Lectures and seminars OnkPat Friday Seminar – Fourth-Generation EGFR-TKIs: From Rational Design to Conformational Dynamics of Mutant Kinase Domains

Host: Domenico Scaramozzino, Department of Oncology-Pathology. 

Bio

Cristina Minnelli (34) is an early-career researcher working in medicinal and bioorganic chemistry, with a focus on the design and synthesis of bioactive molecules primarily for cancer therapy. She began her academic training at the Università Politecnica delle Marche (IT), where she completed her Master’s degree in 2015 with full marks and honors. She subsequently obtained her PhD in Biomolecular Sciences in 2019, developing innovative antioxidant and antimicrobial molecules for biomedical applications. Following her doctoral training, she received two grants from the Italian Foundation for Cancer Research (FIRC-AIRC) in 2019 and 2021–2022, through which she developed a research program focused on mutant-selective EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

To date, Cristina has authored 57 peer-reviewed publications (43% as first/co-first or corresponding author), with an h-index of 21 and more than 1,200 citations. She is co-inventor of two granted patents and co-founder of the spin-off BIOSOLVING srl. In 2023, she obtained the Italian National Scientific Qualification (ASN) as Associate Professor in Organic Chemistry. Her current research aims to develop next-generation targeted therapeutics through integrated medicinal chemistry and translational drug discovery approaches.

Publications

Targeting the lipid membrane to prevent viral entry: the case of a C18-alkylated EGCG compound.
Minnelli C, Caucci S, Galeazzi R, Laudadio E, Romagnoli E, Frontini A, Rao L, Notarstefano V, Armeni T, Romaldi B, Menzo S, Mobbili G
Chem Biol Interact 2026 Feb;430():111971

FL30: an epidermal growth factor kinase inhibitor overcoming T790M and C797S mutations through unique conformational modulation mechanism.
Romagnoli E, Laudadio E, Mobbili G, Sorci L, Birarda G, Piccirilli F, Vaccari L, Vondracek H, Romaldi B, Marcaccio M, Storici P, Semrau M, Galeazzi R, Toma A, Aglieri V, Stipa P, Armeni T, Minnelli C
Int J Biol Macromol 2025 Aug;319(Pt 2):145453

Probing conformational dynamics of EGFR mutants via SEIRA spectroscopy: potential implications for tyrosine kinase inhibitor design.
Laudadio E, Piccirilli F, Vondracek H, Mobbili G, Semrau MS, Storici P, Galeazzi R, Romagnoli E, Sorci L, Toma A, Aglieri V, Birarda G, Minnelli C
Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024 Sep;26(35):22853-22857

Chemical Scaffolds for the Clinical Development of Mutant-Selective and Reversible Fourth-Generation EGFR-TKIs in NSCLC.
Laudadio E, Mangano L, Minnelli C
ACS Chem Biol 2024 Apr;19(4):839-854

Mechanistic insight toward EGFR activation induced by ATP: role of mutations and water in ATP binding patterns.
Laudadio E, Mobbili G, Sorci L, Galeazzi R, Minnelli C
J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023 ;41(14):6492-6501

Metal substitutions incarbonic anhydrase: a halide ion probe study.
Smith RJ, Bryant RG
Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1975 Oct;66(4):1281-6

[Interpretation of various chemical parameters in the pollution of coastal waters].[Report from the National Representatives of the Scandinavian Nurses' Federation's meeting in Iceland].
Jentsch F, Valkonen I
Schriftenr Ver Wasser Boden LufthygSairaanhoitaja 19751975 Oct;50(4319):31-816-20

Metal substitutions incarbonic anhydrase: a halide ion probe study.
Smith RJ, Bryant RG
Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1975 Oct;66(4):1281-6

Maturation of the adrenal medulla--IV. Effects of morphine.Studies of oxygen binding energy to hemoglobin molecule.
Anderson TR, Slotkin TA, Chow YW, Pietranico R, Mukerji A
Biochem PharmacolBiochem Biophys Res Commun 19751975 AugOct;2466(164):1469-741424-31