Research Projects

in Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry

Synthesis of Self-Assembled Nanoparticles and Drug Conjugates

  1. 2-Hydroxyoleic Acid as a Self-Assembly Inducer for Anti-Cancer Drug-Centered Nanoparticles
  2. Folic acid functionalization for targeting self-assembled paclitaxel-based nanoparticles
  3. Self-assembling Releasable Thiocolchicine–Diphenylbutenylaniline Conjugates
  4. Nanolipid-Trehalose Conjugates and Nano-Assemblies as Putative Autophagy Inducers

Total Synthesis of Natural Products

  1. Stereoselective Synthetic Strategies to (−)-Cannabidiol
  2. Total Synthesis of (−)-Cannabidiol-C4
  3. Recent advances in the development of CB1R selective probes

Synthesis of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro Inhibitors with Anticoronavirus Activity

  1. Synthesis of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors bearing a cinnamic ester warhead with in vitro activity against human coronaviruses
  2. Discovery of a Novel Trifluoromethyl Diazirine Inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro
  3. Recent Advances in SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors: From Nirmatrelvir to Future Perspectives

Strategies for PROTAC Development

  1. Synthesis and Preliminary Characterization of Putative Anle138b-Centered PROTACs against α-Synuclein Aggregation

New Tools for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases

  1. Retromer stabilization results in neuroprotection in a model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
  2. Synthesis and Characterization of Edaravone Analogues as Remyelinating Agents and Putative Mechanistic Probes

Development of Robust Methodologies Involving Boronic Acids

  1. Highly diastereoselective entry to chiral oxindole-based β-amino boronic acids and spiro derivatives
  2. Exploiting Enantiopure β-Amino Boronic Acids in Isocyanide-Based Multicomponent Reactions
  3. Computational Design, Synthesis, and Biophysical Evaluation of β-Amido Boronic Acids as SARS-CoV-2 Mpro Inhibitors
  4. Enantiopure β-isocyano-boronic esters: synthesis and exploitation in isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions

Chemoselective Methodologies for the Functionalization of Pyridine and other N-Hetherocycles

  1. Late-Stage Functionalisation of Pyridine-Containing Bioactive Molecules: Recent Strategies and Perspectives

Biochemical Modulation of D-Asp Metabolism in Brain

  1. Human D-aspartate Oxidase: A Key Player in D-aspartate Metabolism

…and soon to be started:

  • Intestinal organoid-based models for drug discovery in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (MUR- PRIN 2022)
  • Validation of therapeutic candidates targeting HMGB1 to counteract muscular dystrophy (Telethon Round 3 2023, submitted)