| • | Genovese F, Costi MP, Ponterini G. Dimer-monomer equilibrium of human thymidylate synthase monitored by fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Protein Sci. 2010 Mar 19. In press. |
| • | Cardinale D, Salo-Ahen OM, Ferrari S, Ponterini G, Cruciani G, Carosati E,Tochowicz AM, Mangani S, Wade RC, Costi MP. Homodimeric enzymes as drug targets. Curr Med Chem. 2010;17(9):826-46. |
| • | Costi MP, Ferrari S. Biochemistry: Anchors away. Nature. 2009, 458(7240):840-1. |
| • | Calň S, Tondi D, Ferrari S, Venturelli A, Ghelli S, Costi MP. Constrained dansyl derivatives reveal bacterial specificity of highly conserved thymidylate synthases. Chembiochem. 2008 , 9(5):779-90. |
| • | Ferrari S, Losasso V, Costi MP. Sequence-based identification of specific drug target regions in the thymidylate synthase enzyme family. ChemMedChem. 2008 3(3):392-401. |
| • | Cavazzuti A, Costi MP et al. Discovery of potent pteridine reductase inhibitors to guide antiparasite drug development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 105(5):1448-53. |
| • | Venturelli A, Costi MP et al. Optimizing cell permeation of an antibiotic resistance inhibitor for improved efficacy. J Med Chem. 2007 50(23):5644-54. |
| • | Pérez-Victoria JM, Costi MP, etal. Combination of suboptimal doses of inhibitors targeting different domains of LtrMDR1 efficiently overcomes resistance of Leishmania spp. to Miltefosine by inhibiting drug efflux. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2006, 50(9):3102-10. |
Patents :- 9 patents have been deposited, The most relevant are the following
| • | Shoichet, B.K., Tondi, D., Costi M.P.,(1999). Amide Boronic Acid Inhibitors of AmpC b-lactamase to Reverse Bacterial Resistance to b-lactam Antibiotics. 60/112,450. Ely Lilly, Indianapolis. |
| • | Costi M.P.,et al.Species specific inhibitors of thymidylate synthases. Euro/PCT. 3 luglio 2007. PCT/EP 2007/006006. VA/2006/A000039 del 05.07.2006 |
| • | Costi M. P, P. Paglietti, WO/2009/080367) SPECIFIC INHIBITORS OF PTERIDINE REDUCTASE WITH ANTIPARASITIC ACTION |
| • | International patent application "Peptides binding to the dimer interface of thymidylate synthase for the treatment of cancer” PCT/IB2009/055439. Maria Paola Costi et al. |
Key Publications
Dr. Maria Paola Costi
She is the leader of the Medicinal Chemistry group (MC), is an expert in the field of structure-based drug design and drug development in anti-infective/anti-cancer drug discovery with focus on antifolates. Technologies applied are compound library design and synthesis, target-based bio-library assembling and enzymology, and molecular properties determination. She is coordinating different international projects, including framework project from FP6. She is the referee for Nature, PNAS, ChemMedChem and other Journals.
She is responsible for the Laboratory of Drug Discovery of Enzyme Inhibitors of the Department of Pharmaceutical Science at University of Modena (UNIMORE). She participate to the European action named COST 0801 Drug development in parasitic diseases.
She is responsible for the Laboratory of Drug Discovery of Enzyme Inhibitors of the Department of Pharmaceutical Science at University of Modena (UNIMORE). She participate to the European action named COST 0801 Drug development in parasitic diseases.
Dr. Maria Paola Costi
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Via Campi 183, 41100 Modena, ITALY
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Via Campi 183, 41100 Modena, ITALY
