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Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology - FABIT

Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group. Coordinator: Blasi

Development of biocompatible and biodegradable nanomaterials for site-specific delivery of drugs and diagnostic agents through encapsulation. Applications include the transport of anticancer and Alzheimer’s therapeutics across the blood–brain barrier and the targeted delivery to bacterial biofilms.

Areas: Drug discovery and development Neuroscience Nutrition and health
Nanoparticles targeting the central circadian clock. From Le Meur et al., Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews. 220 (2025) 1-19. 10.1016/j.addr.2025.115561

Research Themes

Development of Advanced Nanomaterials for the Eradication of Bacterial Biofilms and Drug-Resistant Infections. Innovative platform to combat chronic infections and antimicrobial resistance through selective interaction with Z-DNA in the extracellular matrix of bacterial biofilms (BactEradiX).

Development of Nanoparticles for Innovative Alzheimer’s Therapies by Modulating the Circadian Rhythm. Design of nanomaterials able to cross the blood–brain barrier and deliver compounds into the brain parenchyma to modulate the circadian rhythm, a key factor in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease. The project also includes pharmacoeconomic studies and market access strategies to support the development and dissemination of innovative medicines for the treatment of the disease.

Lab Members

Paolo Blasi,  Associate professor

Isabella Orienti, Full Professor 

Elisa Corazza, Postdoctoral fellow (Topic: Advanced Nanomaterials - BactEradiX)

Lucrezia Galassi,  PhD Student (Topic: Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles)

Marion Le Meur, PhD Student (Topic: Nanoparticles to target circadian clock dysfunctions in Alzheimer’s disease - TClock4AD)

Xue Wu, PhD Student (Topic: Health Economics in Alzheimer’s disease - TClock4AD)

Martina D’Alessandro, PhD Student (Topic: Advanced Nanomaterials - BactEradiX)

Sara Calistri, PhD Student (Topic: Advanced biomaterials)

Elisabetta Donati, Research Scholar (Topic: Solid oral dosage form manipulation)

Internship Projects 

Development of drug delivery/targeting systems (2 positions/year).

Main Publications

  • Le Meur, M., Pignatelli, J., Blasi, P. and Palomo, V. (2025). “Nanoparticles targeting the central circadian clock: Potential applications for neurological disorders” Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews 220: 1-19 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2025.115561
  • Spinozzi, F., Moretti, P., Perinelli, D.R., Corucci, G., Piergiovanni, P., Amenitsch, H., Sancini, G.A., Franzese, G. and Blasi, P. (2024). “Small-angle X-ray scattering unveils the internal structure of lipid nanoparticles” Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 662: 446-459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2024.02.076
  • Galassi, L., Rossi, M., Lodeserto P., Lenzi, M., Borsetti, F., Voltattorni, M., Farruggia, G., Blasi, P. and Orienti, I. (2023). “Naxitamab activity in neuroblastoma cells is enhanced by nanofenretinide and nanospermidine” Pharmaceutics 15: article 648 https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15020648
  • Albertini, B., Mathieu, V., Iraci, N., Van Woensel, M., Schoubben, A., Donnadio, A., Greco, S.M.L., Ricci, M., Temperini, A., Blasi P. and Wauthoz, N. (2019). “Tumor targeting by peptide decorated gold nanoparticles” Molecular Pharmaceutics 16: 2430-2444 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b00047
  • Dal Magro, R., Albertini, B., Beretta, S., Rigolio, R., Donzelli, E., Chiorazzi, A., Ricci, M., Blasi, P. and Sancini, G. (2018). “Artificial apolipoprotein corona enables nanoparticle brain targeting” Nanomedicine 14(2): 429-438 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2017.11.008

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