drug delivery technologies

The research activity is focused on the design, production and characterization of Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) for bioactive molecules to be applied in the pharmaceutical, biomedical and nutraceutical fields. Different polymeric and lipidic nano/microcarriers, polymeric films and hydrogels are under development to optimize the pharmacokinetics, the therapeutic efficacy and the toxicological profile of small drugs, natural substances and biotherapeutics. Further interest is devoted to the investigation of the relationship between the macroscopic features and the molecular structure of biomaterials through the analysis of their rheological, thermodynamic and transport properties. DDS are preferably produced through scalable technologies. A preGMP facility is available to produce lab-validated DDS prototypes.

Research groups:

  • DeliTECH
The research activity is focused on the design and development of delivery systems for small molecules, peptides, RNA and DNA. The platforms are engineered to overcome biological barriers in the human body and to reach the target site to optimize pharmacokinetics, enhance the therapeutic efficacy and reduce the side effects of the drug cargo. 
 
Main research topics are: 
  1. Polymeric nanoplatforms for combined and light-activated cancer therapies; 
  2. Polymer-based inhalable nano- and microcarriers for the local treatment of severe lung diseases;
  3. Polymeric and lipid-based platforms for oromucosal delivery;
  4. Multifunctional polymeric platforms for skin wound healing. 

Research Team: 

QUAGLIA Fabiana

MIRO Agnese

UNGARO Francesca

CONTE Claudia

COSTABILE Gabriella

  • BioNanoMed

Development of advanced formulations for the delivery of bioactive molecules, including RNA (mRNA, miRNA or siRNA) or molecules from nature. The strategies mainly involve non-viral lipid or polymeric nanocarriers, as well as hydrogels and polymeric films. These technologies are used in crossing biological barriers (blood-brain barrier, skin, etc.), targeting specific tissues or cells, solving biopharmaceutical drug issues, or in the drug repositioning. 

Research Team: 

De Rosa Giuseppe

Biondi Marco

Campani Virginia

  • Radio-Tech

Logo RadioTech

The research activity of the RADiTECH (Radiation technology) group investigates the physical effects of ionizing radiation on biological systems through:
1. Radioprotection approach: study and evaluation of human exposure scenarios to ionizing radiation and calculation of the effective dose;
2. Therapeutic approach: study of the effects of traditional radiotherapy on cancer cells to search for possible modifications facilitating pharmacokinetics in targeted therapy.
 
Research Team: