Department of Pharmacy

The Department of Pharmacy (DP) promotes and undertakes applied research in the field of all disciplines aimed at the discovery and development of new pharmacological targets, new drugs and at the identification of innovative therapeutic strategies. The DP promotes and develops the scientific culture and coordinates related activities, maintaining the research autonomy of each individual member of staff. In particular, the DP provides for the diffusion of the research results, for permanent and certified training, and for the transfer of knowledge and technologies as factors of socio-economic development. It supplies, also, services to the local area by means of agreements, conventions and activities for third parties in accordance with current regulations. The DP research activities are made possible and supported by researchers particularly active in various disciplinary sectors who effectively integrate their different competences, methodological approaches and technological resources which they exploit in the planning, realization and evaluation of new drugs and innovative diagnostic and therapeutic instruments.
The DP is located in the CUN 03 (Chemical Sciences) and 05 (Biological Sciences) areas. It is the department of reference for the Doctorate School of Research in Drug Sciences (http://www.farmacia.unina.it/en_GB/dottorato-di-ricerca/presentazione) which undertakes to satisfy the demands to provide interdisciplinary knowledge in the field of the training of qualified professionals who operate in the area of pharmaceutical research, both basic and applied.

The Department of Pharmacy is one of the Italian “excellent departments” according the evaluation of research quality (VQR) campaign 2011-2014. Having achieved the ISPD Scoreboard (Departmental Performance Indicator) of 100 out of 100, the DP is among the 350 Italian departments selected by the Italian Minister of University and Research to access the Funding of Departments of Excellence program.

Research output (2011-2013)

Data on the research output of the Department are extracted from the 2011-2013 Research activities Review (SUA-RD)

Staff

Data on the Department Staff is taken from the institutional website of the Italian Ministry of University and Research

Research projects

PRIN: National Research Projects

  • PRIN 2015 - Nuove prospettive per il trattamento del glioblastoma multiforme attraverso un approccio multitarget.
    Principal Investigator Luciana Marinelli (research group MedChem ).
  • PRIN 2015 - Top-down and Bottom-up approach in the development of new bioactive chemical entities inspired on natural products scaffolds .
    Principal Investigator Angela Zampella (gruppi di ricerca NATLEAD  e NPBiotech ).
  • PRIN 2015 - Attività antinfiammatoria dei Glucocorticoidi: nuovi mediatori e regolazione dell'attività dei linfociti T.
    Principal Investigator Raffaella Sorrentino (research group GA.RE.G ).
  • PRIN 2015 - Ruolo della via metabolica dell'idrogeno solforato in modelli di broncopatia cronica ostruttiva e fibrosi polmonare: definizione di potenziali target terapeutici.
    Principal Investigator Giuseppe Cirino (research group GA.RE.G ).
  • PRIN 2015 - Towards multi-stage drugs to fight poverty related and neglected parasitic diseases: synthetic and natural compounds directed against Leishmania, Plasmodium and Schistosoma life stages and assessment of their mechanisms of action.
    Principal Investigator Caterina Fattorusso (research group NeaCADD ).
  • PRIN 2015 - Biological and pharmacological HDAC inhibitors in a genetic model of epilepsy and in experimental pain models: role of the microbiome and SCFAs.
    Principal Investigator Antonio Calignano (research group MiBut ).

FIRB (National Research Projects)

  • FIRB 2013 – Design of drugs that selectively activate or inhibit the isoforms of Na+/Ca2+ exchanger to counteract deficits in learning and memory.
    Principal Investigator Francesco Frecentese (research group PS-MEDCHEM).
  • FIRB 2013 – G-quadruplex-forming aptamers for treatment of prions disease.
    Principal Investigator Bruno Pagano (research group MedChem).
  • FIRB 2013 – Structural and spectroscopic characterization of proteosome inhibitors.
    Principal Investigator Marco Persico (research group NeaCADD).
  • FIRB 2013 – The role of glial and immunoinflammatory cells in chronic pain: identification of new pharmacological targets in analgesia and in central and peripheral neuroinflammation.
    Principal Investigator Elisabetta Panza (research group LAGS).

European frameworks

  • H2020 – Stimulating Innovation Management of Polypharmacy and Adherence in The Elderly (SIMPATHY).
    Principal Investigator Enrica Menditto (research group CIRFF )
  • VI PQ - Towards the harmonisation of analytical methods for monitoring quality and safety in the food chain (MONIQA).
    Principal Investigator Alberto Ritieni (research group PharmaNutra).
  • VII PQ - Reinforcing capacity towards industrially relevant research on bio-inspired materials and delivery mechanisms (BLUE4GLUE).
    Principal Investigator Sonia Laneri (research group Cosmeceuticals).
    VII PQ - Novel integrated strategies for worldwide mycotoxin reduction in the food and feed chains (MycoRed).
    Principal Investigator Alberto Ritieni (research group PharmaNutra).
  • VII PQ - Safe Food for Europe – Coordination of research activities and Dissemination of research results of EC funded research on food safety (FOODSEG).
    Principal Investigator Alberto Ritieni (research group PharmaNutra).
  • VII PQ - Exploring Marine Resources for Bioactive Compounds: From Discovery to Sustainable Production and Industrial Applications (MAREX).
    Principal Investigator Maria Valeria D’Auria (research group NATLEAD).
  • VII PQ - From gene to bioactive product: Exploiting marine genomics for an innovative and sustainable European blue biotechnology industry (BlueGenics).
    Principal Investigator Alfonso Mangoni (research group NPBiotech).

Libraries, labs and facilities

The research activity of the researchers at the DP is undertaken in 58 laboratories located in the main site at Via Domenico Montesano 49 (the former Faculty di Pharmacy), and in 5 laboratories at the detached site at Via Mezzocannone 16. Moreover, cell culture and histologic preps facilities and a laboratory dedicated to large equipment are also available at the main site.
The main research equipment available at the DP are:

  • Varian Unity INOVA 700 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometer.
  • Varian Unity INOVA 500 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometer
  • Varian Mercury Plus 400 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometer
  • Thermo LT-Orbitrap XL High Resolution Mass Spectrometer
  • Appled Biosystems API2000 ESI Mass Spectrometer
  • Agilent 6850/MSD5975B GC Mass Spectrometer

Third mission

The staff belonging to the DP undertake the primary role in many activities of the Third Mission, namely the dissemination of the results of scientific research to the general public, the partecipation in ethical commitees and supervisory boards, activities for third parties commissioned by public and private organizations, activities of continuing medical education, job placement activities and an intense patent activity. The staff at the DF is widely engaged in Public Engagement (PE) activities, such as the participation in numerous national and international dissemination events (TV interviews, general newspaper articles etc). Among these, particular attention is being given to the dissemination of the “Mediterranean diet” and to the use of nutraceutical products. In this field deserve to be mentioned the organization of the first edition of the “Nutraceutical Information Desk: growth and innovation for the economy of the Campania Region", which was held on June 12, 2015 at the Department of Pharmacy, and the participation at the event “Take-Away Mediterranean Diet”, which was held on July 11, 2015 at EXPO Milano 2015. For a more comprehensive description of Third Mission activities please visit the following link.

Lifelong learning

The DP contributes directly to the Continuing Education in Medicine (CEM) through the realization of courses aimed at the training of the professional profile of pharmacists. The CEM is a system of updating thanks the healthcare professional is updated to respond to patients' needs, and the organizational and operational demands of the health service and his/her own professional development. The continuing medical education includes the acquisition of new knowledge, skills and aRtudes useful for a competent and expert practice. For a more comprehensive description of Continuous Education activities please visit the following link.

Patents

  • 7-nitro-5-fenil-1(pirrolidin-1-ilmetil)-1h-benzo[e][1,4] diazepin-2(3h)-one ed altri composti derivati delle benzodiazepine (Caliendo G., Santagada V., Severino B.; IT 2012)
  • 7-nitro-5-phenyl-1-(pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl)-1h-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-2(3h)-one and other benzodiazepine derivatives (Caliendo G., Santagada V., Severino B.; WO 2012)
  • “Agenti antitumorali con attività inibitoria di proteine di prenilazione, processo di preparazione e impieghi in campo medico” (Lavecchia A.; IT 2011)
  • “Aggregati supramolecolari, formulati con monomeri anfifilici funzionalizzati con agenti chelanti e con peptidi e loro impiego per la somministrazione selettiva di farmaci e/o mezzi di contrasto” (Accardo A., De Rosa G., Morelli G., Tesauro D.; IT 2013)
  • Cripto blocking molecules and therapeutic uses  thereof (Marasco D.; EP 2011)
  • “Derivati indolici e loro uso in campo medico” (Novellino E.; IT 2011)
  • “Eterocicli ad attivita’ antiipertensiva” (Grieco P.; IT 2012)
  • “Formulazione liquida micronizzabile per il trattamento terapeutico dell’acne e di altre patologie cutanee correlate” (Grieco P.; IT 2013)
  • Galactosylated pro-drugs of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories with improved pharmacokinetic characteristics and reduced toxicity of the starting drug (Rimoli M.G.; US 2013)
  • “Nanoparticelle nanoassemblanti per il rilascio di bifosfonati nel trattamento di tumori” (De Rosa G.; IT 2012)
  • Phitocannabinoids in the treatment of cancer (Izzo A.A.; EP 2013)
  • Self-assembling nanoparticles for the release of bisphosphonates in the treatment of human cancers (De Rosa G.; WO2012)
  • “Sistemi per il rilascio controllato a base di polimeri bioadesivi loro processo di produzione e impieghi clinici” (Miro A., Quaglia F., Ungaro F.; IT 2012)
  • Supramolecular aggregates as drug carriers on cell expressing receptors for branched neurotensin (Morelli G., Tesauro D.; WO 2012)
  • “Uso dell’acido zoledronico per la preparazione di formulazioni farmaceutiche per il trattamento del cancro della prostata e del mielina multiplo” (De Rosa G.; IT 2011)

Spin Off

  • BEAM s.r.l. - Professor. Antonio Calignano since 2014 is a member of the Beam s.r.l., spin-off of University of Naples Federico II. The aim of the company is to transfer the scientific knowledge acquired during the academic research activities to the industrial sectors of reference.

  • CROSS LINKING OF CORNEAL COLLAGENE AND BIOMECCANIC OF CORNEES - This University spin-off proposes a new approach to diseases that involve reduced biomechanical resistance to corneas. Within this project, a new medical device was developed for the study of trans-corneal absorption and diffusion kinetics.
    Scientific Director: Prof. Antonia Sacchi.

  • INVECTORS – Invectors is a spin-off company of University of Naples Federico II, funded in 2010. Invectors is a product-oriented drug delivery company focused on the development of improved pharmaceutical products with less side effects, and better efficacy. The business activities include design and development of new delivery systems for diagnosis and therapy, based on supramolecular aggregates (micelles and liposomes) derivatized with bioactive peptides. A project concerning the development, at preclinical stage, of liposomal doxorubicin derivatized with a bombesin peptide analog and targeting tumour cells overexpressed by ovarian and prostate cancers has been financed by MIUR. Principal Investigator Prof Giancarlo Morelli