Bio-pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical analysis. Coordinator: Bartolini

Research themes

Subjects related to drug discovery and biomedical area

Studies on molecular bio-recognition phenomena and determination of the kinetic and thermodynamic binding parameters (k_on, k_off, K_D) by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) optical biosensor, circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopies.

Characterization of structural alterations in proteins of pharmaceutical interest by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and CD analysis.

Development of analytical tools based on immobilized enzymes and proteins for online studies (inhibition, binding, tryptic digestion and N-deglycosylation). 

Areas of study:

Characterization of protein structural modifications by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC–MS), with a specific focus on proteins acting as biomarkers of diseases associated with oxidative stress and inflammatory processes.

Screening and characterization of reversible and irreversible inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other neuroinflammatory disorders, targeting cholinesterase enzymes, β-amyloid and tau aggregation pathways, and cathepsins.

Investigation of biorecognition processes and mechanisms of action of novel compounds directed toward epigenetic targets involved in the development and progression of colorectal cancer.

Secondary structure analysis of proteins and oligonucleotides by circular dichroism spectroscopy, aimed at correlating molecular conformation, structural stability, and biological function.

Subjects related to the pharmaceutical field

Development and validation of new HPLC methods for drug and nutraceutical (dietary supplements) quality control in new formulations or in commercially available products, containing active ingredients of synthetic and/or natural origin.

The research groups in actively involved in the following PNRR projects:

• Partenariato Esteso Mnesys PNRR NextGenerationEU

Spoke N.7 - PNRR PE12 -MNESYS A multiscale integrated approach to the study of the nervous system in health and disease.

• RNA and Gene Therapy. National Research Center, PNRR NextGenerationEU

PNRR mRNA National Center for Gene Therapy and Drugs based on RNA Technology, PNRR CN MRNA- Spoke N.2- Cancer

Lab Members

Manuela Bartolini,   Full Professor 

Marina Naldi, Associate Professor 

Wendy Appiagyei Mensah, PhD Student

Rosaria Spagnuolo, PhD Student

Viviana Mitarotonda, PhD Student (in co-tutoring Dott. Uliassi)

Sara Ventura,  PhD Student

Irene Castellino, PhD Student Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action - MSCA

Kazi Ishrak Faiyaz, PhD Student Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action - MSCA

Internships projects

Internships for students belonging to CTF, Biotechnology, Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.

The topics of recent theses (undergraduated students) are available on the group's component sites.

Main publications

• M.D. Parenti, M. Naldi, E. Manoni, E. Fabini, D. Cederfelt, V.O. Talibov, V. Gressani, U. Guven, V. Grossi, C. Fasano, P. Sanese, K. De Marco, A.A. Shtil, A.V. Kurkin, A. Altieri, U.H. Danielson, G. Caretti, C. Simone, G. Varchi, M. Bartolini, A. Del Rio. Discovery of the 4-aminopiperidine-based compound EM127 for the site-specific covalent inhibition of SMYD3. Eur J Med Chem. 2022, 243, 114683. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114683. 
• A Tramarin, M Naldi, G Degani, L Lupu, P Wiegand, A Mazzolari, A Altomare, G Aldini, L Popolo, G Vistoli, M Przybylski, M Bartolini. Unveiling the molecular mechanisms underpinning biorecognition of early-glycated human serum albumin and receptor for advanced glycation end products. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2020, 412, 4245. DOI: 10.1007/s00216-020-02674-w
• M Naldi, U Černigoj, A Štrancar, M Bartolini. Towards automation in protein digestion: Development of a monolithic trypsin immobilized reactor for highly efficient on-line digestion and analysis. Talanta 2017, 167, 143. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2017.02.016 
• X Zha, D Lamba, L Zhang, Y Lou, C Xu, D Kang, L Chen, Y Xu, L Zhang, A De Simone, S Samez, A Pesaresi, J Stojan, MG Lopez, J Egea, V Andrisano, M Bartolini. Novel tacrine-benzofuran hybrids as potent multitarget-directed ligands for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and X-ray crystallography. J Med Chem 2016, 59, 114. DOI:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01119
• M Bartolini, C Bertucci, ML Bolognesi, A Cavalli, C Melchiorre, V Andrisano. Insight into the kinetic of amyloid b(1–42) peptide self-aggregation: elucidation of inhibitors’ mechanism of action. ChemBioChem 2007, 8, 2152. DOI: 10.1002/cbic.200700427