Second GTU Photodynamic Day
16 May 2017 Gebze Technical University
Francesca Giuntini
School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool, United Kingdom
I studied Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies in the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Florence (Florence, Italy), and I obtained my PhD from the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, working on cationic amphiphilic phthalocyanines for the photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms. After my PhD, I worked at Molteni Farmaceutici (Florence, Italy), where I was involved in a project concerning the synthesis of carboranyl-containing phthalocyanines as dual radio- and photo-sensitising agents for synergistic boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tumours: a collaboration between the University of Padova (Padua, Italy), the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (Rome, Italy), and Molteni Farmaceutici. From Florence, I moved to the University of Aveiro (Portugal) in the group of Prof J. Cavaleiro, to work on the functionalisation of tetra-arylporphyrins to yield conjugatable derivatives. Following this position, I joined the group of Dr. Ian Eggleston (University of Bath) and worked on the synthesis of peptide prodrugs of 5-aminolaevlinic acid (ALA) for the PDT of cancer and bacterial infections, and on the use of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) as delivery agents for ALA-containing dendrimers, quantum dots, and porphyrins. I then followed on to the University of Hull in the group of Prof. Ross Boyle, where I worked on novel polyacrylamide nanosensors to monitor intracellular calcium fluctuations in response to photodynamically induced generation of singlet oxygen. Since June 2013 I have been a Lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences at Liverpool John Moores Unversity.
Highlighted publications
Ruiz-González R, Bresolí-Obach R, Gulías Ò, Agut M, Savoie H, Boyle RW, Nonell S, Giuntini F. 2017. NanoSOSG: A Nanostructured Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of Intracellular Singlet Oxygen Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, >DOI
Dondi R, Yaghini E, Tewari KM, Wang L, Giuntini F, Loizidou M, MacRobert AJ, Eggleston IM. 2016. Flexible synthesis of cationic peptide-porphyrin derivatives for light-triggered drug delivery and photodynamic therapy ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY, 14 :11488-11501 >DOI >Link
Broughton LJ, Giuntini F, Savoie H, Bryden F, Boyle RW, Maraveyas A, Madden LA. 2016. Duramycin-porphyrin conjugates for targeting of tumour cells using photodynamic therapy JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY, 163 :374-384 >DOI >Link
Chauhan VM, Giuntini F, Aylott JW. 2016. Quadruple labelled dual oxygen and pH-sensitive ratiometric nanosensors Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research, 8 :36-42 >DOI
Lavado AS, Chauhan VM, Zen AA, Giuntini F, Jones DRE, Boyle RW, Beeby A, Chan WC, Aylott JW. 2015. Controlled intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species in human mesenchymal stem cells using porphyrin conjugated nanoparticles NANOSCALE, 7 :14525-14531 >DOI >Link
Giuntini F, Chauhan VM, Aylott JW, Rosser GA, Athanasiadis A, Beeby A, MacRobert AJ, Brown RA, Boyle RW. 2014. Conjugatable water-soluble Pt(ii) and Pd(ii) porphyrin complexes: Novel nano- and molecular probes for optical oxygen tension measurement in tissue engineering Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences, 13 :1039-1051 >DOI
Journal Articles
Ruiz-González R, Bresolí-Obach R, Gulías Ò, Agut M, Savoie H, Boyle RW, Nonell S, Giuntini F. 2017. NanoSOSG: A Nanostructured Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of Intracellular Singlet Oxygen Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, >DOI
Dondi R, Yaghini E, Tewari KM, Wang L, Giuntini F, Loizidou M, MacRobert AJ, Eggleston IM. 2016. Flexible synthesis of cationic peptide-porphyrin derivatives for light-triggered drug delivery and photodynamic therapy ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY, 14 :11488-11501 >DOI >Link
Broughton LJ, Giuntini F, Savoie H, Bryden F, Boyle RW, Maraveyas A, Madden LA. 2016. Duramycin-porphyrin conjugates for targeting of tumour cells using photodynamic therapy JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY, 163 :374-384 >DOI >Link
Chauhan VM, Giuntini F, Aylott JW. 2016. Quadruple labelled dual oxygen and pH-sensitive ratiometric nanosensors Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research, 8 :36-42 >DOI
Frame FM, Savoie H, Bryden F, Giuntini F, Mann VM, Simms MS, Boyle RW, Maitland NJ. 2016. Mechanisms of growth inhibition of primary prostate epithelial cells following gamma irradiation or photodynamic therapy include senescence, necrosis, and autophagy, but not apoptosis CANCER MEDICINE, 5 :61-73 >DOI >Link
Lavado AS, Chauhan VM, Zen AA, Giuntini F, Jones DRE, Boyle RW, Beeby A, Chan WC, Aylott JW. 2015. Controlled intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species in human mesenchymal stem cells using porphyrin conjugated nanoparticles NANOSCALE, 7 :14525-14531 >DOI >Link
Serpe L, Giuntini F. 2015. Sonodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy: First steps towards a sound approach for microbe inactivation JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY, 150 :44-49 >DOI >Link
Di Venosa G, Vallecorsa P, Giuntini F, Mamone L, Batlle A, Vanzuli S, Juarranz A, MacRobert AJ, Eggleston IM, Casas A. 2015. The use of dipeptide derivatives of 5-aminolaevulinic acid promotes their entry to tumor cells and improves tumor selectivity of photodynamic therapy Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 14 :440-451 >DOI
Duckles H, Boycott HE, Al-Owais MM, Elies J, Johnson E, Dallas ML, Porter KE, Giuntini F, Boyle JP, Scragg JL, Peers C. 2015. Heme oxygenase-1 regulates cell proliferation via carbon monoxide-mediated inhibition of T-type Ca2+ channels PFLUGERS ARCHIV-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, 467 :415-427 >DOI >Link
Giuntini F, Chauhan VM, Aylott JW, Rosser GA, Athanasiadis A, Beeby A, MacRobert AJ, Brown RA, Boyle RW. 2014. Conjugatable water-soluble Pt(ii) and Pd(ii) porphyrin complexes: Novel nano- and molecular probes for optical oxygen tension measurement in tissue engineering Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences, 13 :1039-1051 >DOI
Giuntini F, Bryden F, Daly R, Scanlan EM, Boyle RW. 2014. Huisgen-based conjugation of water-soluble porphyrins to deprotected sugars: Towards mild strategies for the labelling of glycans Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 12 :1203-1206 >DOI
Yaghini E, Giuntini F, Eggleston IM, Suhling K, Seifalian AM, MacRobert AJ. 2014. Fluorescence lifetime imaging and FRET-induced intracellular redistribution of Tat-conjugated quantum dot nanoparticles through interaction with a phthalocyanine photosensitiser. Small, 10 :782-792 >DOI >Link
Wang JT-W, Giuntini F, Eggleston IM, Bown SG, MacRobert AJ. 2012. Photochemical internalisation of a macromolecular protein toxin using a cell penetrating peptide-photosensitiser conjugate. J Control Release, 157 :305-313 >DOI >Link
Silva EMP, Ramos CIV, Pereira PMR, Giuntini F, Faustino MAF, Tomé JPC, Tomé AC, Silva AMS, Santana-Marques MG, Neves MGPMS, Cavaleiro JAS. 2012. Cationic β-vinyl substituted meso-tetraphenylporphyrins: Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines, 16 :101-113 >DOI
Giuntini F, Dumoulin F, Daly R, Ahsen V, Scanlan EM, Lavado ASP, Aylott JW, Rosser GA, Beeby A, Boyle RW. 2012. Orthogonally bifunctionalised polyacrylamide nanoparticles: a support for the assembly of multifunctional nanodevices. Nanoscale, 4 :2034-2045 >DOI >Link
Webb C, Upadhyay A, Giuntini F, Eggleston I, Furutani-Seiki M, Ishima R, Bagby S. 2011. Structural features and ligand binding properties of tandem WW domains from YAP and TAZ, nuclear effectors of the Hippo pathway. Biochemistry, 50 :3300-3309 >DOI >Link
Giuntini F, Alonso CMA, Boyle RW. 2011. Synthetic approaches for the conjugation of porphyrins and related macrocycles to peptides and proteins. Photochem Photobiol Sci, 10 :759-791 >DOI >Link
Bourré L, Giuntini F, Eggleston IM, Mosse CA, Macrobert AJ, Wilson M. 2010. Effective photoinactivation of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains using an HIV-1 Tat peptide-porphyrin conjugate. Photochem Photobiol Sci, 9 :1613-1620 >DOI >Link
Moura NMM, Giuntini F, Faustino MAF, Neves MGPMS, Tomé AC, Silva AMS, Rakib EM, Hannioui A, Abouricha S, Röder B, Cavaleiroa JAS. 2010. 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile imines to mesotetraarylporphyrins Arkivoc, 2010 :24-33
Bourré L, Giuntini F, Eggleston IM, Wilson M, MacRobert AJ. 2009. Protoporphyrin IX enhancement by 5-aminolaevulinic acid peptide derivatives and the effect of RNA silencing on intracellular metabolism. Br J Cancer, 100 :723-731 >DOI >Link
Giuntini F, Bourré L, MacRobert AJ, Wilson M, Eggleston IM. 2009. Improved peptide prodrugs of 5-ALA for PDT: rationalization of cellular accumulation and protoporphyrin IX production by direct determination of cellular prodrug uptake and prodrug metabolization. J Med Chem, 52 :4026-4037 >DOI >Link
Giuntini F, Bourre L, Wilson M, MacRobert AJ, Eggleston IM. 2008. A novel approach to improve cellular delivery of 5-aminolaevulinic acid: New ALA-containing peptide Prodrugs for photodynamic therapy Journal of Peptide Science, 14 :156-156
Bourré L, Giuntini F, Eggleston IM, Wilson M, MacRobert AJ. 2008. 5-Aminolaevulinic acid peptide prodrugs enhance photosensitization for photodynamic therapy. Mol Cancer Ther, 7 :1720-1729 >DOI >Link
Giuntini F, Bourré L, Macrobert AJ, Wilson M, Eggleston IM. 2008. Quantitative determination of 5-aminolaevulinic acid and its esters in cell lysates by HPLC-fluorescence. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci, 875 :562-566 >DOI >Link
Izquierdo RA, Barros CM, Santana-Marques MG, Ferrer-Correia AJ, Silva EMP, Giuntini F, Faustino MAF, Tomé JPC, Tomé AC, Silva AMS, Neves GPMS, Cavaleiro JAS, Peixoto AF, Pereira MM, Pais AACC. 2007. Characterization of isomeric cationic porphyrins with beta-pyrrolic substituents by electrospray mass spectrometry: the singular behavior of a potential virus photoinactivator. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom, 18 :218-225 >DOI >Link
Dei D, Chiti G, De Filippis MP, Fantetti L, Giuliani F, Giuntini F, Soncin M, Jori G, Roncucci G. 2006. Phthalocyanines as photodynamic agents for the inactivation of microbial pathogens Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines, 10 :147-159
Friso E, Roncucci G, Dei D, Soncin M, Fabris C, Chiti G, Colautti P, Esposito J, De Nardo L, Riccardo Rossi C, Nitti D, Giuntini F, Borsetto L, Jori G. 2006. A novel 10B-enriched carboranyl-containing phthalocyanine as a radio- and photo-sensitising agent for boron neutron capture therapy and photodynamic therapy of tumours: in vitro and in vivo studies. Photochem Photobiol Sci, 5 :39-50 >DOI >Link
Giuntini F, Raoul Y, Dei D, Municchi M, Chiti G, Fabris C, Colautti P, Jori G, Roncucci G. 2005. Synthesis of tetrasubstituted Zn(II)-phthalocyanines carrying four carboranyl-units as potential BNCT and PDT agents Tetrahedron Letters, 46 :2979-2982 >DOI
Silva EMP, Giuntini F, Faustino MAF, Tomé JPC, Neves MGPMS, Tomé AC, Silva AMS, Santana-Marques MG, Ferrer-Correia AJ, Cavaleiro JAS, Caeiro MF, Duarte RR, Tavares SAP, Pegado IN, d'Almeida B, De Matos APA, Valdeira ML. 2005. Synthesis of cationic beta-vinyl substituted meso-tetraphenylporphyrins and their in vitro activity against herpes simplex virus type 1. Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 15 :3333-3337 >DOI >Link
Giuntini F, Faustino MAF, Neves MGPMS, Tomé AC, Silva AMS, Cavaleiro JAS. 2005. Synthesis and reactivity of 2-(porphyrin-2-yl)-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds Tetrahedron, 61 :10454-10461 >DOI
Giuntini F, Nistri D, Chiti G, Fantetti L, Jori G, Roncucci G. 2003. Synthesis of trimethylammoniumphenylthio-substituted phthalocyanines with different pattern of substitution Tetrahedron Letters, 44 :515-517 >DOI
Fabris C, Jori G, Giuntini F, Roncucci G. 2001. Photosensitizing properties of a boronated phthalocyanine: studies at the molecular and cellular level. J Photochem Photobiol B, 64 :1-7 >Link
Valenza S, Cordero FM, Brandi A, Guidi A, Altamura M, Giolitti A, Giuntini F, Pasqui F, Renzetti AR, Maggi CA. 2000. Regio- and stereoselective cycloadditions of cyclic nitrones to maleic diamide forced in a peptide: synthesis of potent ligands of human NK-2 receptor. J Org Chem, 65 :4003-4008 >Link
Conference Publication (journal proceedings)
Pegado I, Duarte RR, Valdeira ML, Caeiro F, Silva EMP, Giuntini F, Faustino MAF, Tome JPC, Neves M, Tome AC. 2004. Porphyrins as antiviral agents Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines 8 :878-878
