Luca Domenico D'andrea

We are interested in developing peptide/protein-based molecules able to interact with protein targets of biomedical interest in order to obtain novel drugs for the diagnosis and therapy of major diseases. The novel molecules are developed using structure-based rational design or selected by combinatorial approaches. They are prepared by chemical synthesis or recombinant DNA methodologies, and are site-specifically modified using chemoselective reactions. Structural and binding properties are analyzed in solution by spectroscopic and biological techniques. The main biological systems under analysis are: VEGF/VEGFR and Gas6/Axl.

At the same time, we are interested in the chemical synthesis of proteins using native chemical ligation reaction and in the site-selective modification of peptides and proteins in aqueous solution for novel applications (Figure 1) and structural/functional studies.

Figure 1. Applications of proteins prepared using chemical ligation methodologies

Dr. D'Andrea obtained the Degree in Chemistry (1995) and the Ph.D. in Chemistry (1999) at the University of Naples. Then he was Postdoctoral associate at Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry Yale University USA under the supervision of Prof. L. Regan in the period 1999-2000. In 2001 he started his independent career at the Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini of CNR in Naples. In the 2021 he moved to SCITEC, CNR in Milan.
In 2017 he got the National Scientific Qualification as full professor in organic chemistry and in General and inorganic chemistry.