Starting from today, our website displays the fiches of the new projects that FFC Ricerca has chosen to finance over the next three years, with an overall investment amounting to 2,286,690 euro.
This year, the FFC Ricerca will support 17 studies that will be launched in September and will contribute to acquiring new insights about the disease and increase the duration and quality of life for all the people with cystic fibrosis (CF). In 2024, 15 projects were selected among the proposals received through the traditional annual call for proposals, 1 project through the Gianni Mastella Starting Grant (GMSG) call for researchers under 40 and one project through the Gianni Mastella Research Fellowship (GMRF) call for researchers under 33.
Therefore, the total number of projects funded by the Foundation amounts to 494.
The 17 projects selected in 2024 have all passed an in-depth peer review analysis managed by the Scientific Management and the FFC Ricerca Scientific Committee, with the contribution of international experts. There were 42 proposals received by the Foundation in response to the annual call in December and 9 through the Gianni Mastella calls. The selected projects fit within all the five FFC Ricerca areas of interest, i.e. Innovative therapies and approaches to correct the basic genetic defect; Therapies for bronchopulmonary infection; Therapies for lung inflammation; Clinical and epidemiological research; Personalized therapies.
The winners of the Gianni Mastella calls: Michele Genovese and Daniela Guidone
The two grants named after Prof. Gianni Mastella, co-founder of FFC Ricerca and Scientific Director until his death in 2021, aim to support young researchers in the study of CF.
The winner of the GMSG is dr. Michele Genovese, researcher at TIGEM in Pozzuoli, Naples. His project, GMSG#1/2024, lasting 3 years, aims to investigate the role of two proteins that could constitute alternative therapeutic targets for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.
The winner of the GMRF is Dr. Daniela Guidone, researcher at TIGEM in Pozzuoli, Naples. Her project, GMRF#1/2024, lasting 3 years, aims to study changes in cystic fibrosis in the airways surfaces involved in defense mechanisms against bacteria.
An overview of the 15 projects in the annual call
Innovative therapies and approaches to correct the basic genetic defect
There are 4 projects in this area, including the GMSG#1/2024 project. The FFC#1/2024 project aims to synthesize and test new CFTR potentiators active on (ultra)rare mutations. The FFC#2/2024 project aims to investigate the safety of the Kaftrio drug in pregnancy and at a young age in relation to the accumulation of fat molecules in tissues. Finally, the FFC#3/2024 project aims to study the role of a chaperone proteins, the Heat Shock Proteins category, in the recovery of F508del-CFTR induced by correctors.
Personalized therapies
In this area, the FFC#4/2024 project aims to investigate the effect of anti-inflammatory/antioxidant drug therapies on the recovery of CFTR channel activity induced by Kaftrio therapy.
Therapies for bronchopulmonary infection
The projects in this area aim to identify and develop new compounds to combat the most common and severe bacterial infections in CF. The FFC#9/2024 project aims to study the interaction between the Kaftrio drug and some antimicrobials on samples of drug-resistant, non-tuberculous mycobacteria. The FFC#8/2024 project is aimed at evaluating the efficacy of two antimicrobial compounds on models of co-infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The FFC#10/2024 project, on the other hand, aims to select and optimize the already existing compounds in order to make them effective against Mycobacterium abscessus; the FFC#6/2024, project is also focused on M. abscessus, which aims to investigate the use of bacteriophages in personalized therapy against this pathogen. Three projects aim to study Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections: the FFC#5/2024 project aims to optimize small molecules called PNAs that inhibit antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa; the FFC#7/2024 project aims to act on quorum sensing, the mechanism whereby the bacteria communicate and grow in colonies, in order to interfere with this process; finally, the FFC#15/2024 project aims to study the pulmonary colonization of P. aeruginosa and test its response to modulator drug therapies.
Therapies for lung inflammation
In this area, in addition to the GMRF#1/2024 project, there are 3 new projects. The FFC#11/2024 project aims to further develop the tests on the efficacy and safety of the synthetic molecule GY971, a compound already studied by the FFC Ricerca projects and which is quite promising in anti-inflammatory treatments. The FFC#12/2024 project aims at investigating the inflammatory component of cystic fibrosis, in particular as concerns the interaction between platelets and CD8 T lymphocytes. Finally, the FFC#13/2024 project aims at studying the effects, mechanisms and interactions of Kaftrio in the resolution of inflammation and infection in CF.
Clinical and epidemiological research
In this area, the FFC#14/2024 project will be funded, aimed at studying the long-term consequences of insulin secretion deficiency caused by the pancreas, an organ involved in CF.
The FFC Ricerca 2024 projects
The new projects are now available for funding by all supporters of FFC Ricerca and those who want to contribute to the advancement of research in the field of cystic fibrosis.
In recent years, research has made it possible to obtain important results in the treatment of this disease, but much more still needs to be done to correct the basic defect, develop efficient personalized therapies for all people with CF, and treat chronic infections and inflammation. The Foundation is increasingly committed to pursuing the goal of finding an incisive cure for the disease, which could improve the survival rate and quality of life of all people with CF.
For information and funding, please contact
Fabio Cabianca: fabio.cabianca@fibrosicisticaricerca.it | 045 8123605
