Appendino Giovanni Battista
Telephone number: 0321375844
Fax: 0321375821
Email: appendino@pharm.unipmn.it
Interdisciplinary or interuniversity centers
- Board member of Società Italiana di Fitochimica and Società Italiana di Fitoterapia.
- Associated Foreign Member of the Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, State University of New York at Stony Brook.
- Member of American Chemical Society
Lab members
- Bacchiega Sara (Dottoranda)
- Ech-Chahad Abdellah (Dottorando)
- Giana Anna (Dottoranda)
- Mainieri Francesco (Dottorando)
- Maxia Lucia (Assegnista di ricerca)
- Pagani Alberto (Dottorando)
- Pollastro Federica (Dottoranda)
Main research interests
- The research activity of Prof. Appendino takes inspiration from natural products to solve problems in organic chemistry (new synthetic methodologies), cell biology (novel mechanisms of activity), and medicine (new drug leads). The following lines of research are currently pursued: Brain lipidomics: identification, synthesis and chemical modification of bioactive endolipids (endocannabinoids, endovanilloids, endogenous eicosanoids)
- Sensory chemoreception: Synthesis of molecular probes to explore various classes of TRP-(TRPV1, TRPM8, TRPA1, TRPV4) and bitter (hTAS2R family) receptors, and their pharmacological exploitation. Anticancer and antiviral chemotherapy: Synthesis of molecules aimed at various oncological end-points (tubulin, PgP, NF-B, PKC) and at achieving HIV de-latentization (prostratinoids). Non-steroid hormonal agents: Identification of non-steroid natural products interacting with estrogen- and progesterone receptors, and exploitation of their biomedical potential.
- Synthetic methodologies: chemoselective modification of polyfunctional compounds (polyphenolics, phenolic alcohols, phenolic amines). Development of new protocols of functional group modification. Bioprospecting: secondary metabolites from niche area (Sardinia, Madagascar) and from medicinal plants. Secondary metabolites from edible plants and spices: identification of neutraceutical agents from local food plants.
Key references
- Appendino, G.; Daddario, N.; Minassi, A.; Schiano Morello, A.; De Petrocellis, L.; Di Marzo, V. The Taming of Capsaicin. Reversal of Vanilloid Activity of N-Acylvanillamines by Aromatic Iodination. J. Med. Chem. 2005, 48, 4663-4669.
- Dambruoso, P.; Bassarello, C.; Bifulco, G.; Appendino, G.; Battaglia, A.; Fontana, G.; Gomez-Paloma, L. Advances in the Universal NMR Database Approach. 2’-Substituted Taxanes as Probes for an Improved Protocol of Diastereomieric Differentiation. Org. Lett. 2005, 7, 983-986.
- Appendino, G.; De Petrocellis, L.; Trevisani, M.; MInassi, A.; Daddario, N.; Schiano Morello, A.; Mazzieri, D.; Ligresti, A.; Campi, B.; Fontana, G.; Pinna, C.; Geppetti, P.; Di Marzo, V. Development of the First Ultra-Potent “Capsaicinoid” Agonist at Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Type 1 (TRPV1) Channels and its Therapeutic Potential. J. Pharm. Exp. Ther. 2005, 312, 561-570.
- Poli, F.; Appendino, G.; Sacchetti, G.; Ballero, M.; Maggiano, N.; Ranelletti, F. O. Antiproliferative Effects of Daucane Esters from Ferula communis and Ferula arrigonii on Human Colon Cancer Cell Lines. Phytother. Res. 2005, 19, 152-157.
- Campagnuolo, C.; Fattorusso, E.; Petrucci, F.; Tagliatatela-Scafati, O.; Appendino, G.; Marquez, N.; Munoz, E. A Prenylbisabolane with NF-kB Inhibiting Properties from Cascarilla (Croton eluteria). Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2005, 13, 4238-4242.