Physical Chemistry of BioInterfaces; Nanomedicine; Theranostics; nanomaterials
149
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Alverine-Loaded Lipid Bilayer-Graphene Oxide Hybrids as a Novel Nanomedicine Platform for Neural Cancer Alicja Przybylska, Irina Naletova, Francesco Attanasio, Katarzyna Dopierała, Agnieszka Kołodziejczak-Radzimska, Cristina Satriano International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026 Graphene oxide (GO)–lipid hybrid nanostructures represent a promising class of multifunctional platforms for drug delivery and fluorescence-guided cellular imaging. In this study, we developed a graphene oxide-supported lipid bilayer system composed of rhodamine-labeled phosphatidylcholine (POPC-Rhod) for the delivery of the repurposed antispasmodic drug alverine citrate (ALV) to neuroblastoma cells. The hybrid nanostructures were assembled using two drug-loading strategies and characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence analysis, dynamic light scattering, and atomic force microscopy to evaluate molecular interactions, vesicle size distribution, and nanomechanical properties. In vitro studies were performed using human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and their retinoic acid-differentiated neuronal-like counterparts. Confocal microscopy confirmed efficient cellular uptake of the fluorescent lipid–graphene hybrids, while viability and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species assays revealed differentiation-dependent cellular responses. ALV-loaded hybrids induced cytotoxic effects in proliferating neuroblastoma cells, whereas differentiated neuron-like cells exhibited greater tolerance and, at moderate concentrations, preserved viability despite increased oxidative stress. These findings demonstrate that graphene oxide–lipid hybrids can act as fluorescence-traceable drug delivery platforms and highlight the potential of alverine as a candidate for repurposing in neural cancer models. The system presented here provides a proof-of-concept framework for the development of multifunctional nanocarriers integrating therapeutic delivery with imaging capabilities.
Functionalizing cryogels with the GPGKLVFF peptide for amyloid-β binding: A comparative study of two synthetic pathways Kaiyue Hu, Tommaso Mecca, Giuseppina Sabatino, Cristina Satriano, Luigi Brambilla, Sandro Dattilo, Valentina Giglio, Giuseppe Di Natale, Chiara Castiglioni, Francesca Cunsolo, Giuseppe Pappalardo International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2025 Macroporous cryogels (Cry) represent a versatile class of scaffolds with broad applicability in biomedical fields, including biomolecular immobilization, diagnostic sensing, and tissue engineering. More recently, their application in neuroscience has gained increasing interest as a viable alternative to conventional systems for drug delivery and neural tissue regeneration. A novel aspect of this work is the design and synthesis of cryogels functionalized with a peptide sequence capable of selectively binding β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides, key biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The peptide GPGKLVFF (KL), was covalently linked into the cryogel matrix using two distinct chemical protocols. The first, a one-step procedure, involves the simultaneous polymerization of a 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)-N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA) and different amounts of a methacrylate-conjugate peptide (maa-KL), enabling precise control over the degree of functionalization. The second, a two-step procedure, involves peptide grafting onto a preformed poly-methacrylic acid (pMAA) cryogel, resulting in significantly higher functionalization yields, albeit with less homogeneity in the material. Successful peptide incorporation was confirmed by infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy. A straightforward quantification protocol based on comparing the intensities of selected Raman marker bands was developed, allowing detection of grafted peptides even at low concentrations. The morphology of the cryogels was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The ability of the functionalized cryogels to reversibly bind and release Aβ40 was assessed by electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). This study represents a crucial first step toward developing a diagnostic platform for the early detection of β-amyloid proteins in AD.
Luminescent Pentacene-Loaded Carbon Nanodots with Red-Light Triggered Photothermal and Photosensitizing Properties Giuseppe Forte, Grazia M. L. Consoli, Loredana Ferreri, Ludovica Maugeri, Alice Foti, Cristina Satriano, Giorgia Fangano, Salvatore Petralia Chemphotochem, 2025 The development of multifunctional nanosystems for photo‐induced hyperthermia and photodynamic effect is a challenging topic in the research of advanced materials for application in biomedical field. Here, we report red‐luminescent carbon‐nanodots (CDs‐PNM/PTC) derived from entrapment of pentacene (PTC) in nanodots prepared from poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) polymer (CDs‐PNM) by an easy and reagent‐free method. The CD‐PNM/PTC nanosystem was characterized by different techniques (UV‐Vis spectrophotometry, fluorescence, NMR, AFM). Molecular modelling investigations were performed to unveil stability, structures and energy of the CD‐PNM/PTC supramolecular adducts at 298 K and 315 K. The nanosized CDs‐PNM/PTC exhibited excellent water‐dispersibility, good photothermal conversion efficiency and photosensitizing effect at 680 nm. No significant toxicity and eukaryotic cell uptake are features that open to potential applications in photothermal‐photodynamic treatments.
Bioinspired RGD-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles for Integrin-Driven Interaction with Melanoma Cells Annarita Del Gatto, Patrizia Di Pietro, Michele Saviano, Marianna Tomasello, Giuseppe Pappalardo, Rony Snyders, Giuseppe Forte, Cristina Satriano, Laura Zaccaro International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2025 Purpose: In this study, we investigated the physicochemical properties, biofunctionalization and internalization mechanisms of peptide-functionalized gold nanoparticles (GNPs), with a particular focus on a cyclic a v β 3 integrin-targeting ligand (cRGD), embedded in a scaffold comprising a gold-binding glycine-cysteine tetrapeptide (GCt) and a fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) dye. Methods: The characterisation of the GNPs and their biofunctionalised counterparts (b-GNPs) was carried out by a series of techniques including dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential (ζ) measurements, UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and theoretical modelling. Cellular uptake experiments were performed in human adenocarcinoma (HeLa, a v β 3 non-expressing cells, negative control) and metastatic melanoma (WM266, a v β 3 -overexpressing cells, positive control) cells to assess receptor-mediated internalization. Results: The physicochemical characterisation confirmed the successful functionalisation of GNPs with the bioinspired multifunctional cRGD-GCt-FITC moiety. Detailed analysis of the nano-bio interface revealed distinct chemical states and evidence of charge transfer effects between the GNPs surface and the RGD-containing peptide. Cellular studies demonstrated selective uptake and preferential accumulation of b-GNPs in a v β 3 -overexpressing cells, with RGD-functionalised GNPs inducing notable pro-apoptotic effects. Conclusion: This work provides new understanding of biomimetic gold nanoparticles and highlights their potential in tumour selective strategies, particularly for integring-targeted theranostics, while addressing toxicity and targeting limitations of current RGD- and gold nanoparticle-based nanomedicine. Keywords: plasmonic nanoparticles, theranostics, targeting, cancer nanomedicine, peptide
Effect of Photothermal Therapy Using Gold Nanoparticles Conjugated with Hyaluronic Acid in an Intracranial Murine Glioblastoma Model Javier Domingo-Diez, Alice Foti, Óscar Casanova-Carvajal, Lorena Marrodán, Noelia Granado, Cristina Satriano, Ricardo Martínez-Murillo, José-Javier Serrano-Olmedo, Milagros Ramos-Gómez International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2025 Purpose: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor. Conventional treatments for GBM include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a combination of these. However, emerging therapies, such as hyperthermia treatments, are being developed. One of these new therapies is nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy (PTT), a non-invasive treatment that converts light into heat using photoagents such as plasmonic nanoparticles. High molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA) has been described as a potential inhibitor of tumor progression and exhibits a high affinity for the CD44 receptor, which is present in GBM cells. The in vivo efficacy of gold nanorods (GNRs) biofunctionalized with HA-700kDa in PTT has been evaluated in a murine GBM model. Animals and Methods: Adult male C57/BL-6 mice (N=15), 3-8-month-old, were used for PTT experiments. CT2A cells were injected into the mouse brain to establish a GBM model. Tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into three groups: Control (untreated, n=5), GNRs (injected with GNRs, n=5) and PTT-treated (injected with GNRs and treated with laser, n=5). After GNR injection, mice were irradiated with a laser at 0.98 A (250mW) for 25 min over three consecutive days. Results: As observed in the analysis of tumor sizes from all MR images, animals treated with a laser following GNR injection exhibited significantly smaller tumor sizes compared to control and GNR-treated animals one week after the treatment. In addition, PTT treatment led to a notable improvement in the exploratory behavior of the treated animals and an increase in their life expectancy compared to untreated control mice. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the efficacy of GNR-based-PTT, applied to an orthotopic tumor model, using GNRs biofunctionalized with HA to target GBM CT2A cells. The treatment resulted in a reduction in tumor mass and an extension of life expectancy in GNR-PTT treated mice.
From conventional therapy to novel nano-based approaches. A focus on prostate cancer Lorenzo Chiaverini, Giarita Ferraro, Riccardo Di Leo, Elisabetta Barresi, Diego La Mendola, Francesco Bartoli, Luca Famlonga, Cristina Satriano, Pinuccia Faviana, Alessandro Zucchi, Matteo Pacini, Jürgen Gailer, Chiara Giacomelli, Tiziano Marzo Nanomedicine, 2025 The currently available clinical anticancer approaches pertaining to the treatment of prostate cancer are summarized here. After providing an overview of the main features of this highly impactful global disease, the currently available clinical treatments are briefly reviewed. Then, alternative and innovative nano-based therapeutic options that have been proposed or are currently being explored to significantly improve prostate cancer management (i.e. anti-prostate cancer polymeric nanoparticles loaded with drugs to promote their release and biological activity, including non-targeted and functionalized PLGA-PEG NPs and AuNPs), are introduced. Furthermore, the problem of gathering insights into the mechanistic aspects related to the fate of the nanoformulation in complex matrices, such as blood plasma, is addressed.
A Water-Soluble Multifunctional Probe for Colorimetric Copper Sensing, Lysosome Labelling and Live-Cell Imaging Carmela Bonaccorso, Lorena Maria Cucci, Vanessa Sanfilippo, Cristina Munzone, Cosimo G. Fortuna, Cristina Satriano Chembiochem, 2024 We report a water‐soluble fluorescence and colorimetric copper probe (LysoBC1); this system can also serve for lysosome labeling and for the dynamic tracking of Cu2+ in living cells. The sensing mechanism takes advantage of the synergic action by the following three components: i) a lysosome targeting unit, ii) the spirolactam ring‐opening for the selective copper chelation and iii) the metal‐mediated hydrolysis of the rhodamine moiety for fluorescence enhancement. In aqueous environment the molecule acts as a fluorescent reversible pH sensor and as colorimetric probe for Cu2+ at physiological pH; the hydrolysis of the copper targeting unit resulted in a 50‐fold increase of the fluorescence intensity. Most importantly, in vitro cell analyses in undifferentiated (SH SY5Y) and differentiated (d‐SH SY5Y) neuroblastoma cells, LysoBC1 is able to selectively accumulate into lysosome while the copper binding ability allowed us to monitor intracellular copper accumulation into lysosome.
A simple approach for CTAB-free and biofunctionalized gold nanorods to construct photothermal active nanomedicine for potential in vivo applications in cancer cells and scar treatment Alice Foti, Benjamin Clépoint, Aurore Fraix, Luisa D’Urso, Angela De Bonis, Cristina Satriano Frontiers in Materials, 2024 Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), a surfactant commonly used in the synthesis of gold nanorods (AuNR), presents challenges owing to cytotoxicity in biological applications, limiting their biomedical applicability, particularly in cancer therapy. This study introduces a straightforward methodology for the effective removal of CTAB by utilizing a combination of ligand replacement and surface bioconjugation processes that efficiently eliminates CTAB and simultaneously functionalizes nanorods with hyaluronic acid (HA) to enhance biocompatibility and introduce targeting capabilities toward cancer cells. The surface chemistry modification of CTAB-capped and CTAB-free AuNR, before and after the functionalization with HA, was scrutinized by UV–visible, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies. The surface charge, size, and morphology of the different plasmonic nanoparticles were characterized by zeta potential, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The photothermal response was assessed by laser irradiation and thermal camera measurements. Proof-of-work in vitro cellular experiments of cytotoxicity and oxidative stress were carried out on prostate cancer cells, PC-3, overexpressing the CD44 cell surface receptor specifically recognized by HA, in comparison with the CD44-negative murine fibroblasts (3T3 cell line) by MTT and MitoSOX assays, respectively. Cellular uptake and organelle alteration were scrutinized by confocal laser scanning microscopy (LSM), while the perturbative effects on cell migration were studied by optical microscopy (wound scratch assay). The study’s findings offer a promising pathway to tune the gold nanorod properties in cancer treatment by reducing cytotoxicity and enhancing targeted therapeutic efficacy, as well as in the control of scar tissue formation.
The Hybrid Nano-Biointerface between Proteins/Peptides and Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials Giuseppe Forte, Diego La Mendola, Cristina Satriano Molecules, 2023 In typical protein–nanoparticle surface interactions, the biomolecule surface binding and consequent conformational changes are intermingled with each other and are pivotal to the multiple functional properties of the resulting hybrid bioengineered nanomaterial. In this review, we focus on the peculiar properties of the layer formed when biomolecules, especially proteins and peptides, face two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art knowledge and the current challenges concerning the biomolecule coronas and, in general, the 2D nano-biointerface established when peptides and proteins interact with the nanosheet surface. Specifically, this review includes both experimental and simulation studies, including some recent machine learning results of a wide range of nanomaterial and peptide/protein systems.
Correction to: Analysis of common methodological flaws in the highest cited e-cigarette epidemiology research (Internal and Emergency Medicine, (2022), 17, 3, (887-909), 10.1007/s11739-022-02967-1) Cother Hajat, Emma Stein, Arielle Selya, Riccardo Polosa, Salvatore Alaimo, Carmelina Daniela Anfuso, Ignazio Barbagallo, Francesco Basile, Sebastiano Battiato, Brahim Benhamou, Gaetano Bertino, Alberto Bianchi, Antonio G Biondi, Maria Luisa Brandi, Emma Cacciola, Rossella R Cacciola, Bruno Santi Cacopardo, Aldo E Calogero, Maria Teresa Cambria, Davide Campagna, Filippo Caraci, Agatino Cariola, Massimo Caruso, Pasquale Caponnetto, Adriana Ciancio, Fabio Cibella, Maurizio di Mauro, Jennifer di Piazza, Adriana di Stefano, Filippo Drago, Salvatore Failla, Rosario Faraci, Salvatore Ferlito, Margherita Ferrante, Alfredo Ferro, Giancarlo A Ferro, Francesco Frasca, Lucia Frittitta, Pio M Furneri, Antonio Gagliano, Giovanni Gallo, Fabio Galvano, Giuseppe Grasso, Francesca Guarino, Antonino Gulino, Emmanuele A Jannini, Sandro La Vignera, Giuseppe Lazzarino, Caterina Ledda, Rosalia Maria Leonardi, Giovanni Li Volti, Antonio Longo, Gabriella Lupo, Mario Malerba, Luigi Marletta, Guido Nicolosi, Francesco Nocera, Gea Oliveri Conti, Giuseppe Palazzo, Rosalba Parenti, Eugenio Pedullà, Alfredo Pulvirenti, Francesco Purrello, Francesco Rapisarda, Venerando Rapisarda, Renata Rizzo, Simone Ronsisvalle, Giuseppe Ronsisvalle, Martino Ruggieri, Maria Santagati, Cristina Satriano, Laura Sciacca, Maria Salvina Signorelli, Marco Tatullo, Daniele Tibullo, Venera Tomaselli, Vladislav Volarevic, Luca Zanoli, Agata Zappalà, and Internal and Emergency Medicine, 2022
Analysis of common methodological flaws in the highest cited e-cigarette epidemiology research Cother Hajat, Emma Stein, Arielle Selya, Riccardo Polosa, Salvatore Alaimo, Carmelina Daniela Anfuso, Ignazio Barbagallo, Francesco Basile, Sebastiano Battiato, Brahim Benhamou, Gaetano Bertino, Alberto Bianchi, Antonio G Biondi, Maria Luisa Brandi, Emma Cacciola, Rossella R Cacciola, Bruno Santi Cacopardo, Aldo E Calogero, Maria Teresa Cambria, Davide Campagna, Filippo Caraci, Agatino Cariola, Massimo Caruso, Pasquale Caponnetto, Adriana Ciancio, Fabio Cibella, Maurizio di Mauro, Jennifer di Piazza, Adriana di Stefano, Filippo Drago, Salvatore Failla, Rosario Faraci, Salvatore Ferlito, Margherita Ferrante, Alfredo Ferro, Giancarlo A Ferro, Francesco Frasca, Lucia Frittitta, Pio M Furneri, Antonio Gagliano, Giovanni Gallo, Fabio Galvano, Giuseppe Grasso, Francesca Guarino, Antonino Gulino, Emmanuele A Jannini, Sandro La Vignera, Giuseppe Lazzarino, Caterina Ledda, Rosalia Maria Leonardi, Giovanni Li Volti, Antonio Longo, Gabriella Lupo, Mario Malerba, Luigi Marletta, Guido Nicolosi, Francesco Nocera, Gea Oliveri Conti, Giuseppe Palazzo, Rosalba Parenti, Eugenio Pedullà, Alfredo Pulvirenti, Francesco Purrello, Francesco Rapisarda, Venerando Rapisarda, Renata Rizzo, Simone Ronsisvalle, Giuseppe Ronsisvalle, Martino Ruggieri, Maria C Santagati, Cristina Satriano, Laura Sciacca, Maria Salvina Signorelli, Marco Tatullo, Daniele Tibullo, Venera Tomaselli, Vladislav Volarevic, Luca Zanoli, Agata Zappalà, and Internal and Emergency Medicine, 2022
Peptides derived from angiogenin regulate cellular copper uptake Giovanni Tabbì, Lorena Maria Cucci, Calogero Pinzino, Alessia Munzone, Tiziano Marzo, Silvia Pizzanelli, Cristina Satriano, Antonio Magrì, Diego La Mendola International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021
A ratiometric naphthalimide sensor for live cell imaging of copper(i) Cristina Satriano, Giuseppe Trusso Sfrazzetto, Maria Emanuela Amato, Francesco P. Ballistreri, Agata Copani, Maria Laura Giuffrida, Giuseppe Grasso, Andrea Pappalardo, Enrico Rizzarelli, Gaetano A. Tomaselli, Rosa Maria Toscano Chemical Communications, 2013
Adsorption of a cell-adhesive oligopeptide on polymer surfaces irradiated by ion beams Bio Medical Materials and Engineering, 2005
Engineered silica surfaces with an assembled C60 fullerene monolayer Antonino Gulino, Sebastiano Bazzano, Guglielmo G. Condorelli, Salvatore Giuffrida, Placido Mineo, Cristina Satriano, Emilio Scamporrino, Giorgio Ventimiglia, Daniele Vitalini, Ignazio Fragalà Chemistry of Materials, 2005
Self-organization and emergent models in bacterial adhesion on engineered polymer surfaces Proceedings IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems, 2004
