Romeo Romagnoli graduated in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology at the University of Ferrara in 1990 with full marks cum laude, with an experimental thesis in Organic Chemistry entitled "Kinetic Resolution of 2-Methyl 4-Oxo-cyclohexane carboxylate by Yeast”.
In 1995 he received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry (curriculum: synthetic methodologies) with a thesis on the topic "Use of nitrates in the synthesis of natural organic substances." Dr. Romeo Romagnoli carried out his PhD thesis at the Laboratories of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ferrara.
In 1993, during the doctoral thesis he spent a period of six months at the laboratories of Organic Chemistry of the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) with the supervision of Prof. WN Speckamp and H. Hiemstra, working on the issue of the reduction of mesoimmidi using chiral oxazoborolidines.
From 1995 to 1999 Dr Romagnoli was fellow contractor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ferrara. In this period was involved in the synthesis of molecules with antitumor activity capable of binding to the minor groove of DNA, in particular natural analogues of the antibiotic distamycin A in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company "Pharmacia-Upjohn".
Since November 1999, Dr. Romeo Romagnoli has been appointed Assistant Professor in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ferrara.
From November 2002 he was confirmed as a researcher and he was working at the same Department.
Scientific activity
The scientific production, which was achieved through the publication of over 180 papers in international journals and 17 international patents, was mainly focused on the synthesis of natural organic substances or biologically active analogues and the study of new synthetic methods of general applicability. The main research topics can be resumed as follows:
1) Development of synthetic methodologies for the development and reactivity of mono-and polycyclic polyfunctionalized systems, characterized by a potential interest and application in the pharmaceutical field.
2) Enantioselective reduction of substrates by enzymatic or chiral system.
3) Synthesis and structure-activity studies (SAR) of compounds with antitumor activity against the DNA minor groove (minor groove binders). We have prepared a wide range of "hybrid" molecules, obtained joining the natural antibiotic distamycin A with a chemically reactive unit, This latter moiety was capable of covalently binding to DNA or to interact with biological nucleophiles.
4) Synthesis of ligands for the purinergic receptors (P1 and P2). With regard to the P2 receptors, we have synthesized molecules with antagonistic activity towards the P2X7 receptor, involved in inflammatory processes. Regarding the P1 purinergic receptors coupled to G proteins, classified into A1, A2A, A2B and A3, we have prepared molecules with antagonistic activity towards A2A, A2B and A3 receptors. For the A1 receptor, we have synthesized molecules characterized by the presence of a 2-amino-3-aroyl thiophene core active as allosteric modulators against this receptor subtype.
5) Synthesis of molecules with anticancer activity as inhibitors of tubulin polymerization by binding to the tubulin at the colchicine binding site. Such molecules are heterocyclic derivatives of the naturally occurring compound combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) or structurally related to Phenstatin, a benzophenone derivative obtained by total synthesis.
Teaching.
Since academic year (a.y.) 2002/2203 he has been teaching various courses at the Faculty of Pharmacy. In detail, he has been in charge of the following courses:
a) from a.y. 2002/2003 to the a.y. 2006-2007, the course "Basic Medicinal Chemistry";
b) from a.y. 2007-2008 to a.y. 2009-2010, courses in " Propaedeutics Medicinal Chemistry " and "Basic Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory";
c) a.y. 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, the course "Chemical-Pharmaceutical Laboratory";
d) a.y. 2012-2013, the course "General Pharmaceutical Chemistry"
For the a.y. 2005-2006 he held the course "Pharmaceutical Chemistry" at the Faculty of Science, Master of Science, degree in Chemistry.
In 1995 he received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry (curriculum: synthetic methodologies) with a thesis on the topic "Use of nitrates in the synthesis of natural organic substances." Dr. Romeo Romagnoli carried out his PhD thesis at the Laboratories of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ferrara.
In 1993, during the doctoral thesis he spent a period of six months at the laboratories of Organic Chemistry of the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) with the supervision of Prof. WN Speckamp and H. Hiemstra, working on the issue of the reduction of mesoimmidi using chiral oxazoborolidines.
From 1995 to 1999 Dr Romagnoli was fellow contractor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ferrara. In this period was involved in the synthesis of molecules with antitumor activity capable of binding to the minor groove of DNA, in particular natural analogues of the antibiotic distamycin A in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company "Pharmacia-Upjohn".
Since November 1999, Dr. Romeo Romagnoli has been appointed Assistant Professor in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ferrara.
From November 2002 he was confirmed as a researcher and he was working at the same Department.
Scientific activity
The scientific production, which was achieved through the publication of over 180 papers in international journals and 17 international patents, was mainly focused on the synthesis of natural organic substances or biologically active analogues and the study of new synthetic methods of general applicability. The main research topics can be resumed as follows:
1) Development of synthetic methodologies for the development and reactivity of mono-and polycyclic polyfunctionalized systems, characterized by a potential interest and application in the pharmaceutical field.
2) Enantioselective reduction of substrates by enzymatic or chiral system.
3) Synthesis and structure-activity studies (SAR) of compounds with antitumor activity against the DNA minor groove (minor groove binders). We have prepared a wide range of "hybrid" molecules, obtained joining the natural antibiotic distamycin A with a chemically reactive unit, This latter moiety was capable of covalently binding to DNA or to interact with biological nucleophiles.
4) Synthesis of ligands for the purinergic receptors (P1 and P2). With regard to the P2 receptors, we have synthesized molecules with antagonistic activity towards the P2X7 receptor, involved in inflammatory processes. Regarding the P1 purinergic receptors coupled to G proteins, classified into A1, A2A, A2B and A3, we have prepared molecules with antagonistic activity towards A2A, A2B and A3 receptors. For the A1 receptor, we have synthesized molecules characterized by the presence of a 2-amino-3-aroyl thiophene core active as allosteric modulators against this receptor subtype.
5) Synthesis of molecules with anticancer activity as inhibitors of tubulin polymerization by binding to the tubulin at the colchicine binding site. Such molecules are heterocyclic derivatives of the naturally occurring compound combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) or structurally related to Phenstatin, a benzophenone derivative obtained by total synthesis.
Teaching.
Since academic year (a.y.) 2002/2203 he has been teaching various courses at the Faculty of Pharmacy. In detail, he has been in charge of the following courses:
a) from a.y. 2002/2003 to the a.y. 2006-2007, the course "Basic Medicinal Chemistry";
b) from a.y. 2007-2008 to a.y. 2009-2010, courses in " Propaedeutics Medicinal Chemistry " and "Basic Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory";
c) a.y. 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, the course "Chemical-Pharmaceutical Laboratory";
d) a.y. 2012-2013, the course "General Pharmaceutical Chemistry"
For the a.y. 2005-2006 he held the course "Pharmaceutical Chemistry" at the Faculty of Science, Master of Science, degree in Chemistry.
