Projects

SWIT-DREAMS (SWiss–ITalian Drug REsearch using AI for Molecules and Structures) builds a cross-border platform for the rational, AI-driven development of antibodies, nanobodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bringing together antibody screening, structural biology, medicinal chemistry and artificial intelligence.

The group leads the project as Lead Partner and provides the structural biology backbone: recombinant production and purification of antibodies and nanobodies, and their biophysical and structural characterization by X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM — data that directly feeds the AI-driven optimization pipeline.

Partners: Choose Life Biotech SA (Bellinzona, CH — antibody screening), University of Milan (Prof. Contini — AI-driven antibody/nanobody design), IBIS (Novara — dissemination). Associated organisation: IXTAL srl.

PROSTAMET is a European Doctoral Network funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of Horizon Europe, training the next generation of researchers to tackle complex diseases through the lens of lipid metabolism — with prostate cancer as the key paradigm. The consortium spans 8 host institutions and 8 associated partners, training 9 doctoral candidates across a translational pipeline from molecular discovery to drug development.

The group is a consortium partner and leads a work package, investigating the structural and functional properties of key enzymes involved in prostate cancer.

prostamet.net →

In collaboration with Prof. Alessandro Contini (University of Milan), the group is developing nanobodies (single-domain antibodies) against KRAS, one of oncology's most sought-after "undruggable" targets.

Human Protein Disulfide Isomerase A3 (PDIA3) is a multifunctional chaperone involved in glycoprotein folding and redox activity, exploited by viruses for cell entry, uncoating and glycoprotein folding, and implicated in cancer stress responses, immune escape and drug resistance.

PIN1 (peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1) regulates the activity of numerous phosphorylated signalling proteins and is frequently overexpressed in aggressive cancers. As part of the PRIN-UNO project, the group is pursuing structure-based design of PIN1 inhibitors as a novel anticancer strategy targeting this validated oncology target.