Gruppo Bianchini
Laboratorio di Medicina Traslazionale (Translational Research Laboratory)
Coordinator Dr. Francesca Bianchini PhD
Brief Biographical sketch of the Coordinator:
Prof 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 and cancer cells in the tumoral microenvironment that led to the promotion of neoplastic growth and metastatic dissemination.
Prof. Bianchini is the Director of the Interdepartmental Centre for Biomedical Imaging Research (CIRIB, Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca sull’Imaging Biomedico).
Internalization: Prof Bianchini is the coordinator of the Agreement of Cultural and Scientific Cooperation between the Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Science of the University of Florence and Cadi Ayyad University, Faculty of Science.
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
Research Team
Dr. Silvia Peppicelli, RTDb
Dr Jessica Ruzzolini, Senior Post-doc
Dr. Daniele Martinucci, PhD
Dr. Donata Conti, PhD
Current research interest:
Prof Bianchini developed high level of specialization on the role of integrin receptors in human non-communicable diseases (NCD) with emphasis on neurodegenerative and neoplastic diseases. Currently, the focus of her research activity includes, but is not limited to:
- 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:
RESPONSABILE SCIENTIFICO E ASSEGNATARIO DI FINANZIAMENTO: Sintesi Di Nuovi Agenti Anti-Fibrotici Per Il Trattamento Della Fibrosi Polmonare Idiopatica. 02/08/2019 Fondazione CR Firenze.
RESPONSABILE SCIENTIFICO E ASSEGNATARIO DI FINANZIAMENTO: BANDO DI ATENEO per il finanziamento competitivo di progetti elaborati da Ricercatori a Tempo Determinato dell'Università di Firenze - Anno 2020/2021- co-PI Romina Nassini (RTDb) e Francesca Bianchini (RTDb). Titolo progetto “Cancer-induced bone pain in a murine model of breast carcinoma: role of transient receptor potential channels”.
RESPONSABILE SCIENTIFICO E ASSEGNATARIO DI FINANZIAMENTO: PNRR-CN3 (Centro Nazionale Di Ricerca Sviluppo Di Terapia Genica E Farmaci Con Tecnologia A RNA) Spoke 2 (Cancer): Cross-Talk Stroma-Tumore Nel Microambiente Tumorale Come Target Nelle Terapie Personalizzate Ad RNA.
RESPONSABILE SCIENTIFICO E ASSEGNATARIO DI FINANZIAMENTO: PRIN 2022 - Progetti di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale, Innovative therapeutic interventions against Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Coordinator of the Public Engagement Project (UnifiEXTRA2023): Lu.Ra.Ma, Luce Radiazione, Materia nella Medicina di Precisione, for second grade school students, since 2023.
10 best pubblications of the last 5 years:
Marchese M, La Regina G, Amato R, Bertoni G, Ruzzolini J, Martinucci D, Papucci L, Peppicelli S, Bianchini F. The unexplored mechanism of antitumoral effect of pirfenidone in melanoma cells. Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 1;15(1):28071. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-13584-1.
Bugatti K, Ferrini E, Restori M, Bonfini C, Marchese M, Bianchini F, Tomassetti S, Maurizio A, Baiula M, Battistini L, Marcantonio E, Curti C, Civera M, Belvisi L, Sartori A, Stellari FF, Zanardi F. Antifibrotic Efficacy of a Nintedanib-Peptide Conjugate and Diagnostic Potential of a Fluorescent Companion Probe Targeting αVβ6 Integrin in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci. 2025 Sep 17;8(10):3613-3630. doi: 10.1021/acsptsci.5c00457
Bucci R, De Rosa L, Bertoni G, Di Stasi R, Della Valle M, Diana D, Peppicelli S, Peqini K, Gelmi ML, Bianchini F, D'Andrea LD. Molecular and biological characterization of VEGF-mimetic peptidomimetic containing a morpholine β-amino acid. Bioorg Chem. 2025 Oct;165:109039. doi: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2025.109039.
Andreucci, E., Bugatti, K., Peppicelli, S., Ruzzolini, J., Lulli, M., Calorini, L., Battistini, L., Zanardi, F., Sartori, A., Bianchini, F. Nintedanib-αVβ6 Integrin Ligand Conjugates Reduce TGFβ-Induced EMT in Human Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (2023) International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24 (2), art. no. 1475,
Bugatti, K., Sartori, A., Battistini, L., Ruzzolini, J., Nediani, C., Curti, C., Bianchini, F., Zanardi, F. Nintedanib-αVβ3 Integrin Ligand Dual-Targeting Conjugates towards Precision Treatment of Melanoma (2022) European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2022 (45), art. no. e202200765,
Bugatti, K., Andreucci, E., Monaco, N., Battistini, L., Peppicelli, S., Ruzzolini, J., Curti, C., Zanardi, F., Bianchini, F., Sartori, A. Nintedanib-Containing Dual Conjugates Targeting αVβ6Integrin and Tyrosine Kinase Receptors as Potential Antifibrotic Agents (2022) ACS Omega, 7 (21), pp. 17658-17669.
Sartori, A., Bugatti, K., Portioli, E., Baiula, M., Casamassima, I., Bruno, A., Bianchini, F., Curti, C., Zanardi, F., Battistini, L. New 4-aminoproline-based small molecule cyclopeptidomimetics as potential modulators of α4β1 integrin (2021) Molecules, 26 (19), art. no. 6066..
Ruzzolini, J., Chioccioli, S., Monaco, N., Peppicelli, S., Andreucci, E., Urciuoli, S., Romani, A., Luceri, C., Tortora, K., Calorini, L., Caderni, G., Nediani, C., Bianchini, F. Oleuropein-rich leaf extract as a broad inhibitor of tumour and macrophage iNOS in an apc mutant rat model (2021) Antioxidants, 10 (10), art. no. 1577
Peppicelli, S., Andreucci, E., Ruzzolini, J., Bianchini, F., Calorini, L. FDG uptake in cancer: A continuing debate (2020) Theranostics, 10 (7), pp. 2944-2948.
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.
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.
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. Ismail Hdoufane
Prof.ssa Vasiliki Sarli, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Chemistry Department.
Ultimo aggiornamento
13.02.2026