Developed skills and lines of research
Maria Rosalia Pasca earned her PhD in Genetics and Molecular Evolution in 2002 from the University of Bari. She subsequently worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Pavia until 2006. From 2006 to 2015, she was a university researcher, and since 2015, she has been an Associate Professor of Microbiology at the same university. In March 2021, she became a Full Professor of Microbiology at the University of Pavia.
Her research focuses on studying the mechanisms of action and resistance of drugs against pathogenic mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium abscessus. Recently, with support from FFC Ricerca, she identified a compound active against M. abscessus in vitro, in vivo, and against biofilm, for which she determined the mechanism of action. She has recently patented the properties of this compound, co-owned with FFC Ricerca.
Projects funded by FFC Ricerca as Principal Investigator or as Research Manager
FFC#9/2023
Evaluation of the efficacy of the “VOMG” new antibiotic against Mycobacterium abscessus
FFC#18/2021
New weapons against Mycobacterium abscessus and other nontuberculous Mycobacteria
FFC#14/2020
New weapons against Mycobacterium abscessus and other nontuberculous mycobacteria
FFC#19/2018
New weapons against Mycobacterium abscessus and other nontuberculous mycobacteria
Publications from FFC Research projects
Recchia D, Stelitano G, Degiacomi G, Stamilla A, Lorenzo Gutierrez D, Chiarelli LR, Pasca MR. Mycobacterium abscessus infections in cystic fibrosis individuals: a review on therapeutic options. International journal of molecular sciences vol. 24,5 4635. 27 Feb. 2023
Degiacomi G, Chiarelli LR, Recchia D, Petricci E, Gianibbi B, Fiscarelli EV, Fattorini L, Manetti F, Pasca MR. The Antimalarial Mefloquine Shows Activity against Mycobacterium abscessus, Inhibiting Mycolic Acid Metabolism. Int J Mol Sci. vol. 22,16 8533. 8 Aug. 2021
Chiarelli LR, Degiacomi G, Egorova A, Makarov V, Pasca MR. Nitric oxide-releasing compounds for the treatment of lung infections. Drug discovery today vol. 26,2 (2021): 542-550
Egorova A, Jackson M, Gavrilyuk V, Makarov V. Pipeline of anti-Mycobacterium abscessus small molecules: Repurposable drugs and promising novel chemical entities. Med Res Rev. vol. 41,4 (2021): 2350-2387
Degiacomi G, Sammartino JC, Chiarelli LR, Riabova O, Makarov V, Pasca MR. Mycobacterium abscessus, an Emerging and Worrisome Pathogen among Cystic Fibrosis Patients. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Nov 22;20(23):5868