Annamaria Sandomenico annamaria.sandomenico@cnr.it
Menotti Ruvo menotti.ruvo@cnr.it

Institute
Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging
Via Pietro Castellino 111 , 80131 Napoli
https://www.ibb.cnr.it

Our group’s research activity focuses on the development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and innovative antibody formats against various therapeutic targets, including biomarkers for solid tumours and leukaemia. We also develop antibody molecules, including Fab and ScFv, engineered ad hoc to make them modifiable in a site-specific manner through chemical or enzymatic reactions to generate variants conjugated with cytotoxic agents, obtaining Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC), or with tracers for diagnostic applications. Engineered molecules are also used to decorate nanocarriers loaded with cytotoxic agents, resulting in new-generation ADCs and multispecific particles. Finally, we use biophysical techniques to study scFv fragments for use in the development of CAR-T systems for leukaemia, to verify their stability and efficiency in recognising target tumour antigens.

• Focà A, Sanguigno L, Focà G, Strizzi L, IannittiR, Palumbo R, Hendrix MJ, Leonardi A, Ruvo M, Sandomenico A. New Anti-NodalMonoclonal Antibodies Targeting the Nodal Pre-Helix Loop Involved in Cripto-1Binding. Int J Mol Sci. 2015 Sep 7;16(9):21342-62. doi: 10.3390/ijms160921342. 
• Focà G, Iaccarino E, Focà A, Sanguigno L,Untiveros G, Cuevas-Nunez M, Strizzi L, Leonardi A, Ruvo M, Sandomenico A.Development of conformational antibodies targeting Cripto-1 with neutralizingeffects in vitro.  Biochimie. 2019Mar;158:246-256. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.01.016. Epub 2019 Jan 28.
• Selis F, SandomenicoA, Cantile M, Sanna R, Calvanese L, Falcigno L, Dell’Omo P, Esperti A,De Falco S, Focà A, Caporale A, Iaccarino E, Truppo E, Scaramuzza S, Tonon G,Ruvo M. Generationand testing of engineered multimeric Fabs of trastuzumab. Int J Biol Macromol.2020 Dec 1;164:4516-4531. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.09.050. Epub 2020
• Ferrara Y, Latino D, Costagliola di Polidoro A, Oliver A, Sarnella A, Caprio MG, Cerchia L, Ruvo M, Sandomenico A, Zannetti A. A novel therapeutic approach targeting PD-L1 in HNSCC and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells hampers pro-metastatic features in vitro: perspectives for blocking tumor-stroma communication and signaling. Cell Commun Signal. 2025 Feb 10;23(1):74. doi: 10.1186/s12964-025-02073-7. PMID: 39930439; PMCID: PMC11809099.
• Sandomenico A, Selis F, Sivaccumar JP, Olimpieri P, Iaccarino E, Cicatiello V, Cantile M, Sanna R, Leonardi A, De Falco S, Ruvo M. Recombinant humanized Fab fragments targeting the CFC domain of human Cripto-1. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2024 Jan 29;694:149417. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.149417. Epub 2023 Dec 21. PMID: 38150919.

• Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry: incubators for protein expression and FPLC systems for their purification;
• Laboratory of Peptide Synthesis: automated synthesizers and HPLC systems for peptide purification; Instrumental and Analytical Laboratories: LC-MS systems (QTof, SQ, Orbitrap), instruments for studying of biomolecular interactions based on various technologies (BLI, CGI, ITC, and MST);
• instruments for the structural characterization in solution of biomolecules (Circular Dichroism, Dynamic and Static Light Scattering).