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Ilaria Tonazzini

  • CNR Researcher
  • ilaria.tonazzini@cnr.it
  • Pisa
  • +39-050-509434
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Short Bio

2023- present: Senior Researcher at the Nanoscience Institute-CNR @ NEST (National Enterprise for nanoScience and nanoTechnology), Pisa (IT).

2019- 2022: Researcher at the Nanoscience Institute-CNR @ NEST, Pisa (IT). Responsible of the Cell and Tissue Culture facilities of the Institute.

2018- 2019: H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Individual Fellowship @ Dept. Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam (NL), in the lab of Prof. Y. Elgersma.

2015- 2017: Post-doctoral Fellowship grants of Fondazione Umberto Veronesi, at Nanoscience Institute-CNR @ NEST, Pisa (IT).

2010- 2014: Post-doc position at Scuola Normale Superiore, Laboratorio NEST, Pisa (IT).

2011: European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Short-term fellowship @ Dept. Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam (NL).

2007- 2009: Post-doc position at Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati (ISMN)-CNR, Bologna (IT).

2005- 2006: Marie Curie PhD fellowship at the Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience (Prof. L.H. Bergersen and J. Storm Mathisen), University of Oslo (NO).

2005: PhD visiting student at the Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology (Prof. B. Fredholm), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm (SE).

2004- 2007: PhD in Drugs' Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Pisa (IT).

1998- 2003: Specialistic (Master) Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology (CTF), University of Pisa (IT).

Research Interests

My research interest focuses on the development of biocompatible nano/micro-structured materials to study and cure central & peripheral nervous system. My research activity aims to:
- study the interaction of neural cells with nano/micro-structured materials, for developing novel bioactive scaffolds and for exploring the basic mechanisms regulating the neural cell sensing of extracellular environment in patho-physiological conditions (e.g. neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, nerve regeneration).
- develop biocompatible nanovectors for non-invasive drug delivery to the brain (e.g. molecules, oligonucleotides, enzymes).

Selected Recent Projects

Development of nano/micro-engineered devices for applications in peripheral nervous system pathological models (ENGInerve) – Financed by Ministry of Research and University (MUR)- PRIN 2022.
Innovative brain-targeting nano-tools and imaging methods for therapeutic development in Angelman Syndrome (InnovAS) – financed by Angelman Syndrome Alliance- project call 2021.
Isolamento e caratterizzazione molecolare di esosomi neurali in modelli di disturbi del Neurosviluppo (END) (financed by Regione Toscana- Bando Assegni di ricerca anno 2021, and Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza)
Touch on a chip (TOAC) - financed by MUR, PRIN Bando 2020.

Selected Publications

  • Crosslinked chitosan nanoparticles with muco-adhesive potential for intranasal delivery applications. Gagliardi M, Chiarugi S, De Cesari C, Di Gregorio G, Diodati A, Baroncelli L, Cecchini M, Tonazzini I. Int J Mol Sci 2023, 24, 6590; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076590
  • Chitosan micro-grooved membranes with increased asymmetry for improving Schwann cell response in nerve regeneration. Scaccini L, Mezzena R, De Masi A, Gagliardi MC, Gambarotta G, Cecchini M, Tonazzini I. Int J Mol Sci 2021, 22, 7901. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22157901
  • Study of adhesion and migration dynamics in Ubiquitin E3A ligase (UBE3A)-silenced SYSH5Y neuroblastoma cells by micro-structured surfaces. Mezzena R, Masciullo C, Antonini S, Cremisi F, Scheffner M, Cecchini M, Tonazzini I. Nanotechnology 2021, 32:025708. Doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/abbb03
  • Glial-fibrillary-acidic-protein (GFAP) biomarker detection in serum-matrix: functionalization strategies and detection by an ultra-high-frequency surface-acoustic-wave lab-on-chip. Agostini M, Amato F, Vieri ML, Greco G, Tonazzini I, Baroncelli L, Caleo M, Vannini E, Santi M, Signore G, Cecchini M. Biosens Bioelectron. 2021, 172: 112774. Doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2020.112774
  • Brain-targeted enzyme loaded nanoparticles: a breach through the blood brain barrier for enzyme replacement therapy in Krabbe disease. Del Grosso A, Galliani M, Angella L, Santi M, Tonazzini I, Parlanti G, Signore G, Cecchini M. Science Advances 2019, 11: eaax7462. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax7462
  • The role of ubiquitin ligase E3A in polarized contact guidance and rescue strategies in UBE3A-deficient hippocampal neurons. Tonazzini I, Van Woerden GM, Masciullo C, Mientjes E, Elgersma Y, Cecchini M. Mol Autism 2019, 10: 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-019-0293-1