Image of Dr Francesca Giuntini

Dr Francesca Giuntini

Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences

Faculty of Science

I studied Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies in the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Florence (Florence, Italy), and I obtained my PhD from the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, working on cationic amphiphilic phthalocyanines for the photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms. After my PhD, I worked at Molteni Farmaceutici (Florence, Italy), where I was involved in a project concerning the synthesis of carboranyl-containing phthalocyanines as dual radio- and photo-sensitising agents for synergistic boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tumours: a collaboration between the University of Padova (Padua, Italy), the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (Rome, Italy), and Molteni Farmaceutici. From Florence, I moved to the University of Aveiro (Portugal) in the group of Prof J. Cavaleiro, to work on the functionalisation of tetra-arylporphyrins to yield conjugatable derivatives. Following this position, I joined the group of Dr. Ian Eggleston (University of Bath) and worked on the synthesis of peptide prodrugs of 5-aminolaevlinic acid (ALA) for the PDT of cancer and bacterial infections, and on the use of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) as delivery agents for ALA-containing dendrimers, quantum dots, and porphyrins. I then followed on to the University of Hull in the group of Prof. Ross Boyle, where I worked on novel polyacrylamide nanosensors to monitor intracellular calcium fluctuations in response to photodynamically induced generation of singlet oxygen. Since June 2013 I have been a Lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences at Liverpool John Moores Unversity.

Academic appointments

Lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, 2013 - present

Highlighted publications

Spagnul C, Turner LC, Giuntini F, Greenman J, Boyle RW. 2017. Synthesis and bactericidal properties of porphyrins immobilized in a polyacrylamide support: influence of metal complexation on photoactivity Journal of Material Chemistry B, 5 :1834-1845 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Ruiz-Gonzalez R, Bresoli-Obach R, Gulias O, Agut M, Savoie H, Boyle RW, Nonell S, Giuntini F. 2017. NanoSOSG: A Nanostructured Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of Intracellular Singlet Oxygen Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 56 :2885-2888 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Broughton LJ, Giuntini F, Savoie H, Bryden F, Boyle RW, Maraveyas A, Madden LA. 2016. Duramycin-porphyrin conjugates for targeting of tumour cells using photodynamic therapy JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY, 163 :374-384 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Chauhan VM, Giuntini F, Aylott JW. 2016. Quadruple labelled dual oxygen and pH-sensitive ratiometric nanosensors Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research, 8 :36-42 DOI Publisher Url

Dondi R, Yaghini E, Tewari KM, Wang L, Giuntini F, Loizidou M, MacRobert AJ, Eggleston IM. 2016. Flexible synthesis of cationic peptide-porphyrin derivatives for light-triggered drug delivery and photodynamic therapy ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY, 14 :11488-11501 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Lavado AS, Chauhan VM, Zen AA, Giuntini F, Jones DRE, Boyle RW, Beeby A, Chan WC, Aylott JW. 2015. Controlled intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species in human mesenchymal stem cells using porphyrin conjugated nanoparticles NANOSCALE, 7 :14525-14531 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Giuntini F, Chauhan VM, Aylott JW, Rosser GA, Athanasiadis A, Beeby A, MacRobert AJ, Brown RA, Boyle RW. 2014. Conjugatable water-soluble Pt(ii) and Pd(ii) porphyrin complexes: novel nano- and molecular probes for optical oxygen tension measurement in tissue engineering Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Journal article

Dognini P, Chaudhry T, Scagnetti G, Assante M, Hanson GSM, Ross K, Giuntini F, Coxon CR. 2023. 5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin as Functional Platform for Peptide Stapling and Multicyclisation Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany), :e202301410 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Mohammed H, Giuntini F, Simm A, Sadique M, Shaw A, Nakouti I, Bras A. 2023. Biomineralisation to improve properties of polymer modified concrete for chloride environments Construction and Building Materials, 379 DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Ulloa Rojas JE, de Oliveira VL, de Araujo DR, Tofoli GR, de Oliveira MM, Carastan DJ, Palaci M, Giuntini F, Alves WA. 2022. Silk Fibroin/Poly(vinyl Alcohol) Microneedles as Carriers for the Delivery of Singlet Oxygen Photosensitizers ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering, 8 :128-139 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Mohammed H, Giuntini F, Sadique MM, Shaw A, Brás A. 2021. Polymer modified concrete impact on the durability of infrastructure exposed to chloride environments Construction and Building Materials, 317 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Helesbeux J-J, Carro L, McCarthy FO, Moreira VM, Giuntini F, O'Boyle N, Matthews SE, Bayraktar G, Bertrand S, Rochais C, Marchand P. 2021. 29th Annual GP2A Medicinal Chemistry Conference. Pharmaceuticals, 14 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Foglietta F, Pinnelli V, Giuntini F, Barbero N, Panzanelli P, Durando G, Terreno E, Serpe L, Canaparo R. 2021. Sonodynamic treatment induces selective killing of cancer cells in an in vitro co-culture model Cancers, 13 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Dognini P, Coxon CR, Alves WA, Giuntini F. 2021. Peptide-Tetrapyrrole Supramolecular Self-Assemblies: State of the Art. Molecules, 26 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Canaparo R, Foglietta F, Giuntini F, Francovich A, Serpe L. 2020. The bright side of sound: perspectives on the biomedical application of sonoluminescence PHOTOCHEMICAL & PHOTOBIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 19 :1114-1121 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Dognini P, Killoran PM, Hanson GS, Halsall L, Chaudhry T, Islam Z, Giuntini F, Coxon CR. 2020. Using(19)F NMRand two-level factorial design to explore thiol-fluoride substitution in hexafluorobenzene and its application in peptide stapling and cyclisation PEPTIDE SCIENCE, 113 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Gerbelli BB, Vassiliades SV, Rojas JEU, Pelin JNBD, Mancini RSN, Pereira WSG, Aguilar AM, Venanzi M, Cavalieri F, Giuntini F, Alves WA. 2019. Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Peptides and its Applications in Bionanotechnology MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, 220 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Canaparo R, Foglietta F, Giuntini F, Della Pepa C, Dosio F, Serpe L. 2019. Recent Developments in Antibacterial Therapy: Focus on Stimuli-Responsive Drug-Delivery Systems and Therapeutic Nanoparticles Molecules, 24 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Rojas JEU, Gerbelli BB, Ribeiro AO, Nantes-Cardoso IL, Giuntini F, Alves WA. 2018. Silk fibroin hydrogels for potential applications in photodynamic therapy Biopolymers, 110 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Giuntini F, Foglietta F, Marucco AM, Troia A, Dezhkunov NV, Pozzoli A, Durando G, Fenoglio I, Serpe L, Canaparo R. 2018. Insight into ultrasound-mediated reactive oxygen species generation by various metal-porphyrin complexes Free Radial Biology and Medicine, 121 :190-201 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Souza MI, Prieto T, Rodrigues T, Ferreira FF, Nascimento FB, Ribeiro AO, Silva ER, Giuntini F, Alves WA. 2017. Conjugation with L, L-diphenylalanine Self-Assemblies Enhances In Vitro Antitumor Activity of Phthalocyanine Photosensitizer Scientific Reports, 7 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Spagnul C, Turner LC, Giuntini F, Greenman J, Boyle RW. 2017. Synthesis and bactericidal properties of porphyrins immobilized in a polyacrylamide support: influence of metal complexation on photoactivity Journal of Material Chemistry B, 5 :1834-1845 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Ruiz-Gonzalez R, Bresoli-Obach R, Gulias O, Agut M, Savoie H, Boyle RW, Nonell S, Giuntini F. 2017. NanoSOSG: A Nanostructured Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of Intracellular Singlet Oxygen Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 56 :2885-2888 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Broughton LJ, Giuntini F, Savoie H, Bryden F, Boyle RW, Maraveyas A, Madden LA. 2016. Duramycin-porphyrin conjugates for targeting of tumour cells using photodynamic therapy JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY, 163 :374-384 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Chauhan VM, Giuntini F, Aylott JW. 2016. Quadruple labelled dual oxygen and pH-sensitive ratiometric nanosensors Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research, 8 :36-42 DOI Publisher Url

Frame FM, Savoie H, Bryden F, Giuntini F, Mann VM, Simms MS, Boyle RW, Maitland NJ. 2016. Mechanisms of growth inhibition of primary prostate epithelial cells following gamma irradiation or photodynamic therapy include senescence, necrosis, and autophagy, but not apoptosis CANCER MEDICINE, 5 :61-73 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Dondi R, Yaghini E, Tewari KM, Wang L, Giuntini F, Loizidou M, MacRobert AJ, Eggleston IM. 2016. Flexible synthesis of cationic peptide-porphyrin derivatives for light-triggered drug delivery and photodynamic therapy ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY, 14 :11488-11501 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Serpe L, Giuntini F. 2015. Sonodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy: First steps towards a sound approach for microbe inactivation JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY, 150 :44-49 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Lavado AS, Chauhan VM, Zen AA, Giuntini F, Jones DRE, Boyle RW, Beeby A, Chan WC, Aylott JW. 2015. Controlled intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species in human mesenchymal stem cells using porphyrin conjugated nanoparticles NANOSCALE, 7 :14525-14531 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Duckles H, Boycott HE, Al-Owais MM, Elies J, Johnson E, Dallas ML, Porter KE, Giuntini F, Boyle JP, Scragg JL, Peers C. 2015. Heme oxygenase-1 regulates cell proliferation via carbon monoxide-mediated inhibition of T-type Ca2+ channels PFLUGERS ARCHIV-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, 467 :415-427 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Di Venosa G, Vallecorsa P, Giuntini F, Mamone L, Batlle A, Vanzuli S, Juarranz A, MacRobert AJ, Eggleston IM, Casas A. 2015. The Use of Dipeptide Derivatives of 5-Aminolaevulinic Acid Promotes Their Entry to Tumor Cells and Improves Tumor Selectivity of Photodynamic Therapy MOLECULAR CANCER THERAPEUTICS, 14 :440-451 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Yaghini E, Giuntini F, Eggleston IM, Suhling K, Seifalian AM, MacRobert AJ. 2014. Fluorescence lifetime imaging and FRET-induced intracellular redistribution of Tat-conjugated quantum dot nanoparticles through interaction with a phthalocyanine photosensitiser. Small, 10 :782-792 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Giuntini F, Bryden F, Daly R, Scanlan EM, Boyle RW. 2014. Huisgen-based conjugation of water-soluble porphyrins to deprotected sugars: towards mild strategies for the labelling of glycans ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY, 12 :1203-1206 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Giuntini F, Chauhan VM, Aylott JW, Rosser GA, Athanasiadis A, Beeby A, MacRobert AJ, Brown RA, Boyle RW. 2014. Conjugatable water-soluble Pt(ii) and Pd(ii) porphyrin complexes: novel nano- and molecular probes for optical oxygen tension measurement in tissue engineering Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Giuntini F, Dumoulin F, Daly R, Ahsen V, Scanlan EM, Lavado ASP, Aylott JW, Rosser GA, Beeby A, Boyle RW. 2012. Orthogonally bifunctionalised polyacrylamide nanoparticles: a support for the assembly of multifunctional nanodevices. Nanoscale, 4 :2034-2045 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Wang JT-W, Giuntini F, Eggleston IM, Bown SG, MacRobert AJ. 2012. Photochemical internalisation of a macromolecular protein toxin using a cell penetrating peptide-photosensitiser conjugate. J Control Release, 157 :305-313 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Silva EMP, Ramos CIV, Pereira PMR, Giuntini F, Faustino MAF, Tomé JPC, Tomé AC, Silva AMS, Santana-Marques MG, Neves MGPMS, Cavaleiro JAS. 2012. Cationic β-vinyl substituted meso-tetraphenylporphyrins: Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines, 16 :101-113 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Giuntini F, Alonso CMA, Boyle RW. 2011. Synthetic approaches for the conjugation of porphyrins and related macrocycles to peptides and proteins. Photochem Photobiol Sci, 10 :759-791 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Webb C, Upadhyay A, Giuntini F, Eggleston I, Furutani-Seiki M, Ishima R, Bagby S. 2011. Structural features and ligand binding properties of tandem WW domains from YAP and TAZ, nuclear effectors of the Hippo pathway. Biochemistry, 50 :3300-3309 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Bourré L, Giuntini F, Eggleston IM, Mosse CA, Macrobert AJ, Wilson M. 2010. Effective photoinactivation of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains using an HIV-1 Tat peptide-porphyrin conjugate. Photochem Photobiol Sci, 9 :1613-1620 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Moura NMM, Giuntini F, Faustino MAF, Neves MGPMS, Tomé AC, Silva AMS, Rakib EM, Hannioui A, Abouricha S, Röder B, Cavaleiroa JAS. 2010. 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile imines to mesotetraarylporphyrins Arkivoc, 2010 :24-33 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Giuntini F, Bourré L, MacRobert AJ, Wilson M, Eggleston IM. 2009. Improved peptide prodrugs of 5-ALA for PDT: rationalization of cellular accumulation and protoporphyrin IX production by direct determination of cellular prodrug uptake and prodrug metabolization. J Med Chem, 52 :4026-4037 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Bourré L, Giuntini F, Eggleston IM, Wilson M, MacRobert AJ. 2009. Protoporphyrin IX enhancement by 5-aminolaevulinic acid peptide derivatives and the effect of RNA silencing on intracellular metabolism. Br J Cancer, 100 :723-731 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Giuntini F, Bourré L, Macrobert AJ, Wilson M, Eggleston IM. 2008. Quantitative determination of 5-aminolaevulinic acid and its esters in cell lysates by HPLC-fluorescence. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci, 875 :562-566 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Bourré L, Giuntini F, Eggleston IM, Wilson M, MacRobert AJ. 2008. 5-Aminolaevulinic acid peptide prodrugs enhance photosensitization for photodynamic therapy. Mol Cancer Ther, 7 :1720-1729 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Giuntini F, Bourre L, Wilson M, MacRobert AJ, Eggleston IM. 2008. A novel approach to improve cellular delivery of 5-aminolaevulinic acid: New ALA-containing peptide Prodrugs for photodynamic therapy Journal of Peptide Science, 14 :156-156 Author Url

Izquierdo RA, Barros CM, Santana-Marques MG, Ferrer-Correia AJ, Silva EMP, Giuntini F, Faustino MAF, Tomé JPC, Tomé AC, Silva AMS, Neves GPMS, Cavaleiro JAS, Peixoto AF, Pereira MM, Pais AACC. 2007. Characterization of isomeric cationic porphyrins with beta-pyrrolic substituents by electrospray mass spectrometry: the singular behavior of a potential virus photoinactivator. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom, 18 :218-225 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Friso E, Roncucci G, Dei D, Soncin M, Fabris C, Chiti G, Colautti P, Esposito J, De Nardo L, Riccardo Rossi C, Nitti D, Giuntini F, Borsetto L, Jori G. 2006. A novel 10B-enriched carboranyl-containing phthalocyanine as a radio- and photo-sensitising agent for boron neutron capture therapy and photodynamic therapy of tumours: in vitro and in vivo studies. Photochem Photobiol Sci, 5 :39-50 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Dei D, Chiti G, De Filippis MP, Fantetti L, Giuliani F, Giuntini F, Soncin M, Jori G, Roncucci G. 2006. Phthalocyanines as photodynamic agents for the inactivation of microbial pathogens Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines, 10 :147-159 DOI Publisher Url

Dei D, Chiti G, De Filippis MP, Fantetti L, Giuliani F, Giuntini F, Soncin M, Jori G, Roncucci G. 2006. Phthalocyanines as photodynamic agents for the inactivation of microbial pathogens JOURNAL OF PORPHYRINS AND PHTHALOCYANINES, 10 :147-159 DOI Author Url

Giuntini F, Faustino MAF, Neves MGPMS, Tomé AC, Silva AMS, Cavaleiro JAS. 2005. Synthesis and reactivity of 2-(porphyrin-2-yl)-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds Tetrahedron, 61 :10454-10461 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Silva EMP, Giuntini F, Faustino MAF, Tomé JPC, Neves MGPMS, Tomé AC, Silva AMS, Santana-Marques MG, Ferrer-Correia AJ, Cavaleiro JAS, Caeiro MF, Duarte RR, Tavares SAP, Pegado IN, d'Almeida B, De Matos APA, Valdeira ML. 2005. Synthesis of cationic beta-vinyl substituted meso-tetraphenylporphyrins and their in vitro activity against herpes simplex virus type 1. Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 15 :3333-3337 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Giuntini F, Raoul Y, Dei D, Municchi M, Chiti G, Fabris C, Colautti P, Jori G, Roncucci G. 2005. Synthesis of tetrasubstituted Zn(II)-phthalocyanines carrying four carboranyl-units as potential BNCT and PDT agents Tetrahedron Letters, 46 :2979-2982 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Giuntini F, Nistri D, Chiti G, Fantetti L, Jori G, Roncucci G. 2003. Synthesis of trimethylammoniumphenylthio-substituted phthalocyanines with different pattern of substitution Tetrahedron Letters, 44 :515-517 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Fabris C, Jori G, Giuntini F, Roncucci G. 2001. Photosensitizing properties of a boronated phthalocyanine: studies at the molecular and cellular level. J Photochem Photobiol B, 64 :1-7 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Valenza S, Cordero FM, Brandi A, Guidi A, Altamura M, Giolitti A, Giuntini F, Pasqui F, Renzetti AR, Maggi CA. 2000. Regio- and stereoselective cycloadditions of cyclic nitrones to maleic diamide forced in a peptide: synthesis of potent ligands of human NK-2 receptor. J Org Chem, 65 :4003-4008 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Conference publication

Dognini P, Chaudhry T, Ross K, Coxon C, Giuntini F. 2021. Polyfluorinated Aromatic Porphyrin as a Photoactive Scaffold for Peptide Cyclisation 27–28 May 2021, MDPI: Basel, Switzerland, Proceedings of the First Canadian Peptide and Protein Community Virtual Symposium,, First Canadian Peptide and Protein Community Virtual Symposium DOI

Threadgill MD, Matthews SE, Giuntini F. 2017. 25th Conference of GP2A PHARMACEUTICALS, 10 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Giuntini F, Dumulin F, Daly R, Ahsen V, Scanlan EM, Lavado ASP, Aylott JW, Rosser GA, Beeby A, Boyle RW. 2012. Orthogonally bifunctionalised polyacrylamide nanoparticles: Support for the assembly of multifunctional biological probes and theranostic agents ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, 244th National Fall Meeting of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS) 244 Author Url

Moura NMM, Giuntini F, Foustino MAF, Neves MGPMS, Tome AC, Rakib EM, Hannioui A, Abouricha S, Roeder B, Cavaleiro JAS. 2009. PYRAZOLOCHLORIN DERIVATIVES: SYNTHESIS AND PHOTOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES DRUGS OF THE FUTURE, 34 :202-202 Author Url

Dixon M, Giuntini F, Nathubhai A, Andersen O, van Aalten D, Eggleston I. 2008. Synthetic approaches to cyclic peptide natural products as chitinase inhibitors JOURNAL OF PEPTIDE SCIENCE, 14 :55-55 Author Url

Pegado I, Duarte RR, Valdeira ML, Caeiro F, Silva EMP, Giuntini F, Faustino MAF, Tome JPC, Neves M, Tome AC. 2004. Porphyrins as antiviral agents Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines 8 :878-878

Chapters

Giuntini F, Boyle R, Sibrian-Vazquez M, Graça H. Vicente M. 2013. Porphyrin Conjugates for Cancer Therapy Handbook of Porphyrin Science (Volume 27) :303-416 World Scientific Publishing Company DOI Publisher Url

Patent

GABRIO RONCUCCI , FRANCESCA GIUNTINI , DONATA DEI , PAOLA DE FILIPPIS MARIA , PAOLO SARRI , MARCO POSSENTI , VALENTINA PASCHETTA , GIACOMO CHITI . 2008. Separation of regioisomers of metal phthalocyanines

GABRIO RONCUCCI , GIULIO JORI , FRANCESCA GIUNTINI , CLARA FABRIS , GIACOMO CHITI , MOIRA MLUNICCHI , DONATA DEI . 2006. Boronated metal-phthalocyanines, process for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions

GABRIO RONCUCCI , FRANCESCA GIUNTINI , DONATA DEI , PAOLA DE FILIPPIS MARIA , PAOLO SARRI , MARCO POSSENTI , VALENTINA PASCHETTA , GIACOMO CHITI . 2005. Separation of regioisomers of metal phthalocyanines

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