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Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology - FABIT

Medicinal Chemistry - Natural products’ inspired molecules. Coordinator: Bisi

Design and synthesis of bioactive small molecules, as potential drug candidates, based on oxa- and azaheterocyclic scaffolds, related to different classes of natural compounds (such as flavonoids and coumarins)

Areas: Drug discovery and development

Research themes

Research involves the design and synthesis of bioactive small molecules as potential drug candidates. Scaffolds are mainly oxa- and azaheterocycles, related to different classes of natural products. These molecules can be considered as privileged structures and carriers that, when differently functionalized with appropriate pharmacophore moieties, can tailor the activity towards one or more targets involved in complex pathologies.

Main research themes are related to the development of molecules able to modulate the activities of:

  • targets involved in the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as cholinesterases, kinases, FAAH and cannabinoids receptors, trascription factor Nrf-2
  • enzymes involved in tumor progression and multiple drug resistance (MDR)
  • key enzymes for the development of tropical parasitic diseases such as malaria, leishmanial infections and trypanosomiasis

Lab Members

Alessandra Bisi , Associate Professor 

Silvia Gobbi , Associate Professor 

Federica Belluti, Associate Professor 

Alessia Da Fermo, PhD Student

Internship projects

Internship for the preparation of a degree thesis has a duration 6 months and involves the synthesis, purification and structural characterization of bioactive small molecules. The student takes part in one of the ongoing projects of the research group, in particular neurodegeneration, tumor or parasitic neglected diseases. 4/6 positions are available per year.

Main publications

  • Orioli, R.; Sarno, G.; Seghetti, F.; Gobbi, S.; Belluti, F.; Feoli, A.; Massenzio, F.; Monti, B.; Spagnuolo, R.; Bartolini, M.; Castellano, S.; Bisi, A. (2025) “Exploiting acylaminopyrazole scaffold for polypharmacology approach in Alzheimer's disease”, Eur J Med Chem, 295: 11799. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.117799
  • Seghetti F, Ocello R, Bisi A, Masetti M, Gobbi S, Falchi F, Gentilomi GA, Bonvicini F, Belluti F. (2025) “Alkyl Tail Variation on Chalcone-Based Quaternary Pyridinium Salts as Rule-of-Thumb for Antimicrobial Activity”, Arch Pharm (Weinheim), 358(5):e70003. doi: 10.1002/ardp.70003.
  • De Lorenzi E., Seghetti F., Tarozzi A., Pruccoli L., Contardi C., Serra M., Bisi A., Gobbi S., Vistoli G., Gervasoni S., Argentini C., Ghirardo G., Guarato G., Orso G., Belluti F., Di Martino R.M.C., Zusso M. (2023) "Targeting the multifaceted neurotoxicity of Alzheimer's disease by tailored functionalisation of the curcumin scaffold”. Eur J Med Chem. 252: 115297. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115297
  • Caciolla J., Martini S., Spinello A., Belluti F., Bisi A., Zaffaroni N., Magistrato A., Gobbi S. (2022) “Single-digit nanomolar inhibitors lock the aromatase active site via a dualsteric targeting strategy”. Eur J Med Chem. 244:114802. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114802

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