The IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital continues his translational mission thanks to new proof-of-concept fundings for three research projects with the potential of generating startups. The fundings are granted by EXTEND, the National Centre for Biotechnological Technology Transfer by CDP Venture Capital with the contribution of Evotec and Angelini Ventures. In the past, the hospital had already obtained EXTEND fundings   to finance research that leads to concrete therapies aimed at improving patient’s lives.

The objective of the newly funded projects is the development of cutting-edge therapies to treat cancer, like pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Funded projects

A new molecular strategy to develop selective drugs that target tumors expressing αvβ6 and αvβ8 integrins is at the basis of the project coordinated by Professor Angelo Corti, group leader of the Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting unit and Full Professor in Biochemistry at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, and by Doctor Flavio Curnis, project leader in the same research unit. The strategy concerns the development and evaluation of the therapeutic role of peptides derived from Chromogranin A that can specifically recognize tumors expressing αvβ6 and αvβ8 integrins.

Among those tumors that express αvβ6 integrin there is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which has high mortality rates and for which unfortunately there is no cure. In this context, the objectives of Doctor Curnis’ and Professor Corti’s project are complementary to those of the second project funded by EXTEND and led by Doctor Anna Mondino, group leader of the Lymphocyte Activation unit, and by Doctor Arianna Pocaterra, executive leader of the project. This aims at developing CAR-T cells that can recognize both αvβ6 and αvβ8 integrins to treat several solid tumors, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Finally, the third funded project, led by Doctor Alessandra Mortellaro, group leader of the Mechanisms of Inflammation in Health and Disease unit at the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), wants to develop an innovative therapy to control chronic inflammation at the basis of many diseases, among which there are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as several auto-inflammatory pathologies.

San Raffaele Hospital at the forefront of technology transfer in Italy

These three projects pave the way to the potential generation of intellectual property and new market opportunities. Moreover, they are part of a larger set of achievements in tech transfer by San Raffaele Hospital, which strengthens his strategic role in converting research into innovative therapies that lead to concrete results. More than 500 patents from San Raffaele research have been objects of industrial agreements in Italy as well as abroad.

“EXTEND is continuing to invest in innovation and development of biotech solutions with a direct impact on patients’ lives”, says Doctor Daniela Bellomo, head of the Business Development at San Raffaele Hospital and coordinator of the Tech Transfer of the other IRCCS institutes at Gruppo San Donato. “With the funding of new pre-seed projects, which add to those already ongoing, EXTEND has supported in total five promising initiatives at San Raffaele Hospital. This commitment not only accelerates research and development but also favors the birth of new entrepreneurial realities and strengthens the ecosystem of biotech innovation”, concludes Doctor Bellomo.

 

Written by: Laura Celotto

Published on: 25 March 2025