Name of Research Team/Laboratory:
Laboratorio di Medicina Traslazionale (Translational Research Laboratory)
Coordinator Dr. Francesca Bianchini PhD
Brief Biographical sketch of the Coordinator:
Dr Bianchini has expertise in Experimental Pathology, Molecular Biology, Medicinal Chemistry and in vivo Preclinical Models of Cancer. Since graduation in Biological Science, Dr Bianchini has focused her research activity on the role of the interactions between host cells an cancer cells in the tumoral microenvironment that lead to the promotion of neoplastic growth and metastatic diffusion.
Member of the Scientific Board the Doctorate/PhD Program in: Dottorato in Scienze Biomediche
Member of the following Scientific Societies:
SIPMeT: Società Italiana di Patologia e Medicina Traslazionale
SIC: Società Italiana di Cancerologia
Member of editorial board of the following Journals
Research Team
Noemi Monaco 02/08/1995
Current research interest
Dr Bianchini developed high level of specialization on the role of integrin receptors in different diseases. Currently, the focus of her research activity includes, but is not limited to:
Development and biological characterization of Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) integrin antagonist as tools for targeted drug delivery
RGD antagonists as tools for non-invasive medical imaging.
Role of tumor microenvironment factors (pH, pO2, Glucose and Glutamine) in cancer progression.
Nanomedicine and personalized cell-therapy
Key words: Medicinal Chemistry, Preclinical Imaging, Tumor stroma Interactions
Current/recent sources of funding:
Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze: Sintesi di nuovi agenti anti-fibrotici per il trattamento della Fibrosi Polmonare Idiopatica
Progetto per Ricercatori a Tempo Determinato (RTD) dell’Università di Firenze 2020-2021: Cancer-induced bone pain in a murine model of breast carcinoma: role Transient Receptor Potential channels
10 best pubblications of the last 5 years:
Andreucci, E., Peppicelli, S., Ruzzolini, J., Bianchini, F., Biagioni, A., Papucci, L., Magnelli, L., Mazzanti, B., Stecca, B., Calorini, L. The acidic tumor microenvironment drives a stem-like phenotype in melanoma cells (2020) Journal of Molecular Medicine, 98 (10), pp. 1431-1446. DOI: 10.1007/s00109-020-01959-y
Calvani, M., Bruno, G., Dabraio, A., Subbiani, A., Bianchini, F., Fontani, F., Casazza, G., Vignoli, M., De Logu, F., Frenos, S., Filippi, L., Favre, C. β3-Adrenoreceptor Blockade Induces Stem Cells Differentiation in Melanoma Microenvironment (2020) International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21 (4), art. no. 1420 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041420
Peppicelli, S., Andreucci, E., Ruzzolini, J., Bianchini, F., Calorini, L. FDG uptake in cancer: A continuing debate (2020) Theranostics, 10 (7), pp. 2944-2948. DOI: 10.7150/thno.40599
Bianchini, F., De Santis, A., Portioli, E., Russo Krauss, I., Battistini, L., Curti, C., Peppicelli, S., Calorini, L., D'Errico, G., Zanardi, F., Sartori, A. Integrin-targeted AmpRGD sunitinib liposomes as integrated antiangiogenic tools (2019) Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine, 18, pp. 135-145. DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2019.02.015
Bianchini, F., Portioli, E., Ferlenghi, F., Vacondio, F., Andreucci, E., Biagioni, A., Ruzzolini, J., Peppicelli, S., Lulli, M., Calorini, L., Battistini, L., Zanardi, F., Sartori, A. Cell-targeted c(AmpRGD)-sunitinib molecular conjugates impair tumor growth of melanoma (2019) Cancer Letters, 446, pp. 25-37. DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.12.021
Maggi, V., Bianchini, F., Portioli, E., Peppicelli, S., Lulli, M., Bani, D., Sole, R.D., Zanardi, F., Sartori, A., Fiammengo, R. Gold Nanoparticles Functionalized with RGD-Semipeptides: A Simple yet Highly Effective Targeting System for αVβ3 Integrins (2018) Chemistry - A European Journal, 24 (46), pp. 12093-12100. DOI: 10.1002/chem.201801823
Sartori, A., Portioli, E., Battistini, L., Calorini, L., Pupi, A., Vacondio, F., Arosio, D., Bianchini, F., Zanardi, F. Synthesis of Novel c(AmpRGD)-Sunitinib Dual Conjugates as Molecular Tools Targeting the αvβ3 Integrin/VEGFR2 Couple and Impairing Tumor-Associated Angiogenesis
(2017) Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 60 (1), pp. 248-262. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b01266
Bianchini, F., Peppicelli, S., Fabbrizzi, P., Biagioni, A., Mazzanti, B., Menchi, G., Calorini, L., Pupi, A., Trabocchi, A. Triazole RGD antagonist reverts TGFβ1-induced endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in endothelial precursor cells (2017) Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 424 (1-2), pp. 99-110. DOI: 10.1007/s11010-016-2847-2
Bianchini, F., Fabbrizzi, P., Menchi, G., Raspanti, S., Bottoncetti, A., Passeri, A., Andreucci, E., Guarna, A., Calorini, L., Pupi, A., Trabocchi, A. Radiosynthesis and micro-SPECT analysis of triazole-based RGD integrin ligands as non-peptide molecular imaging probes for angiogenesis
(2015) Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 23 (5), pp. 1112-1122.
DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2014.12.065
Sartori, A., Bianchini, F., Migliari, S., Burreddu, P., Curti, C., Vacondio, F., Arosio, D., Ruffini, L., Rassu, G., Calorini, L., Pupi, A., Zanardi, F., Battistini, L. Synthesis and preclinical evaluation of a novel, selective 111In-labelled aminoproline-RGD-peptide for non-invasive melanoma tumor imaging (2015) MedChemComm, 6 (12), pp. 2175-2183.
Previous research experiences:
Prof. Charles N. Serhan at the Brigham&Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston (MA) US. Role of lipid mediators, derived from the omega-6 and omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids, in the regulation of inflammatory response and resolution of inflammation.
Collaborations:
Prof.ssa Franca Zanardi, Università di Parma – Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco
Prof. Andrea Sartori, Università di Parma– Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco
Prof. Andrea Trabocchi, Università di Firenze – Dipartimento di Chimica
Prof. Roberto Fiammengo, Università di Verona – Dipartimento di Biotecnologie
Prof.ssa Vasiliki Sarli, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Chemistry Department.
Dipartimenti aderenti oltre al DSBSC UNIFI:
CISPIM, centro Interdipartimentale per lo Sviluppo Preclinico dell’Imaging Molecolare
Ultimo aggiornamento
01.12.2021