatory bowel disease: is there a difference?
    Mcmullin CM, Morton J, Vickramarajah S, Cameron E, Parkes M, Torrente F, Heuschkel R, Carroll N, Davies RJ
    ISRN Gastroenterol. 2014 Mar 27;2014:410753.
  11. Colitis-associated sclerosing cholangitis in children: a single centre experience.
    Noble-Jamieson G, Heuschkel RB, Torrente F, Hadzic N, Zilbauer M
    J Crohns Colitis. 2013 Nov;7(10): 414-8.
  12. Single port laparoscopic subtotal colectomy and ileostomy in an adolescent with ulcerative colitis.
    Chatzizacharias NA, Torrente F, Brennan M, Heuschkel R, Davies R
    J Crohns Colitis. 2012 Dec;6(10):1031-3.
  13. Use of small bowel MRI enteroclysis in the management of paediatric IBD.
    Sanka S, Gomez A, Set P, Rimareva N, Davies RJ, Rolfe P, Noble-Jamieson G, Torrente F, Heuschkel R, Zilbauer M
    J Crohns Colitis. 2012 Jun;6(5):550-6
  14. A British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition survey of the effectiveness and safety of adalimumab in children with inflammatory bowel disease.
    Russell RK, Wilson ML, Loganathan S, Bourke B, Kiparissi F, Mahdi G, Torrente F, Rodrigues A, Davies I, Thomas A, Akobeng AK, Fagbemi A, Hyer W, Spray C, Vaish S, Rogers P, McGrogan P, Heuschkel RB, Ayub N, Fell JM, Afzal NA, Green M, Murphy MS, Rao P, Shah N, Ho GT, Naik S, Wilson DC
    Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2011 Apr;33(8):946-53
  15. Intestinal alpha-defensin expression in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.
    Zilbauer M, Jenke A, Wenzel G, Goedde D, Postberg J, Phillips AD, Lucas M, Noble-Jamieson G, Torrente F, Salvestrini C, Heuschkel R, Wirth S
    Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2011 Oct;17(10):2076-86.
  16. Expression of human beta-defensins in children with chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
    Zilbauer M, Jenke A, Wenzel G, Postberg J, Heusch A, Phillips AD, Noble-Jamieson G, Torrente F, Salvestrini C, Heuschkel R, Wirth S
    PLoS One. 2010 Oct 22;5(10):e15389.