Carotenuto Alfonso

Biography

Alfonso Carotenuto is Associate Professor (SSD Chim / 08) at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Naples Federico II. Graduated summa cum laude in Chemistry in 1993, received PhD in Chemistry of Pharmacologically Active Natural Substances in 1996. She spent a one-year study period at the Department of Biophysical Chemistry at the University of Nijmegen (Nijmegen, The Netherlands). He was Researcher (SSD C07X) from 1997 to 2003 at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Salerno and from 2003 to 2005 at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Naples Federico II. Currently, Prof. Carotenuto is responsible for the teaching of Analytical Chemistry and Analysis of Medicines I of the PhD degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II". The scientific activity of prof. Carotenuto, translated into more than 80 publications in international journals, focuses on spectroscopic techniques (mainly NMR in solution) and computational techniques of the relationship between the three-dimensional structure and the biological activity of predominantly peptidic molecules. Its main research topics are as follows: i) Conformational analysis and design of neuropeptide ligands of coupled G protein proteins (GPCRs). In particular, the study was directed to the development of peptide-hormone urotensin-II analogues, somatostatin analogues and opioid and melanocortic peptides. ii) Development of glycopeptide epitopes capable of recognizing high autoantibody specificity in serum of patients with multiple sclerosis. In particular, a peptide called CSF114 (Glc) has been developed with high affinity and selectivity towards such autoantibodies. iii) Identification of new peptides or antimicrobial peptide-mimetics. In particular, analogues of temporine (natural antimicrobial peptides) and alpha-MSH hormone have been developed. iv) Design studies, synthesis and biological evaluation of new agents for antitumor activity. The research has made it possible to identify dihydrothienylnaptoquinone derivatives with significant anti-tumor activity against resistant doxorubicin cell lines. In particular, using the combined use of new NMR techniques and docking studies, it was possible to determine in detail the interaction of these molecules with DNA polymers.

Research Interest

The scientific activity of prof. Carotenuto, translated into more than 80 publications in international journals, focuses on spectroscopic techniques (mainly NMR in solution) and computational techniques of the relationship between the three-dimensional structure and the biological activity of predominantly peptidic molecules. Its main research topics are as follows: i) Conformational analysis and design of neuropeptide ligands of coupled G protein proteins (GPCRs). In particular, the study was directed to the development of peptide-hormone urotensin-II analogues, somatostatin analogues and opioid and melanocortic peptides. ii) Development of glycopeptide epitopes capable of recognizing high autoantibody specificity in serum of patients with multiple sclerosis. In particular, a peptide called CSF114 (Glc) has been developed with high affinity and selectivity towards such autoantibodies. iii) Identification of new peptides or antimicrobial peptide-mimetics. In particular, analogues of temporine (natural antimicrobial peptides) and alpha-MSH hormone have been developed. iv) Design studies, synthesis and biological evaluation of new agents for antitumor activity. The research has made it possible to identify dihydrothienylnaptoquinone derivatives with significant anti-tumor activity against resistant doxorubicin cell lines. In particular, using the combined use of new NMR techniques and docking studies, it was possible to determine in detail the interaction of these molecules with DNA polymers.