Francesco Schiavone

Francesco Schiavone is a former student of the Polytechnic University of Turin, where he earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biomedical Engineering, specializing with honors in Bionanotechnologies in July 2023. From the early years of his studies, he developed a deep interest in the field of nanomedicine, specifically the application of smart nanoparticles as transducers capable of converting and mediating various forms of energy into chemical or physical signals, promoting specific cellular behaviors. During his Master’s thesis project, Francesco worked at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in the Smart Bio-Interfaces research laboratories in Pontedera (PI), under the guidance of Prof. Gianni Ciofani. During this time, he worked on two distinct projects, both based on the use of polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs). The first project aimed to leverage the antioxidant properties of these NPs and explore their potential as therapeutic agents for the treatment of two rare mitochondrial diseases, such as mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) and progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO). The second project focused on their use as phototherapeutic agents for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), exploiting the ability of PDA NPs to convert near-infrared (NIR) radiation into heat, leveraging these fascinating nanostructures as possible phototherapeutic (PTT) agents. Immediately after graduating, Francesco continued his work at IIT, obtaining a research fellowship from October 2023 to June 2024. During this period, he refined his practical skills within biological and chemical laboratories, gaining experience in working with various types of cell cultures, including patient-derived models, and in the synthesis and characterization of NPs of different sizes. He also had the opportunity to work with alternative in vivo models, such as in ovo models, using quail embryos to develop pathological models of HCC and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) to test the therapeutic efficacy of PDA NPs. Currently, Francesco holds a research position in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS), under the supervision of Prof. Valeria Chiono. His main goal is to develop new RNA-based nanotechnologies for the potential treatment of heart diseases.