{"id":2023,"date":"2026-05-07T16:08:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T14:08:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/?p=2023"},"modified":"2026-05-07T18:00:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T16:00:43","slug":"stefano-giuffrida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/2026\/05\/07\/stefano-giuffrida\/","title":{"rendered":"Stefano Giuffrida"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:15% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/files\/2026\/05\/Stefano_Giuffrida-683x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2024 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/files\/2026\/05\/Stefano_Giuffrida-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/files\/2026\/05\/Stefano_Giuffrida-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/files\/2026\/05\/Stefano_Giuffrida-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/files\/2026\/05\/Stefano_Giuffrida.jpeg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><strong>FPC4 &#8211; Stefano Giuffrida<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">University of Palermo, Department of biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), Palermo; Italy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/it.linkedin.com\/in\/stefano-giuffrida-940319240\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>stefano.giuffrida@unipa.it<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><div class=\"table-responsive\"><table class=\"table  table-striped table-bordered table-hover\"  class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>New insights into PP structural features as class 3 CFTR correctors for combinatorial treatments in cystic fibrosis<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Stefano Giuffrida<sup>1<\/sup>, Marilia Barreca<sup>1<\/sup>, Mario Renda<sup>2<\/sup>, Fabiana Lo Mascolo<sup>1<\/sup>, Alessandra Lipani<sup>2<\/sup>, Roberta Bivacqua<sup>1<\/sup>, Daniela Guidone<sup>2<\/sup>, Michele Genovese<sup>2<\/sup>, Maria Valeria Raimondi<sup>1<\/sup>, Virginia Span\u00f2<sup>1<\/sup>, Alessandra Montalbano<sup>1<\/sup>, Fabio Bertozzi<sup>3<\/sup>, Tiziano Bandiera<sup>3<\/sup>, Francesco Ortuso,<sup>4<\/sup> Stefano Alcaro,<sup>4<\/sup> Luis Juan Vicente Galietta<sup>2<\/sup>, and Paola Barraja<sup>1<\/sup><br><\/em>&nbsp;<br><em><sup>1<\/sup> <\/em>University of Palermo, Department of biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), Palermo; Italy<br><em><sup>1<\/sup> <\/em>Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Pozzuoli (NA); Italy<br><em><sup>1<\/sup> <\/em>Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy<br><em><sup>1<\/sup> <\/em>Magna Graecia University, Department of Health Sciences, Catanzaro; Italy<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Abstract<\/strong><br>Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease caused by mutations that impair the function of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) chloride channel. This defect can be overcome by CFTR \u201ccorrectors\u201d, small molecule modulators that stabilize the misfolded protein and increase membrane expression [1-3]. Significant progresses have been made in the pharmacological treatment of CF with the development of Kaftrio, a triple combination of two correctors (VX-661, VX-445) and one potentiator (VX-770) and, recently, of Alyftrek, a combination of deutivacaftor, VX-661 and vanzacaftor [4]. However, the development of new CFTR modulators is an important goal to maximize mutant CFTR rescue. In the course of our studies, we have identified a new class of small molecules (called PP compounds) as correctors with high efficacy in the rescue of F508del-CFTR on native epithelial cells of CF patients, particularly in combination with class 1 correctors (VX-809) [5]. A multiparametric optimization of PP compounds is ongoing. In parallel, we are also investigating another family of correctors, called SH compounds, derived from PP compounds using a scaffold hopping approach. These compounds bearing a higher conformational flexibility and offering multiple regions for structural diversification allow the generation of a wide family of analogues with higher optimization potential. The new compounds are tested using the HS-YFP functional assay on CFBE41o- cells expressing F508del-CFTR mutation. The most active compounds are then validated: i) in short-circuit recordings on primary airway epithelial cells; ii) in biochemical assays to evaluate CFTR maturation\/trafficking. So far, we have evaluated 450 compounds from which several effective derivatives emerged with EC<sub>50<\/sub> values at sub-micromolar level. Mechanistic studies have shown that PP and SH compounds act as class 3 correctors, able to produce a strong synergistic\/additive effect when combined with class 1 agents such as VX-809 and VX-661. Selected candidates were also evaluated for their <em>in vivo<\/em> pharmacokinetic profile in rodents to preliminary asses their drug-like profile. We have also tested the efficacy and potency of two selected compounds, PP028 and SH157A, when combined with another type of class 1 correctors [6]. In particular, combination of ARN22081, ARN22151, or ARN22361 class 1 correctors with single digit nanomolar potency with PP028 or SH157A markedly enhanced F508del-CFTR rescue. Interestingly, the use of PP028\/SH157A produced an increase of the potency of ARN correctors, with a shift of the EC<sub>50 <\/sub>values to the sub-nanomolar range. These results confirm the ability of the PP and SH compounds to synergize with ARN correctors thus indicating the possibility to develop novel pharmacological combinations to rescue mutant CFTR.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>References &nbsp;<\/strong><br>[1] Elborn, J.S. <em>Lancet<\/em> (2016) 388, 2519\u20132531.<br>[2] Stoltz, D.A.D.; Meyerholz, K.; Welsh, <em>M.J. N. Engl. J. Med<\/em>. (2015) 372, 351\u2013362<br>[3] Farinha, C.M.; et al. <em>Chem. Biol.<\/em> (2013) 20, 943\u2013955<br>[4] Keating, C.; et al., <em>Lancet Respir. Med<\/em>. (2025) 13, 256\u2013271<br>[5] Renda, M.; et al. <em>Sci Rep<\/em> (2023) 13:7604<br>[6] Pedemonte, N.; et al. (2020) <em>Sci Adv<\/em> 6:eaay9669<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FPC4 &#8211; Stefano Giuffrida University of Palermo, Department of biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), Palermo; Italy LinkedIn stefano.giuffrida@unipa.it New insights into PP structural features as class 3 CFTR correctors for combinatorial treatments in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10371,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-senza-categoria"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10371"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2023"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2023\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2144,"href":"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2023\/revisions\/2144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.unica.it\/pe2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}