Developed skills and lines of research
Mauro Mazzei graduated in Chemistry in 1971 from the University of Genoa, where he was a Full Professor of Medicinal Chemistry. His research was conducted at the Department of Pharmacy, where he coordinated the Drug Synthesis Laboratory. He was also highly active in the field of cystic fibrosis and engaged in volunteer activities for FFC Ricerca.
His research has long focused on studying correctors to rescue CFTR-F508del function, with particular attention to the efficacy of an alkaloid already used in traditional Chinese medicine as a pre-corrector of the CF defect.
He is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications.
Projects funded by FFC Ricerca as Principal Investigator or as Research Manager
FFC#3/2013
ΔF508-CFTR correctors deriving from computational design and from safe natural compounds for a prompt clinical application
FFC#5/2010
The search of HSP70/HSC70 complex inhibitors useful to correct the ΔF508-CFTR
FFC #3/2007
Computational design, biochemical study, synthesis and screening of pharmacological chaperones as correctors of ΔF508-CFTR
Projects financed by FFC Ricerca as a partner
FFC#3/2006
Identification, optimization, and validation of potentiators and correctors for the pharmacotherapy of cystic fibrosis
FFC#3/2003
Screening of drugs approved for human use to identify novel pharmacological tools for cystic fibrosis
Publications from FFC Research projects
Cateni F, Zacchigna M, Mazzei M, et al. Synthesis of 4-thiophen-2′-yl-1,4-dihydropyridines as potentiators of the CFTR chloride channel. Bioorg Med Chem, 2009 Dec 1;17(23):7894-903. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2009.10.028. Epub 2009 Oct 20.
Cichero E., Basile A., Turco MC et al. Scouting new molecular targets for CFTR therapy: the HSC70/BAG-1 complex. A computational study. Medicinal Chemistry Research December 2012, Volume 21, Issue 12, pp 4430–4436
Basile A, Pascale M, Franceschelli S, et al. Matrine modulates HSC70 levels and rescues ΔF508-CFTR. J Cell Physiol. 2012 Sep;227(9):3317-23. doi: 10.1002/jcp.24028.
Nieddu E, Pollarolo B, Merello L, et al. F508del-CFTR rescue: a matter of cell stress response. Curr Pharm Des, 2013;19(19):3476-96.
Nieddu E, Pollarolo B, Mazzei M, et al. The search for a common structural moiety among selected pharmacological correctors of the mutant CFTR chloride channel. Future Med Chem, 2014;6(17):1857-68. doi: 10.4155/fmc.14.118.
Nieddu E, Pollarolo B, Mazzei M, et al. Phenylhydrazones as Correctors of a Mutant Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator. Arch Pharm (Weinheim), 2016 Feb;349(2):112-23. doi: 10.1002/ardp.201500352. Epub 2015 Dec 23.