Supported Projects
PRIN 2022 – “AntiReTub” – An ANTIbody drug conjugate approach to face multidrug REstistant TUBerculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease transmitted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Mtb infection may result in active tuberculosis or in latent infection. After Mtb exposure, macrophages and dendritic cells phagocytize bacteria. Mtb can resist intracellular destruction and establish infection leading to granuloma formation where the bacteria reside and persist for a long time, providing a safe shelter for Mtb, rather than being a host-protective containment. Mtb induces damages in lung tissue, taking advantage from its ability to survive inside macrophages. A quarter of the human population is latently infected by TB. Because of COVID-19, WHO reported a disruption of TB services. This situation raises concerns of future TB rebounds, increasing risk of multidrug- resistant (MDR) TB. So, new alternative strategies are needed to fight MDR-TB. For this aim, in this project we want to: face TB/MDR-TB by the eradication of intramacrophage Mtb by using an Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC) approach; develop a robust method not limited to Mtb but using it as model for the identification of suitable antigens to obtain active ADCs. In fact, ADC technology has been efficiently applied in cancer therapy with 11 molecules actually approved. The PI’s group recently demonstrated that it is not mandatory to anchor a cytotoxic molecule to the monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs) to have an active ADC. Moreover, it is possible to have epigenetic modulation by using ADCs containing inhibitors of Hystone Deacetylase (HDAc) as drugs. These findings opened to the application of ADCs to different diseases beyond cancer. A single example is reported in the literature where an ADC contains an antibiotic for the treatment of S. aureus infections. The development of ADCs active for the treatment of Mtb infections, including MDR, is a very innovative powerful approach. The identification of suitable antigens, allowing the Mtb recognition by the ADC and facilitating the intracellular uptake of Mtb by macrophages, still remains challenging. Today, only a few, well characterized mAbs specific for cell-wall associated Mtb antigens are commercially available (i.e. anti-PstS1 and anti-Mpt83 mAbs), and they are not necessarily the best ones for the development of our ADCs. To overcome all issues related with the selection and production of new mAbs (an extremely time consuming and expensive procedure), we here propose a method to identify interesting Mtb antigens suitable for ADCs development relying on the expression (by recombinant Mtb strains) of modified selected Mtb surface antigens containing tag sequences (hemagglutinin HA epitope), which are recognized by commercial anti-HA-specific mAbs. The anti-PstS1, anti- Mpt83, and the anti-HA mAbs will be charged with different payloads (i.e. recently approved anti-TB drugs Bedaquiline and Pretonamid, or Linezolid). The anti-Mtb activity of the produced ADCs will be evaluated in in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models.
A Circular Chemistry approach to catalytic processes assisted by urban and industrial waste (CircularWaste)
This project develops innovative catalytic processes grounded in the principles of Green Chemistry, Circular Chemistry, and sustainable process design. The research addresses a central industrial challenge: transforming solid waste materials from agricultural and manufacturing sectors into high-value functional resources for chemical synthesis. The work integrates two complementary research lines. The first focuses on the valorisation of vegetable-tanned leather waste generated by the tanning industry. Instead of treating these residues as disposal burdens, they are converted into multifunctional materials capable of promoting transition metal–catalysed reactions in water. This approach enables key industrial transformations under mild conditions while improving reaction handling, reducing solvent demand, and simplifying downstream processing. The environmental impact of these methodologies is systematically evaluated through Green Chemistry metrics and Life Cycle Assessment to ensure measurable sustainability improvements. The second research line explores agricultural waste, specifically micronized waste wool, as a bio-based functional material. Wool is employed as a solid emulsifier to generate stimuli-responsive Pickering-type emulsions in aqueous systems for metal-catalysed cross-coupling and hydroformylation reactions. Under microwave activation, the protein-based material creates interfacial catalytic environments that enhance efficiency and selectivity. The system is designed for recyclability and scalability, demonstrating robustness and practical applicability. Together, these projects demonstrate how waste streams can be re-engineered into catalytic tools that eliminate the need for synthetic surfactants, organic co-solvents, and separation solvents. By integrating catalysis, materials science, and sustainability assessment, the project promotes industrial symbiosis and advances the transition from waste management to waste valorisation within a circular chemistry framework.