New Therapeutic Strategies

The thematic area dedicated to Novel Therapeutic Strategies focuses on fundamental biological and chemical research at the host–pathogen interface, bringing together cutting-edge expertise to identify and optimize new candidate molecules for combating emerging infectious diseases.

Scientific activities are primarily organized into three main areas:

• Computational Drug Design and Virtual Screening: extensive use of advanced in silico approaches, including structure-based drug design and the virtual screening of large compound libraries. This research line leverages state-of-the-art computational technologies to accelerate the identification of promising drug candidates and evaluate opportunities for drug repurposing.
• Mechanism of Action Characterization and Immunomodulation: biochemical and molecular investigation of the interaction between novel compounds and either the pathogen or the host. In addition to in vitro cellular models, research focuses on immunomodulatory processes to better understand how complex biological responses can be regulated, particularly those that cannot be fully reproduced in simplified cellular systems.
• Fundamental Preclinical Optimization: development and optimization of lead compounds for targeted interventions against selected viral and bacterial infection models. Research is focused on achieving a comprehensive understanding of the physicochemical and biological properties of candidate molecules, thereby establishing the scientific foundation for future preclinical evaluation and long-term applications in infectious disease prevention and public health.