Our efforts are devoted to the translation of noble metal nanomaterials to the bed-side by addressing the issue of metal persistence, in order to promote innovative and non-invasive treatments for neoplasms and infectious diseases.
By employing the ultrasmall-in-nano design, we have developed the passion fruit-like nano-architectures (WO2016/139591): an all-in-one inorganic nanomaterial able to jointly combine most of the intriguing behaviors of noble metal nanoparticles with their excretion from organism. Our main interests are related to photothermal conversion, drug delivery, photoacoustic/ultrasound imaging. In agreement with the 3R concept, we also continuously develop new 3D cancer models to test nanomaterials.
Thanks to the support of Fondazione AIRC we are especially working on combined treatments for head/neck neoplasms.
We are also involved in the development of novel nanorattle catalysts for hydrogen storage and automotive exhaust gas treatment.
Translatable NanoTheranostics
Group members
Publications
2025
Zamborlin A., Pagliari F., Ermini M.L., Frusca V., Garcia-Calderon D., Tirinato L., Volante S., Bresciani G., Marchetti F., Seco J., et al.
Invasiveness modulation of glioma cells by copper complex-loaded nanoarchitectures
Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, vol. 245
2024
Gonnelli A., Sarogni P., Giannini N., Linsalata S., Di Martino F., Zamborlin A., Frusca V., Ermini M.L., Puccini P., Voliani V., et al.
A bioconvergence study on platinum-free concurrent chemoradiotherapy for the treatment of HPV-negative head and neck carcinoma
Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine and Biotechnology, vol. 52, (no. 1), pp. 122-129
2024
Frusca V., Cavallini C., Zamborlin A., Drava G., Barone V., Gherardini L., Chiariello M., Armanetti P., Ermini M.L., Menichetti L., et al.
In Vivo Combined Photoacoustic Imaging and Photothermal Treatment of HPV-Negative Head and Neck Carcinoma with NIR-Responsive Non-Persistent Plasmon Nano-Architectures
Advanced Therapeutics
2024
Sarogni P., Frusca V., Zamborlin A., Giannini N., Menicagli M., Brancato L., Linsalata S., Di Martino F., Gonnelli A., Paiar F., et al.
Neoadjuvant Hyperthermia Combined with Hybrid Nanoarchitectures Enhances Chemoradiotherapy Efficacy in Head and Neck Carcinoma
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
2024
Gonnelli A., Gerbe de Thore M., Ermini M.L., Frusca V., Zamborlin A., Signolle N., Bawa O., Clemenson C., Meziani L., Bergeron P., et al.
Nonpersistent Nanoarchitectures Enhance Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in an Immunocompetent Orthotopic Model of HPV+ Head/Neck Carcinoma
Advanced Materials
Collaborations
- Prof. Gang Zheng, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and TECHNA Institute (Toronto, CA)
- Prof. Hélder Santos, University of Helsinki (Helsinki, FI)
- Prof. Maksym Pogorielov, Medical Institute - Sumy State University (Sumy, UA)
- Prof. Fabiola Paiar, Radiation Oncology - Pisa University Hospital (Pisa, IT)
- Prof. Emanuele Neri, Department of Translational Research - University of Pisa (Pisa, IT)
- Prof. Elisa Giovannetti, Department of Medical Oncology - Amsterdam University Medical Center (Amsterdam, NL)
- Prof. Luca Menichetti, IFC-CNR (Pisa, IT)
- Prof. Fabio Marchetti, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry - University of Pisa (Pisa, IT)
- Prof. Alex Tovstolytkin, Institute of Magnetism - National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv, UA)
- Dr. Rosalia Bertorelli, In vivo Facility - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Genoa, IT)
- Dr. Laura Poliseno, Oncogenomics Unit - Core Research Laboratory - CNR (Pisa, IT)
- Dr. Orazio Vittorio, Children's Cancer Institute (Sydney, AU)
- Dr. Giuseppe Cirillo, Università della Calabria (Cosenza, IT)
Journal covers