Phd in MOLECULAR DESIGN AND CHARACTERIZATION FOR THE
PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: FROM DRUG TO FOOD

email: dante.rotili@uniroma1.it
phone: 3332749347
building: CU019
room: 206

PERSONAL INFORMATION
First name/Surname: Dante Rotili
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
June 4th, 2007, Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Italy. Thesis Title: “Design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and structure-activity relationship of Uracil-Based HydroxyAmides (UBHAs) as a novel, highly potent class of HDAC inhibitors”, Pharmaceutical Studies Department, “Sapienza” University of Rome.
March 19th, 2003, Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, “Sapienza” University of Rome. Mark: 110/110 cum laude. Thesis Title: “Phenylthiazolylcarboxyamides, a novel class of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors”, Pharmaceutical Studies Department, “Sapienza” University of Rome.
POSITIONS AND EMPLOYMENT
Sep 2020 - present: Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, “Sapienza” University of Rome.
Dec 2011 - Aug 2020: Tenured Researcher of Medicinal Chemistry, “Sapienza” University of Rome.
Sep 2010 - Nov 2011: Research Associate at the Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Sapienza” University of Rome.
Apr 2009 - Sep 2010: Research Associate at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Oxford.
Jan 2007 - Mar 2009: Post-Doc fellow at the Department of Pharmaceutical Studies, “Sapienza” University of Rome.
RESEARCH TOPICS
Since 2003, the research activity of Prof. Rotili has been focusing mainly on the design and synthesis of modulators of epigenetic enzymes (histone deacetylases, acetyltransferases, methyltransferases and demethylases, sirtuins, and DNA methyltransferases and demethylases) as potential anticancer and/or antimicrobial agents. Other research topics are the development of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors as antiviral agents, and of carbonic anhydrase (CA IX and XII), poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP1/2 and TNKS1/2) and glutathione-S-transferase inhibitors as potential anticancer and antiparasitic agents. Since 2009 Prof. Rotili has been also working for the development of chemo-proteomics probes for the functional characterization of various epigenetic and non-epigenetic targets. Finally, since 2015 Prof. Rotili has being involved in the development of radiotracers (both small molecules and radio-immunoconjugates) for tumor radio-guided surgery and of enhancers for cancer radiotherapy. Finally, since 2022 Prof. Rotili has been working on the application of native mass spectrometry to the study of protein-protein, protein-nucleic acid and protein-ligand interactions.
EDITORIAL ACTIVITY
From 2023 to date: Member of the Editorial Boar of the journals Frontiers in Chemistry, Frontiers in Oncology, and Frontiers in Antibiotics.
From 2020 to date: Member of the Editorial Board of the journal Metabolites, Editor of the Section "Pharmacology and Drug Metabolism" (http: // https://www.mdpi.com/journal/metabolites/sectioneditors/pharmacology-drug-metabolism).
From 2018 to date: Member of the Editorial Board of the journal Annals of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (http://www.remedypublications.com/annals-of-nanoscience-and-nanotechnology/).
REVIEWING ACTIVITY FOR FUNDING AGENCIES AND SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS
From Nov 2019 to date: Reviewer in the scientific evaluation committee of the Calls for Proposal "Biology and Basic Sciences for Cancer Research 2020-2022" organized by the National Institute for French Cancer Research (Institut National du Cancer, INCa).
Reviewer for the following scientific journals: ACS Med Chem Lett; J Med Chem, Eur J Med Chem, ChemMedChem, ChemBioChem, Bioorg Med Chem, J Enz Inhib Med Chem, Sci Rep, Molecules, Metabolites, Cancers, Int J Mol Sci, Pharmaceuticals, Cells, ACS Infect Dis, ACS Chem Biol, Cell Chem Biol, Front Oncol, Front Pharmacol.
AFFILIATION TO SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES
From 2004 to date: Member of the Medicinal Chemistry Division of the Italian Chemical Society (ICS).
2010 - 2012: National Coordinator of the Youth Section of the Medicinal Chemistry Division of the Italian Chemical Society (ICS).
TEACHING ACTIVITY
From Academic Year 2022/2023 to date: Teaching of “Innovative approaches to drug discovery” (SSD CHIM / 08), Master's Degree Course in Pharmacy (6 CFU), “Sapienza” University of Rome.
From April 2022: Member of the teaching board of the PhD Course in “Molecular design and characterization for the promotion of health and well-being: from drug to food" starting from XXXVIII cycle, Academic Year 2022/2023.
From February 2022 to date: Coordinator of the International Degree Course in English "Molecular biology, Medicinal Chemistry and Computer Science for Pharmaceutical Applications".
From March 2019 to April 2022: Member of the teaching board of the PhD Course in "Pharmaceutical Sciences" starting from XXXV cycle, Academic Year 2019/2020.
From Academic Year 2013/2014 to date: Teaching of Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemical Analysis with Laboratory (SSD CHIM / 08), Master's Degree Course in Pharmacy, channel M-Z (12 CFU), “Sapienza” University of Rome.
SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION
Prof. Rotili is author of more than one hundred sixty papers, more than fifty poster communications and more than ten oral presentations in national and international congresses.
PATENTS
1) International Patent Application PCT/IB2020/050105 entitled “RADIODRUG FOR DIAGNOSTIC/THERAPEUTIC USE IN NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND RADIO-GUIDED MEDICINE” by Faccini R, Solfaroli Camillocci E, Rotili D, Ciogli A, Cartoni A, Fratoddi I, Venditti I, Giordano A, Maccora D, Perotti G, Scotognella T.
2) Italian Granted Patent IT102019000000202 entitled “Radiofarmaco per utilizzo diagnostico terapeutico in medicina nucleare e medicina radio guidata” by Faccini R, Solfaroli Camillocci E, Rotili D, Ciogli A, Cartoni A, Fratoddi I, Venditti I, Giordano A, Maccora D, Perotti G, Scotognella T.
3) Granted Patent US20180118717 entitled "Substituted quinazoline derivatives as DNA methyltransferase inhibitors" by Halby L, Arimondo P, Mai A, Rotili D.
4) Patent Application WO2016/151144 A1 entitled "Substituted quinazoline derivatives as DNA methyl transferase inhibitors" by Halby L, Arimondo P, Mai A, Rotili D.
5) Italian Granted Patent IT0001412189 entitled "Preparation of 7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole derivatives for antitumor therapy" by Caccuri AM, De Luca A, Federici L, Mai A, Rotili D.
HONORS AND AWARDS
1) 2011 Prize of the Italian Association of Pharmaceutical Companies Farmindustria for the Excellence in Medicinal Chemistry, reserved to scientists under 40 years old. 2) Prize “Sapienza Research 2011”, reserved to scientists under 40 years old. 3) Since July 2017 Italian Scientific National Habilitation to Full Professor of Medicinal Chemistry. 4) Recognition by the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry of the article "Rotili D, Tomassi S, Conte M, Benedetti R, Tortorici M, Ciossani G, Valente S, Marrocco B, Labella D, Novellino E, Mattevi A, Altucci L, Tumber A, Yapp C, King ON, HopkinsonRJ, Kawamura A, Schofield CJ, Mai A. Pan-histone demethylase inhibitors simultaneously targeting jumonji C and lysine-specific demethylases display high anticancer activities. J. Med. Chem. 2014; 57: 42-55 "as HIGHLY CITED ARTICLE OF 2014. 4) Bentham Travel Grant for the participation to the XX International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC – ISMC 2008)” in Vienna.
AWARDED GRANTS
2022 to date: Principal investigator of the project “Addressing the catalytic and scaffolding functions of the histone lysine demethylase LSD1.” (Call of the "Sapienza" University of Rome - University projects 2022). Amount financed: € 11000,00.
2022 to date: Principal investigator of the project “Modulators of epigenetic targets for the treatment of parasitic diseases.” (Call of the "Sapienza" University of Rome - University projects 2021). Amount financed: € 14800,00.
2021 - 2022: Principal investigator of the project “Preclinical evaluation of 90Y labeled radiopharmaceutical for radio-guided surgery.” (Call of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE) - Program “Boosting Innovation Technology for Market Product Solutions - BIT4MaPS”). Amount financed: € 57000,00.
2021 - 2023: Responsible of the research unit of the "Sapienza" University of Rome within the project “Innovative 3D high content imaging methodologies for the validation of new anticancer molecules” (Call of the Regione Lazio, POR FESR Lazio 2014-2020). Amount financed: € 18123,00.
2019 - 2023: Principal investigator of the project “Development of glucose-based pure beta minus radiotracers potentially suitable for tumor radioguided surgery” (Call of the "Sapienza" University of Rome - University projects 2019). Amount financed: € 14500,00.
2018 - 2021: Principal investigator of the project “Development of novel LSD1 inhibitors as potential new generation anticancer agents”. (Call of the "Sapienza" University of Rome - University projects 2017). Amount financed: € 13500,00.
2016 - 2018: Principal investigator of the two-year TRIDEO 2015 project promoted by AIRC and Fondazione Cariplo Id. 17515, entitled "Toward a change of paradigm in tumor radioguided surgery: development of novel radiotracers exploiting pure beta minus decays." Amount financed: € 99550,00.
2015 - 2016: Principal investigator of the annual project "Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel DNA methyltransferase inhibitors" (Call of the "Sapienza" University of Rome - University AWARDS projects 2014; No. C26H148X4Y). Amount financed: € 53000,00.
2014 - 2017: Responsible of the research unit of the "Sapienza" University of Rome of the three-year project PRIN (Scientific Research Programs of Relevant National Interest) 2012 entitled "Search for new horizons in cancer treatment by integrating innovative drug-screening and rational drug design" (No. 2012CTAYSY_004). Amount financed: € 104629,00.
2014 - 2015: Principal investigator of the annual project ““Development of new series of sirtuin inhibitors” (Call of the "Sapienza" University of Rome - University projects 2013; No. C26A13SKF7). Amount financed: € 34946,04.
2013 - 2014: Principal investigator of the annual project “Novel Probes for Sirtuin Enzymes: A Medicinal Chemistry/Chemical Biology Approach” (Call of the "Sapienza" University of Rome - University projects 2012; No. C26A12Y7FB). Amount financed: € 40000,00.
TRACK-RECORD
(I) Scopus, update January 14th, 2024: H-index: 44; Total Citations: 5987.
(II) Google Scholar, update January 14th, 2024: H-index: 51; Total Citations: 7751.