UNITO - Torino University, Chemistry Department and Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, Torino, Italy

Lead beneficiary of WP2 - Capture-Enhanced Neutron Irradiation (CENI) agents.
Responsible and executor of all the tasks of WP2 thanks to its chemical know-how and experience to guarantee the development of the CENI agents.
Because the involvement and use of the B/Gd agents is crucial for several steps of NECTAR, clearly UNITO is an active partner also in the following tasks: T3.1 (characterization of Aβ aggregates), T4.2 (n-irr + B/Gd of Aβ water solutions), T5.1 (in vitro toxicity of CENI), T5.2 (in vivo toxicity of CENI), T6.1 (in vivo efficacy of CENI). Specifically, UNITO will provide the required amounts of CENI agents to perform the experiments.
As a NECTAR partner, UNITO will be involved in WP1-management and WP7-dissemination.
Finally and very importantly, UNITO will take care of all the related patent filling procedures which will eventually developed from the chemical synthesis phases and agent development.

Experience in: i) the development and preparation of nanosized agents for the delivery of both therapeutic and MRI agents; ii) the development of innovative Boron carriers in the field of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy based on as an example: PLGA nanoparticles, liposomes, Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL), apoferritin; iii) the development and testing of new compounds for Alzheimer Disease treatment; iv) the setup of efficient cellular labeling procedures for both “in vitro” and “in vivo” pre-clinical models.

Facilities and tools: the resources necessary to the implementation of the project are available at the Center for Molecular Imaging (CIM). CIM is located at the Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC) of the University of Torino where the experimental work will be carried out. At MBC research at pre-clinical level (cellular and animal models) is routinely performed with the aim of its translation to the clinics. CIM is equipped with two MRI scanners operating at 1 and 7T, high resolution NMR instrument working at 600 MHz, one field cycling relaxometer (0.01-10 MHz, Smart Tracer, Stelar), one field cycling relaxometer (0.01-20 MHz, Stelar Spinmaster) equipped with a 40mm 0.5 T FC magnet and a dedicated 11 mm solenoid detection coil. Equipment for the synthesis and purification of organic compounds (HPLC-MS), a laboratory for the preparation and characterization of nanosystems, a dynamic scattering laser instrument for the determination of the dimensions and zeta potential of nanoparticles (Malvern Zetasizer), and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, Element 2, Thermo-Finnigan, Rodano (MI), Italy). Cell culture (equipped with normo- and hypoxia incubator), histopathology, optical and confocal microscopes, FACS and animal facilities.
All the work concerning the synthesis of new CENI agents will be carried out at the Department of Chemistry of UNITO well equipped for synthesis and product purification: i.e. 600 MHz NMR spectrometer, four GC, GC-mass spectrometer, FT-IR, analytical and semi-preparative HPLC with diode array detector, ESI mass connected to an analytical HPLC, polarimeter.

UNITO - Torino University, Chemistry Department and Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, Torino, Italy

Simonetta Geninatti Crich

Diego Alberti

Stefano Parisotto