We plan to modulate the binding between aptamers and specific target proteins in a
controlled manner with the aim of realising effective molecule-probes for advanced
imaging techniques. Aptamers are oligonucleotides selected to specifically recognise
a target molecule, and constitute a 'chemical' alternative to monoclonal antibodies in
biomedical or research settings. Modulation of aptamer-target binding will take place
by mutating the sequence of existing aptamers or by introducing elements that
disrupt oligonucleotide folding in a controlled manner. We plan to engineer
fluorescent aptamers that will constitute probe-molecules that can be used in
imaging approaches based on reversible probe-target interactions (PAINT
methodology). Such probes would allow single biomolecules to be localised with high
spatio-temporal resolution in a non-invasive manner. The main focus will be on
imaging membrane receptor proteins that constitute tumour markers exposed on
the cell surface, such as the c-Met protein. The development of functional aptamers
will be guided by biophysical techniques capable of measuring thermodynamic and
kinetic binding parameters and by computational modelling.
Docenti di riferimento
Paolo Bianchini paolo.bianchini@unipr.it
Pietro del Canale pietro.delcanale@unipr.it
Bibloigrafia
Mussini, A.; Uriati, E.; Bianchini, P.; Diaspro, A.; Cavanna, L.; Abbruzzetti, S.; Viappiani, C.,
Targeted photoimmunotherapy for cancer. Biomolecular Concepts 2022, 13, (1), 126-147.
Delcanale, P.; Uriati, E.; Mariangeli, M.; Mussini, A.; Moreno, A.; Lelli, D.; Cavanna, L.;
Bianchini, P.; Diaspro, A.; Abbruzzetti, S.; Viappiani, C., The Interaction of Hypericin with
SARS-CoV-2 Reveals a Multimodal Antiviral Activity. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2022,
14, (12), 14025-14032.
Garzella, F.; Bianchini, P.; Diaspro, A.; Losi, A.; Gärtner, W.; Abbruzzetti, S.; Viappiani, C., A
red-green photochromic bacterial protein as a new contrast agent for improved
photoacoustic imaging. Photoacoustics 2022, 26, 100358.
