Developed skills and lines of research

Maria Luisa Mangoni is Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemical Sciences at La Sapienza University in Rome, where she graduated in Biological Sciences in 1996 and obtained her Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 2002.

Since 2005, her research has focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying the antimicrobial activity of AMPs (antimicrobial peptides), using biophysical techniques and cellular biology experiments.

Since 2010, she has collaborated with Prof. Alison McDermott at the University of Houston, Texas, USA, on testing AMPs in animal models of ocular infection, and with Dr. Alessandra Bragonzi at the San Raffaele Institute in Milan on testing these molecules in mouse models of cystic fibrosis.

Projects funded by FFC Ricerca as Principal Investigator or as Research Manager

FFC#4/2022
Esculentin-derived peptides as novel therapeutic agents with antimicrobial and CFTR potentiator activities to address cystic fibrosis lung disease

FFC#8/2019
Antimicrobial peptides from amphibian skin for treatment of lung pathology in cystic fibrosis: advanced in vitro and in vivo functional characterization

FFC#15/2017
Frog skin-derived peptides for treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection and bronchial epithelial repair: advanced in vitro and in vivo characterization and development of polymeric nanoparticles for lung delivery

FFC#11/2014
Development and preclinical testing of a novel antimicrobial peptide to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced lung infections

FFC#14/2011
Development of new host‐defence like peptides and lipopeptides against lung pathogens: in vitro and in vivo studies

Publications from FFC Research projects

• Luca V, Stringaro A, Colone M et al. Esculentin(1-21), an amphibian skin membrane-active peptide with potent activity on both planktonic and biofilm cells of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2013 Aug;70(15):2773-86. doi: 10.1007/s00018-013-1291-7. Epub 2013 Mar 16.
• Di Grazia A, Cappiello F, Cohen H, et al. D-Amino acids incorporation in the frog skin-derived peptide esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2 is beneficial for its multiple functions. Amino Acids, 2015 Dec;47(12):2505-19. doi: 10.1007/s00726-015-2041-y. Epub 2015 Jul 11.
• Mangoni ML, Luca V, McDermott AM. Fighting microbial infections: A lesson from amphibian skin-derived esculentin-1 peptides. Peptides, 2015 Sep;71:286-95. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2015.04.018. Epub 2015 May 8.
• Segev-Zarko L, Saar-Dover R, Brumfeld V et al. Mechanisms of biofilm inhibition and degradation by antimicrobial peptides. Biochem J. 2015 Jun 1;468(2):259-70. doi: 10.1042/BJ20141251.
• Cappiello F, Di Grazia A, Segev-Zarko LA et al. Esculentin-1a-Derived Peptides Promote Clearance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Internalized in Bronchial Cells of Cystic Fibrosis Patients and Lung Cell Migration: Biochemical Properties and a Plausible Mode of Action. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2016 Nov 21;60(12):7252-7262. Print 2016 Dec.
• Ghosh A, Bera S, Shai Y, et al. NMR structure and binding of esculentin-1a (1-21)NH2 and its diastereomer to lipopolysaccharide: Correlation with biological functions. Biochim Biophys Acta, 2016 Apr;1858(4):800-12. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.12.027. Epub 2015 Dec 23.
• Loffredo MR, Ghosh A, Harmouche N et al.  Membrane perturbing activities and structural properties of the frog-skin derived peptide Esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2 and its Diastereomer Esc(1-21)-1c: Correlation with their antipseudomonal and cytotoxic activity. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2017 Dec;1859(12):2327-2339. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.09.009. Epub 2017 Sep 12.
• Chen C, Mangoni ML, Di YP. In vivo therapeutic efficacy of frog skin-derived peptides against Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced pulmonary infection. Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 17;7(1):8548. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-08361-8.
• Casciaro B, Loffredo MR, Luca V, et al., Esculentin-1a Derived Antipseudomonal Peptides: Limited Induction of Resistance and Synergy with Aztreonam. Protein Pept Lett. 2018;25(12):1155-1162. doi: 10.2174/0929866525666181101104649.
• Cappiello F, Casciaro B, Mangoni ML. A Novel In Vitro Wound Healing Assay to Evaluate Cell Migration. J Vis Exp. 2018 Mar 17;(133). doi: 10.3791/56825.
• Floriana Cappiello, Danilo Ranieri, Veronica Carnicelli, et al. Bronchial Epithelium Repair by Esculentin-1a-derived Antimicrobial Peptides: Involvement of metalloproteinase-9 and interleukin-8, and Evaluation of Peptides’ Immunogenicity. Sci Rep , 9 (1), 18988 2019 Dec 12
• Bruno Casciaro, Floriana Cappiello, Maria Rosa Loffredo, Francesca Ghirga, Maria Luisa Mangoni. The Potential of Frog Skin Peptides for Anti-Infective Therapies: The Case of Esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2. Curr Med Chem 2019 Jul 21 [Online ahead of print]
• Bruno Casciaro, Ivana d’Angelo, Xiaoping Zhang, et al. Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) Nanoparticles for Prolonged Therapeutic Efficacy of Esculentin-1a-Derived Antimicrobial Peptides against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lung Infection: in Vitro and in Vivo Studies. Biomacromolecules 2019, 20, 5, 1876-1888
• Bruno Casciaro, Qiao Lin, Sergii Afonin, et al. Inhibition of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilm Formation and Expression of Virulence Genes by Selective Epimerization in the Peptide Esculentin-1a(1-21)NH 2. FEBS J, 286 (19), 3874-3891
• Maria Luisa Mangoni, Bruno Casciaro, Ivana d’Angelo, Xiaoping Zhang, Floriana Cappiello, Mariarosa Loffredo, Peter Y. Di, Francesca Ungaro. Frog skin-derived peptides for treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection and bronchial epithelial repair: advanced in vitro and in vivo characterization and development of polymeric nanoparticles for lung delivery. The Proceedings of the 16th Italian Convention of Investigators in Cystic Fibrosis. Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine, 2019, 14 (Suppl 1):5