Maria Luisa Mangoni

Dr. Maria Luisa Mangoni’s research focuses on the discovery, structural-functional characterization, and therapeutic development of amphibian skin-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their synthetic analogs. She demonstrated that these peptides possess a rapid membrane-disruptive mechanism, leading to immediate microbial death and reduced risk of resistance development, unlike traditional antibiotics. Her studies revealed important additional properties of AMPs, including anti-biofilm activity and promotion of wound healing. A key achievement was the development of the peptide Esc(1-21), showing strong in vivo efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. She also discovered that selective L-to-D amino acid substitutions in Esc(1-21) improved biostability, selectivity and therapeutic efficacy. In collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh, she demonstrated that these peptides can reduce pulmonary infections after a single intratracheal administration without causing inflammation. Another major finding, achieved in collaboration with Dr. Loretta Ferrera (G. Gaslini Institute, Genoa), was the novel activity of these AMPs in potentiating CFTR channel function, offering new therapeutic strategies for cystic fibrosis (patent 102019000018938).