Ricerc@Sapienza

The Leishmaniasis: Structural Biology and Drug Discovery Group is a joint collaboration between Sapienza University of Rome and CNR–IBPM. (Members: Annarita Fiorillo (Sapienza University of Rome), Andrea Ilari (CNR-IBPM), Gianni Colotti (CNR-IBPM))

Our research combines structural biology, enzymology, and fragment-based drug discovery to identify and characterize novel therapeutic targets in Leishmania and Trypanosoma.

We study key enzymes such as trypanothione reductase (TR), ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), and other components of the redox and polyamine metabolism as well as proteins involved in the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS). Our approach integrates X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, fragment screening, and biophysical assays to explore inhibition mechanisms and design new antiparasitic compounds.

Research activities are carried out in a fully collaborative framework.

Annarita Fiorillo is responsible for the ODC research line, focusing on the structural and functional basis of enzyme inhibition and its potential for drug discovery.