Assistant Professor

Since 2017 Full prfessor at the Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova where he teaches “Drug Delivery and controlled release technologies” to undergraduated and PhD students. 2016: international team member of the ITN Marie Curie Program "Ocuther"; the program is focused on training of ESR through research and development of novel technologies for treatment of eye diseases. He is currently supervising an ESR developing liposomal based carriers for intraocular administration of anti-inflamatory drugs. 2009: recipient of a three-years grant from European Commission in the framework of the FP VII (NanoSCI ERAnet). The project aimed at investigating nanocarriers for the siRNA delivery to silence key proteins in the cancer development using pH responsive copolymers. 2005 and 2008: invited scientist at Northeastern University - Boston (USA), Prof. V. Torchilin. He investigated responsive micelles and targeted liposomes for site-selective drug delivery to the tumor tissue and the brain. 2004: Ph.D. in “Pharmaceutical Sciences”, University of Padova. 2002: visiting scientist at the University of Paris-Sud XI, Prof. P. Couvreur, and at I.B.M.C of the University of Strasbourg. Development of cyclodextrin based macromolecular carriers for the delivery of anticancer drugs. 1998: degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies. CURRENT RESEARCH Anticancer drugs and biopharmaceutics possess high pharmacological activity but suffer from toxicity, poor biopharmaceutical features and site-selectivity, which makes their pharmaceutical development a challenge. The generation of innovative drug delivery systems through nanotechnology will provide opportunities to balance the drug drawbacks and guarantee for the site-selective delivery and controlled release at target sites in the body. Dr Salmaso's studies focus on the investigation of supramolecular systems for the delivery of anticancer drugs and biopharmaceutics using novel responsive materials and combinations of functional components. The current research deals with: 1) Development of metal nanovectors for the multimodal targeting of tumour. Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) have raised lot of interest due to their application as contrast agent in CT imaging, X-ray and ultrasound sensitizers for tumour treatment. We are developing AuNP by combining multifunctional components to yield ehanced site-selectivity in the tumor tissue. Gold nanoparticles are used as anticancer drug carriers, as sonosensitizers and radiotherapy sensitizers in nove applications. 2) Environmental stimuli responsive micelles, liposomes, polymeric vesicles. We are developing vesicular nanosystems (micelles, liposomes and polymersomes) assembled using responsive materials and targeting agents for the controlled release of anticancer drugs, proteins with immunostimolating propersties, siRNA for silencing proteins involved in cancer development. These projects aim to generate carriers with finely controlled interfacial properties by a proper design of the components and the strategies they are combined. We also aim to understand how the interfacial features of the carriers can be leveraged for the spatial and temporal control of the interaction with cells/tissues, the drug release, the intracellular fate. 3) Formulation of proteins by physical assembly with amphiphilic polymers. With the aim to efficiently deliver proteins with biological activity and ameliorate their pharmacokinetic profile, colloidal systems obtained by physically assembling amphiphilic polymers with cytokines are under development. This formulation approach was confirmed to significantly enhance the stability of the protein and allow for the formulation without chemically manipulating the structure of the protein, which is detrimental for the macromolecule activity.