Institute of Life Science 2 Internal Atrium.jpg

Dr Salvatore Ferla

Senior Lecturer, Pharmacy

salvatore.ferla@swansea.ac.uk

Office - 256
First Floor
Grove Building
Singleton Campus

Available For Postgraduate Supervision

Research Links

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5918-9237

ResearcherID

Scopus

About

Salvatore is Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the new-born MPharm course within Swansea University Medical School. After a brief experience in a pharmaceutical company working on a GMP environment, Salvatore obtained his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry at the Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, working on a 4-year CRUK-funded project. Since then he has focused his research in the in silico design and chemical synthesis of new small-molecules with potential biological activities, including new anticancer, antiviral and anthelmintic agents. In 2015 Salvatore was appointed as co-responsible of the WCADD Molecular Modelling Platform and during this period he actively participated in more than 40 research projects, involving both academic and small biotech research groups from all around the world. In 2018, he was awarded the prestigious SÊR CYMRU Individual Research Fellowship, to work on the development of novel small-molecules as potential immunomodulators for the treatment of different cancers. Since 2008, Salvatore is a registered Pharmacist in Italy

Areas Of Expertise

• In silico drug design
• Molecular Modelling
• Synthetic organic chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Anticancer and Immunotherapy
• Antivirals

Career Highlights

Research

Salvatore has more than ten years of experience in the application of computer-aided methodologies to identify new active small molecules starting from a biological target. Some of his current research projects include:

-Design and synthesis of novel small-molecule immune-checkpoint inhibitors to treat cancer

-Development of novel antivirals for a range of viral diseases, including human norovirus and coronaviruses

-Design and synthesis of novel small-molecules against different biological targets as potential anticancer treatments.

Collaborations

Publications

Research Highlights

Wong, A., Fallon, M., Celiksoy, V., Ferla, S., Varricchio, C., Whitaker, D., Quantock, A., & Heard, C. (2022). A Composite System Based upon Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrins and Soft Hydrogel Contact Lenses for the Delivery of Therapeutic Doses of Econazole to the Cornea, In Vitro. Pharmaceutics, 14(8), 1631
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14081631, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62036
Ferla, S., Varricchio, C., Knight, W., Ho, P., Saporito, F., Tropea, B., Fagan, G., Flude, B., Bevilacqua, F., Santos-Ferreira, N., Dycke, J., Neyts, J., Brancale, A., Rocha-Pereira, J., & Bassetto, M. (2021). Structure–Activity Relationship Studies on Novel Antiviral Agents for Norovirus Infections. Microorganisms, 9(9), 1795
https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9091795, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57742
Padalino, G., Padalino, G., El-Sakkary, N., Liu, L., Liu, C., Harte, D., Barnes, R., Sayers, E., Forde-Thomas, J., Whiteland, H., Bassetto, M., Ferla, S., Johnson, G., Jones, A., Caffrey, C., Chalmers, I., Brancale, A., & Hoffmann, K. (2021). Anti-schistosomal activities of quinoxaline-containing compounds: From hit identification to lead optimisation. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 226, 113823
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113823, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57836
Oliva, P., Romagnoli, R., Cacciari, B., Manfredini, S., Padroni, C., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Corallo, D., Aveic, S., Milan, N., Mariotto, E., Viola, G., & Bortolozzi, R. (2022). Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Highly Active 7-Anilino Triazolopyrimidines as Potent Antimicrotubule Agents. Pharmaceutics, 14(6), 1191
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14061191, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa60340
Romagnoli, R., Oliva, P., Prencipe, F., Manfredini, S., Budassi, F., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Corallo, D., Aveic, S., Manfreda, L., Mariotto, E., Bortolozzi, R., & Viola, G. (2022). Design, Synthesis and Biological Investigation of 2-Anilino Triazolopyrimidines as Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitors with Anticancer Activities. Pharmaceuticals, 15(8), 1031
https://doi.org/10.3390/ph15081031, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61417
Menendez-Gonzalez, J., Strange, K., Bassetto, M., Brancale, A., Rodrigues, N., & Ferla, S. (2022). Ligand-based discovery of a novel GATA2 inhibitor targeting acute myeloid leukemia cells. Frontiers in Drug Discovery, 2
https://doi.org/10.3389/fddsv.2022.1013229, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61795
Romagnoli, R., Oliva, P., Salvador, M., Manfredini, S., Padroni, C., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Ronca, R., Maccarinelli, F., Rruga, F., Mariotto, E., Viola, G., & Bortolozzi, R. (2021). A facile synthesis of diaryl pyrroles led to the discovery of potent colchicine site antimitotic agents. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 214, 113229
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113229, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56244
Nannetti, G., Flude, B., Nannetti, G., Mitchell, P., Compton, N., Richards, C., Heurich, M., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., & Bassetto, M. (2021). Targeting the Complement Serine Protease MASP-2 as a Therapeutic Strategy for Coronavirus Infections. Viruses, 13(2), 312
https://doi.org/10.3390/v13020312, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56279
Bauer, L., Manganaro, R., Zonsics, B., Hurdiss, D., Zwaagstra, M., Donselaar, T., Welter, N., Kleef, R., Lopez, M., Bevilacqua, F., Raman, T., Ferla, S., Bassetto, M., Neyts, J., Strating, J., Westerink, R., Brancale, A., & Kuppeveld, F. (2020). Rational design of highly potent broad-spectrum enterovirus inhibitors targeting the nonstructural protein 2C. PLOS Biology, 18(11), e3000904
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000904, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55886
Pasqualetto, G., Schepelmann, M., Varricchio, C., Pileggi, E., Khogali, C., Morgan, S., Boostrom, I., Rozanowska, M., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., & Bassetto, M. (2020). Computational Studies towards the Identification of Novel Rhodopsin-Binding Compounds as Chemical Chaperones for Misfolded Opsins. Molecules, 25(21), 4904
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25214904, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55537
Oliva, P., Romagnoli, R., Manfredini, S., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Ronca, R., Maccarinelli, F., Giacomini, A., Rruga, F., Mariotto, E., Viola, G., & Bortolozzi, R. (2020). Design, synthesis, in vitro and in vivo biological evaluation of 2-amino-3-aroylbenzo[b]furan derivatives as highly potent tubulin polymerization inhibitors. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 200, 112448
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112448, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55226
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/131812/
Zhao, F., Masci, D., Ferla, S., Varricchio, C., Brancale, A., Colonna, S., Black, G., Turner, N., & Castagnolo, D. (2020). Monoamine Oxidase (MAO-N) Biocatalyzed Synthesis of Indoles from Indolines Prepared via Photocatalytic Cyclization/Arylative Dearomatization. ACS Catalysis, 10(11), 6414-6421.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.0c01351, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55225
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/133403/
Manganaro, R., Zonsics, B., Bauer, L., Lopez, M., Donselaar, T., Zwaagstra, M., Saporito, F., Ferla, S., Strating, J., Coutard, B., Hurdiss, D., Kuppeveld, F., & Brancale, A. (2020). Synthesis and antiviral effect of novel fluoxetine analogues as enterovirus 2C inhibitors. Antiviral Research, 178, 104781
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104781, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55229
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/130902/
Oliva, P., Onnis, V., Balboni, E., Hamel, E., Estévez-Sarmiento, F., Quintana, J., Estévez, F., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Manfredini, S., & Romagnoli, R. (2020). Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 2-Substituted Benzyl-/Phenylethylamino-4-amino-5-aroylthiazoles as Apoptosis-Inducing Anticancer Agents. Molecules, 25(9), 2177
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25092177, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55227
Ferla, S., Ferla, S., Manganaro, R., Benato, S., Paulissen, J., Neyts, J., Jochmans, D., Brancale, A., & Bassetto, M. (2020). Rational modifications, synthesis and biological evaluation of new potential antivirals for RSV designed to target the M2-1 protein. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 28(8), 115401
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115401, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa53723
Romagnoli, R., Prencipe, F., Oliva, P., Cacciari, B., Balzarini, J., Liekens, S., Hamel, E., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Manfredini, S., Zurlo, M., Finotti, A., & Gambari, R. (2020). Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of New Antitubulin Agents Containing 2-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyanilino)-3,6-disubstituted-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrothieno[2,3-c]pyridine Scaffold. Molecules, 25(7), 1690
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25071690, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55228
Romagnoli, R., Prencipe, F., Oliva, P., Salvador, M., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Viola, G., Bortolozzi, R., Persoons, L., Balzarini, J., Liekens, S., & Schols, D. (2020). Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-alkoxycarbonyl-3-anilinoindoles as a new class of potent inhibitors of tubulin polymerization. Bioorganic Chemistry, 97, 103665
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103665, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54944
Albulescu, I., White-Scholten, L., Tas, A., Hoornweg, T., Ferla, S., Kovacikova, K., Smit, J., Brancale, A., Snijder, E., & Hemert, M. (2020). Suramin Inhibits Chikungunya Virus Replication by Interacting with Virions and Blocking the Early Steps of Infection. Viruses, 12(3), 314
https://doi.org/10.3390/v12030314, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55231
Giancotti, G., Rigo, I., Pasqualetto, G., Young, M., Neyts, J., Rocha-Pereira, J., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., & Bassetto, M. (2019). A new antiviral scaffold for human norovirus identified with computer-aided approaches on the viral polymerase. Scientific Reports, 9(1)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-54903-7, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52974
Padalino, G., Whatley, K., Padalino, G., Whiteland, H., Geyer, K., Hulme, B., Chalmers, I., Forde-Thomas, J., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., & Hoffmann, K. (2019). The repositioning of epigenetic probes/inhibitors identifies new anti-schistosomal lead compounds and chemotherapeutic targets. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13(11), e0007693
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007693, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55234
Romagnoli, R., Oliva, P., Salvador, M., Camacho, M., Padroni, C., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Ronca, R., Grillo, E., Bortolozzi, R., Rruga, F., Mariotto, E., & Viola, G. (2019). Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel vicinal diaryl-substituted 1H-Pyrazole analogues of combretastatin A-4 as highly potent tubulin polymerization inhibitors. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 181, 111577
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111577, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55235
Pertusati, F., Ferla, S., Bassetto, M., Brancale, A., Khandil, S., Westwell, A., & McGuigan, C. (2019). A new series of bicalutamide, enzalutamide and enobosarm derivatives carrying pentafluorosulfanyl (SF5) and pentafluoroethyl (C2F5) substituents: Improved antiproliferative agents against prostate cancer. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 180, 1-14.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.07.001, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52218
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/124785/
Płaszczyca, A., Scaturro, P., Neufeldt, C., Cortese, M., Cerikan, B., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., Pichlmair, A., & Bartenschlager, R. (2019). A novel interaction between dengue virus nonstructural protein 1 and the NS4A-2K-4B precursor is required for viral RNA replication but not for formation of the membranous replication organelle. PLOS Pathogens, 15(5), e1007736
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1007736, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55237
Romagnoli, R., Prencipe, F., Oliva, P., Baraldi, S., Baraldi, P., Ortega, S., Chayah, M., Salvador, M., Lopez-Cara, L., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Ronca, R., Bortolozzi, R., Mariotto, E., Mattiuzzo, E., & Viola, G. (2019). Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of 6-Substituted Thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine Analogues as Dual Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Kinase and Microtubule Inhibitors. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 62(3), 1274-1290.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01391, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55238
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/120345/
Padalino, G., Padalino, G., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., Chalmers, I., & Hoffmann, K. (2018). Combining bioinformatics, cheminformatics, functional genomics and whole organism approaches for identifying epigenetic drug targets in Schistosoma mansoni. International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance, 8(3), 559-570.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpddr.2018.10.005, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55465
Romagnoli, R., Prencipe, F., Oliva, P., Baraldi, S., Baraldi, P., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Bortolozzi, R., & Viola, G. (2018). 3-Aryl/Heteroaryl-5-amino-1-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxybenzoyl)-1,2,4-triazoles as antimicrotubule agents. Design, synthesis, antiproliferative activity and inhibition of tubulin polymerization. Bioorganic Chemistry, 80, 361-374.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioorg.2018.06.037, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55466
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/113241/
Yarova, P., Schepelmann, M., Ferla, S., Huang, P., Telezhkin, V., Kidd, E., Ford, W., Broadley, K., Ward, J., Corrigan, C., Kemp, P., Brancale, A., & Riccardi, D. (2018). Development of a new calcilytic for the treatment of inflammatory lung disease. European Respiratory Journal, 52(suppl 62)
https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.congress-2018.pa1060, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55467
Bauer, L., Ferla, S., Head, S., Bhat, S., Pasunooti, K., Shi, W., Albulescu, L., Liu, J., Brancale, A., Kuppeveld, F., & Strating, J. (2018). Structure-activity relationship study of itraconazole, a broad-range inhibitor of picornavirus replication that targets oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP). Antiviral Research, 156, 55-63.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.05.010, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55468
Ferla, S., Netzler, N., Ferla, S., Veronese, S., Tuipulotu, D., Guccione, S., Brancale, A., White, P., & Bassetto, M. (2018). In silico screening for human norovirus antivirals reveals a novel non-nucleoside inhibitor of the viral polymerase. Scientific Reports, 8(1)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-22303-y, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52215
Slusarczyk, M., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., & McGuigan, C. (2018). Synthesis and biological evaluation of 6-substituted-5-fluorouridine ProTides. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 26(3), 551-565.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2017.11.037, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55469
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/107477/
Ferrara, M., Sessa, G., Fiore, M., Bernard, F., Asteriti, I., Cundari, E., Colotti, G., Ferla, S., Desideri, M., Buglioni, S., Trisciuoglio, D., Bufalo, D., Brancale, A., & Degrassi, F. (2018). Small molecules targeted to the microtubule–Hec1 interaction inhibit cancer cell growth through microtubule stabilization. Oncogene, 37(2), 231-240.
https://doi.org/10.1038/onc.2017.320, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55488
Romagnoli, R., Salvador, M., Ortega, S., Baraldi, P., Oliva, P., Baraldi, S., Lopez-Cara, L., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Balzarini, J., Liekens, S., Mattiuzzo, E., Basso, G., & Viola, G. (2018). 2-Alkoxycarbonyl-3-arylamino-5-substituted thiophenes as a novel class of antimicrotubule agents: Design, synthesis, cell growth and tubulin polymerization inhibition. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 143, 683-698.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.11.096, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55477
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/107819/
Lauder, S., Allen-Redpath, K., Slatter, D., Aldrovandi, M., O’Connor, A., Farewell, D., Percy, C., Molhoek, J., Rannikko, S., Tyrrell, V., Ferla, S., Milne, G., Poole, A., Thomas, C., Obaji, S., Taylor, P., Jones, S., Groot, P., Urbanus, R...., & O’Donnell, V. (2017). Networks of enzymatically oxidized membrane lipids support calcium-dependent coagulation factor binding to maintain hemostasis. Science Signaling, 10(507), eaan2787
https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.aan2787, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55491
Netzler, N., Tuipulotu, D., Eltahla, A., Lun, J., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., Urakova, N., Frese, M., Strive, T., Mackenzie, J., & White, P. (2017). Broad-spectrum non-nucleoside inhibitors for caliciviruses. Antiviral Research, 146, 65-75.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.07.014, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55489
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/104974/
Romagnoli, R., Baraldi, P., Prencipe, F., Oliva, P., Baraldi, S., Salvador, M., Lopez-Cara, L., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Ronca, R., Bortolozzi, R., Mariotto, E., Porcù, E., Basso, G., & Viola, G. (2017). Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 2-Methyl-4,5-Disubstituted Oxazoles as a Novel Class of Highly Potent Antitubulin Agents. Scientific Reports, 7(1)
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep46356, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55492
Bassetto, M., Ferla, S., Giancotti, G., Pertusati, F., Westwell, A., Brancale, A., & McGuigan, C. (2017). Rational design and synthesis of novel phenylsulfonyl-benzamides as anti-prostate cancer agents. MedChemComm, 8(7), 1414-1420.
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7MD00164A, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52212
Brancale, A., Shailubhai, K., Ferla, S., Ricci, A., Bassetto, M., & Jacob, G. (2017). Therapeutically targeting guanylate cyclase-C: computational modeling of plecanatide, a uroguanylin analog. Pharmacology Research & Perspectives, 5(2), e00295
https://doi.org/10.1002/prp2.295, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52211
Scuotto, M., Abdelnabi, R., Collarile, S., Schiraldi, C., Delang, L., Massa, A., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., Leyssen, P., Neyts, J., & Filosa, R. (2017). Discovery of novel multi-target indole-based derivatives as potent and selective inhibitors of chikungunya virus replication. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 25(1), 327-337.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2016.10.037, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55490
Ferla, S., Bassetto, M., Ferla, S., Pertusati, F., Kandil, S., Westwell, A., Brancale, A., & McGuigan, C. (2016). Design and synthesis of novel bicalutamide and enzalutamide derivatives as antiproliferative agents for the treatment of prostate cancer. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 118, 230-243.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.04.052, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52205
Ferla, S., Bassetto, M., Pertusati, F., Kandil, S., Westwell, A., Brancale, A., & McGuigan, C. (2016). Rational design and synthesis of novel anti-prostate cancer agents bearing a 3,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenyl moiety. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 26(15), 3636-3640.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.06.001, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54208
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/91515/
Romagnoli, R., Baraldi, P., Prencipe, F., Oliva, P., Baraldi, S., Tabrizi, M., Lopez-Cara, L., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., Hamel, E., Ronca, R., Bortolozzi, R., Mariotto, E., Basso, G., & Viola, G. (2016). Design and Synthesis of Potent in Vitro and in Vivo Anticancer Agents Based on 1-(3′,4′,5′-Trimethoxyphenyl)-2-Aryl-1H-Imidazole. Scientific Reports, 6(1)
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep26602, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55498
Brancale, A., Shailubhai, K., Ferla, S., Ricci, A., Bassetto, M., Jacob, G., Ferla, S., & Bassetto, M. (2016). Mo1316 Structural and Dynamic Features of Plecanatide: Insights From Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Gastroenterology, 150(4), S695
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-5085(16)32373-3, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55497
Grande, F., Parisi, O., Mordocco, R., Rocca, C., Puoci, F., Scrivano, L., Quintieri, A., Cantafio, P., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., Saturnino, C., Cerra, M., Sinicropi, M., & Angelone, T. (2016). Quercetin derivatives as novel antihypertensive agents: Synthesis and physiological characterization. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 82, 161-170.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2015.11.021, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55496
Bassetto, M., Ferla, S., & Pertusati, F. (2015). Polyfluorinated groups in medicinal chemistry. Future Medicinal Chemistry, 7(4), 527-546.
https://doi.org/10.4155/fmc.15.5, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52202
Bassetto, M., Ferla, S., Leyssen, P., Neyts, J., Yerukhimovich, M., Frick, D., O’Donnell, R., & Brancale, A. (2015). Novel symmetrical phenylenediamines as potential anti-hepatitis C virus agents. Antiviral Chemistry and Chemotherapy, 24(5-6), 155-160.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2040206616676353, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55499
Ferla, S., Gomaa, M., Brancale, A., Zhu, J., Ochalek, J., DeLuca, H., & Simons, C. (2014). Novel styryl-indoles as small molecule inhibitors of 25-hydroxyvitamin D-24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1): Synthesis and biological evaluation. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 87, 39-51.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.09.035, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55495
Ferla, S., Aboraia, A., Brancale, A., Pepper, C., Zhu, J., Ochalek, J., DeLuca, H., & Simons, C. (2014). Small-Molecule Inhibitors of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D-24-Hydroxylase (CYP24A1): Synthesis and Biological Evaluation. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 57(18), 7702-7715.
https://doi.org/10.1021/jm5009314, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55494
Ferla, S. (2013). Small molecule inhibitors of CYP24A1 for treatment of various cancers
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55493
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/53626/
Salerno, M., Varricchio, C., Bevilacqua, F., Jochmans, D., Neyts, J., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., & Bassetto, M. (2023). Rational design of novel nucleoside analogues reveals potent antiviral agents for EV71. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 246, 114942
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114942, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62048
Padalino, G., Giancotti, G., Nannetti, G., Padalino, G., Landini, M., Santos-Ferreira, N., Dycke, J., Naccarato, V., Patel, U., Silvestri, R., Neyts, J., Gozalbo-Rovira, R., Rodríguez-Díaz, J., Rocha-Pereira, J., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., & Bassetto, M. (2022). Structural Investigations on Novel Non-Nucleoside Inhibitors of Human Norovirus Polymerase. Viruses, 15(1), 74
https://doi.org/10.3390/v15010074, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62577

All Research

Journal Articles

Mullin, A., Scott, M., Vaccaro, G., Gittins, R., Ferla, S., Schifano, F., & Guirguis, A. (2023). Handheld Raman Spectroscopy in the First UK Home Office Licensed Pharmacist-Led Community Drug Checking Service. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6), 4793
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064793, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62790
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064793
Salerno, M., Varricchio, C., Bevilacqua, F., Jochmans, D., Neyts, J., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., & Bassetto, M. (2023). Rational design of novel nucleoside analogues reveals potent antiviral agents for EV71. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 246, 114942
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114942, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62048
Padalino, G., Giancotti, G., Nannetti, G., Padalino, G., Landini, M., Santos-Ferreira, N., Dycke, J., Naccarato, V., Patel, U., Silvestri, R., Neyts, J., Gozalbo-Rovira, R., Rodríguez-Díaz, J., Rocha-Pereira, J., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., & Bassetto, M. (2022). Structural Investigations on Novel Non-Nucleoside Inhibitors of Human Norovirus Polymerase. Viruses, 15(1), 74
https://doi.org/10.3390/v15010074, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62577
Menendez-Gonzalez, J., Strange, K., Bassetto, M., Brancale, A., Rodrigues, N., & Ferla, S. (2022). Ligand-based discovery of a novel GATA2 inhibitor targeting acute myeloid leukemia cells. Frontiers in Drug Discovery, 2
https://doi.org/10.3389/fddsv.2022.1013229, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61795
Romagnoli, R., Oliva, P., Prencipe, F., Manfredini, S., Budassi, F., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Corallo, D., Aveic, S., Manfreda, L., Mariotto, E., Bortolozzi, R., & Viola, G. (2022). Design, Synthesis and Biological Investigation of 2-Anilino Triazolopyrimidines as Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitors with Anticancer Activities. Pharmaceuticals, 15(8), 1031
https://doi.org/10.3390/ph15081031, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61417
Wong, A., Fallon, M., Celiksoy, V., Ferla, S., Varricchio, C., Whitaker, D., Quantock, A., & Heard, C. (2022). A Composite System Based upon Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrins and Soft Hydrogel Contact Lenses for the Delivery of Therapeutic Doses of Econazole to the Cornea, In Vitro. Pharmaceutics, 14(8), 1631
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14081631, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa62036
Oliva, P., Romagnoli, R., Cacciari, B., Manfredini, S., Padroni, C., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Corallo, D., Aveic, S., Milan, N., Mariotto, E., Viola, G., & Bortolozzi, R. (2022). Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Highly Active 7-Anilino Triazolopyrimidines as Potent Antimicrotubule Agents. Pharmaceutics, 14(6), 1191
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14061191, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa60340
Padalino, G., Padalino, G., El-Sakkary, N., Liu, L., Liu, C., Harte, D., Barnes, R., Sayers, E., Forde-Thomas, J., Whiteland, H., Bassetto, M., Ferla, S., Johnson, G., Jones, A., Caffrey, C., Chalmers, I., Brancale, A., & Hoffmann, K. (2021). Anti-schistosomal activities of quinoxaline-containing compounds: From hit identification to lead optimisation. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 226, 113823
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113823, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57836
Ferla, S., Varricchio, C., Knight, W., Ho, P., Saporito, F., Tropea, B., Fagan, G., Flude, B., Bevilacqua, F., Santos-Ferreira, N., Dycke, J., Neyts, J., Brancale, A., Rocha-Pereira, J., & Bassetto, M. (2021). Structure–Activity Relationship Studies on Novel Antiviral Agents for Norovirus Infections. Microorganisms, 9(9), 1795
https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9091795, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57742
Romagnoli, R., Oliva, P., Salvador, M., Manfredini, S., Padroni, C., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Ronca, R., Maccarinelli, F., Rruga, F., Mariotto, E., Viola, G., & Bortolozzi, R. (2021). A facile synthesis of diaryl pyrroles led to the discovery of potent colchicine site antimitotic agents. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 214, 113229
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113229, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56244
Nannetti, G., Flude, B., Nannetti, G., Mitchell, P., Compton, N., Richards, C., Heurich, M., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., & Bassetto, M. (2021). Targeting the Complement Serine Protease MASP-2 as a Therapeutic Strategy for Coronavirus Infections. Viruses, 13(2), 312
https://doi.org/10.3390/v13020312, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56279
Bauer, L., Manganaro, R., Zonsics, B., Hurdiss, D., Zwaagstra, M., Donselaar, T., Welter, N., Kleef, R., Lopez, M., Bevilacqua, F., Raman, T., Ferla, S., Bassetto, M., Neyts, J., Strating, J., Westerink, R., Brancale, A., & Kuppeveld, F. (2020). Rational design of highly potent broad-spectrum enterovirus inhibitors targeting the nonstructural protein 2C. PLOS Biology, 18(11), e3000904
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000904, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55886
Pasqualetto, G., Schepelmann, M., Varricchio, C., Pileggi, E., Khogali, C., Morgan, S., Boostrom, I., Rozanowska, M., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., & Bassetto, M. (2020). Computational Studies towards the Identification of Novel Rhodopsin-Binding Compounds as Chemical Chaperones for Misfolded Opsins. Molecules, 25(21), 4904
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25214904, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55537
Oliva, P., Romagnoli, R., Manfredini, S., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Ronca, R., Maccarinelli, F., Giacomini, A., Rruga, F., Mariotto, E., Viola, G., & Bortolozzi, R. (2020). Design, synthesis, in vitro and in vivo biological evaluation of 2-amino-3-aroylbenzo[b]furan derivatives as highly potent tubulin polymerization inhibitors. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 200, 112448
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112448, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55226
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/131812/
Zhao, F., Masci, D., Ferla, S., Varricchio, C., Brancale, A., Colonna, S., Black, G., Turner, N., & Castagnolo, D. (2020). Monoamine Oxidase (MAO-N) Biocatalyzed Synthesis of Indoles from Indolines Prepared via Photocatalytic Cyclization/Arylative Dearomatization. ACS Catalysis, 10(11), 6414-6421.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.0c01351, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55225
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/133403/
Manganaro, R., Zonsics, B., Bauer, L., Lopez, M., Donselaar, T., Zwaagstra, M., Saporito, F., Ferla, S., Strating, J., Coutard, B., Hurdiss, D., Kuppeveld, F., & Brancale, A. (2020). Synthesis and antiviral effect of novel fluoxetine analogues as enterovirus 2C inhibitors. Antiviral Research, 178, 104781
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104781, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55229
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/130902/
Oliva, P., Onnis, V., Balboni, E., Hamel, E., Estévez-Sarmiento, F., Quintana, J., Estévez, F., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Manfredini, S., & Romagnoli, R. (2020). Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 2-Substituted Benzyl-/Phenylethylamino-4-amino-5-aroylthiazoles as Apoptosis-Inducing Anticancer Agents. Molecules, 25(9), 2177
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25092177, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55227
Ferla, S., Ferla, S., Manganaro, R., Benato, S., Paulissen, J., Neyts, J., Jochmans, D., Brancale, A., & Bassetto, M. (2020). Rational modifications, synthesis and biological evaluation of new potential antivirals for RSV designed to target the M2-1 protein. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 28(8), 115401
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115401, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa53723
Romagnoli, R., Prencipe, F., Oliva, P., Cacciari, B., Balzarini, J., Liekens, S., Hamel, E., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Manfredini, S., Zurlo, M., Finotti, A., & Gambari, R. (2020). Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of New Antitubulin Agents Containing 2-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyanilino)-3,6-disubstituted-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrothieno[2,3-c]pyridine Scaffold. Molecules, 25(7), 1690
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25071690, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55228
Romagnoli, R., Prencipe, F., Oliva, P., Salvador, M., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Viola, G., Bortolozzi, R., Persoons, L., Balzarini, J., Liekens, S., & Schols, D. (2020). Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-alkoxycarbonyl-3-anilinoindoles as a new class of potent inhibitors of tubulin polymerization. Bioorganic Chemistry, 97, 103665
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103665, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54944
Albulescu, I., White-Scholten, L., Tas, A., Hoornweg, T., Ferla, S., Kovacikova, K., Smit, J., Brancale, A., Snijder, E., & Hemert, M. (2020). Suramin Inhibits Chikungunya Virus Replication by Interacting with Virions and Blocking the Early Steps of Infection. Viruses, 12(3), 314
https://doi.org/10.3390/v12030314, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55231
Giancotti, G., Rigo, I., Pasqualetto, G., Young, M., Neyts, J., Rocha-Pereira, J., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., & Bassetto, M. (2019). A new antiviral scaffold for human norovirus identified with computer-aided approaches on the viral polymerase. Scientific Reports, 9(1)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-54903-7, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52974
Padalino, G., Whatley, K., Padalino, G., Whiteland, H., Geyer, K., Hulme, B., Chalmers, I., Forde-Thomas, J., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., & Hoffmann, K. (2019). The repositioning of epigenetic probes/inhibitors identifies new anti-schistosomal lead compounds and chemotherapeutic targets. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13(11), e0007693
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007693, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55234
Romagnoli, R., Oliva, P., Salvador, M., Camacho, M., Padroni, C., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Ronca, R., Grillo, E., Bortolozzi, R., Rruga, F., Mariotto, E., & Viola, G. (2019). Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel vicinal diaryl-substituted 1H-Pyrazole analogues of combretastatin A-4 as highly potent tubulin polymerization inhibitors. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 181, 111577
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111577, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55235
Pertusati, F., Ferla, S., Bassetto, M., Brancale, A., Khandil, S., Westwell, A., & McGuigan, C. (2019). A new series of bicalutamide, enzalutamide and enobosarm derivatives carrying pentafluorosulfanyl (SF5) and pentafluoroethyl (C2F5) substituents: Improved antiproliferative agents against prostate cancer. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 180, 1-14.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.07.001, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52218
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/124785/
Płaszczyca, A., Scaturro, P., Neufeldt, C., Cortese, M., Cerikan, B., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., Pichlmair, A., & Bartenschlager, R. (2019). A novel interaction between dengue virus nonstructural protein 1 and the NS4A-2K-4B precursor is required for viral RNA replication but not for formation of the membranous replication organelle. PLOS Pathogens, 15(5), e1007736
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1007736, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55237
Romagnoli, R., Prencipe, F., Oliva, P., Baraldi, S., Baraldi, P., Ortega, S., Chayah, M., Salvador, M., Lopez-Cara, L., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Ronca, R., Bortolozzi, R., Mariotto, E., Mattiuzzo, E., & Viola, G. (2019). Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of 6-Substituted Thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine Analogues as Dual Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Kinase and Microtubule Inhibitors. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 62(3), 1274-1290.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01391, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55238
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/120345/
Padalino, G., Padalino, G., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., Chalmers, I., & Hoffmann, K. (2018). Combining bioinformatics, cheminformatics, functional genomics and whole organism approaches for identifying epigenetic drug targets in Schistosoma mansoni. International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance, 8(3), 559-570.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpddr.2018.10.005, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55465
Romagnoli, R., Prencipe, F., Oliva, P., Baraldi, S., Baraldi, P., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Bortolozzi, R., & Viola, G. (2018). 3-Aryl/Heteroaryl-5-amino-1-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxybenzoyl)-1,2,4-triazoles as antimicrotubule agents. Design, synthesis, antiproliferative activity and inhibition of tubulin polymerization. Bioorganic Chemistry, 80, 361-374.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioorg.2018.06.037, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55466
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/113241/
Yarova, P., Schepelmann, M., Ferla, S., Huang, P., Telezhkin, V., Kidd, E., Ford, W., Broadley, K., Ward, J., Corrigan, C., Kemp, P., Brancale, A., & Riccardi, D. (2018). Development of a new calcilytic for the treatment of inflammatory lung disease. European Respiratory Journal, 52(suppl 62)
https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.congress-2018.pa1060, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55467
Bauer, L., Ferla, S., Head, S., Bhat, S., Pasunooti, K., Shi, W., Albulescu, L., Liu, J., Brancale, A., Kuppeveld, F., & Strating, J. (2018). Structure-activity relationship study of itraconazole, a broad-range inhibitor of picornavirus replication that targets oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP). Antiviral Research, 156, 55-63.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.05.010, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55468
Ferla, S., Netzler, N., Ferla, S., Veronese, S., Tuipulotu, D., Guccione, S., Brancale, A., White, P., & Bassetto, M. (2018). In silico screening for human norovirus antivirals reveals a novel non-nucleoside inhibitor of the viral polymerase. Scientific Reports, 8(1)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-22303-y, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52215
Slusarczyk, M., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., & McGuigan, C. (2018). Synthesis and biological evaluation of 6-substituted-5-fluorouridine ProTides. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 26(3), 551-565.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2017.11.037, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55469
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/107477/
Ferrara, M., Sessa, G., Fiore, M., Bernard, F., Asteriti, I., Cundari, E., Colotti, G., Ferla, S., Desideri, M., Buglioni, S., Trisciuoglio, D., Bufalo, D., Brancale, A., & Degrassi, F. (2018). Small molecules targeted to the microtubule–Hec1 interaction inhibit cancer cell growth through microtubule stabilization. Oncogene, 37(2), 231-240.
https://doi.org/10.1038/onc.2017.320, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55488
Romagnoli, R., Salvador, M., Ortega, S., Baraldi, P., Oliva, P., Baraldi, S., Lopez-Cara, L., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Balzarini, J., Liekens, S., Mattiuzzo, E., Basso, G., & Viola, G. (2018). 2-Alkoxycarbonyl-3-arylamino-5-substituted thiophenes as a novel class of antimicrotubule agents: Design, synthesis, cell growth and tubulin polymerization inhibition. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 143, 683-698.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.11.096, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55477
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/107819/
Lauder, S., Allen-Redpath, K., Slatter, D., Aldrovandi, M., O’Connor, A., Farewell, D., Percy, C., Molhoek, J., Rannikko, S., Tyrrell, V., Ferla, S., Milne, G., Poole, A., Thomas, C., Obaji, S., Taylor, P., Jones, S., Groot, P., Urbanus, R...., & O’Donnell, V. (2017). Networks of enzymatically oxidized membrane lipids support calcium-dependent coagulation factor binding to maintain hemostasis. Science Signaling, 10(507), eaan2787
https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.aan2787, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55491
Netzler, N., Tuipulotu, D., Eltahla, A., Lun, J., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., Urakova, N., Frese, M., Strive, T., Mackenzie, J., & White, P. (2017). Broad-spectrum non-nucleoside inhibitors for caliciviruses. Antiviral Research, 146, 65-75.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.07.014, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55489
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/104974/
Romagnoli, R., Baraldi, P., Prencipe, F., Oliva, P., Baraldi, S., Salvador, M., Lopez-Cara, L., Brancale, A., Ferla, S., Hamel, E., Ronca, R., Bortolozzi, R., Mariotto, E., Porcù, E., Basso, G., & Viola, G. (2017). Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 2-Methyl-4,5-Disubstituted Oxazoles as a Novel Class of Highly Potent Antitubulin Agents. Scientific Reports, 7(1)
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep46356, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55492
Bassetto, M., Ferla, S., Giancotti, G., Pertusati, F., Westwell, A., Brancale, A., & McGuigan, C. (2017). Rational design and synthesis of novel phenylsulfonyl-benzamides as anti-prostate cancer agents. MedChemComm, 8(7), 1414-1420.
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7MD00164A, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52212
Brancale, A., Shailubhai, K., Ferla, S., Ricci, A., Bassetto, M., & Jacob, G. (2017). Therapeutically targeting guanylate cyclase-C: computational modeling of plecanatide, a uroguanylin analog. Pharmacology Research & Perspectives, 5(2), e00295
https://doi.org/10.1002/prp2.295, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52211
Scuotto, M., Abdelnabi, R., Collarile, S., Schiraldi, C., Delang, L., Massa, A., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., Leyssen, P., Neyts, J., & Filosa, R. (2017). Discovery of novel multi-target indole-based derivatives as potent and selective inhibitors of chikungunya virus replication. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 25(1), 327-337.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2016.10.037, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55490
Ferla, S., Bassetto, M., Ferla, S., Pertusati, F., Kandil, S., Westwell, A., Brancale, A., & McGuigan, C. (2016). Design and synthesis of novel bicalutamide and enzalutamide derivatives as antiproliferative agents for the treatment of prostate cancer. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 118, 230-243.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.04.052, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52205
Ferla, S., Bassetto, M., Pertusati, F., Kandil, S., Westwell, A., Brancale, A., & McGuigan, C. (2016). Rational design and synthesis of novel anti-prostate cancer agents bearing a 3,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenyl moiety. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 26(15), 3636-3640.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.06.001, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54208
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/91515/
Romagnoli, R., Baraldi, P., Prencipe, F., Oliva, P., Baraldi, S., Tabrizi, M., Lopez-Cara, L., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., Hamel, E., Ronca, R., Bortolozzi, R., Mariotto, E., Basso, G., & Viola, G. (2016). Design and Synthesis of Potent in Vitro and in Vivo Anticancer Agents Based on 1-(3′,4′,5′-Trimethoxyphenyl)-2-Aryl-1H-Imidazole. Scientific Reports, 6(1)
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep26602, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55498
Brancale, A., Shailubhai, K., Ferla, S., Ricci, A., Bassetto, M., Jacob, G., Ferla, S., & Bassetto, M. (2016). Mo1316 Structural and Dynamic Features of Plecanatide: Insights From Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Gastroenterology, 150(4), S695
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-5085(16)32373-3, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55497
Grande, F., Parisi, O., Mordocco, R., Rocca, C., Puoci, F., Scrivano, L., Quintieri, A., Cantafio, P., Ferla, S., Brancale, A., Saturnino, C., Cerra, M., Sinicropi, M., & Angelone, T. (2016). Quercetin derivatives as novel antihypertensive agents: Synthesis and physiological characterization. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 82, 161-170.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2015.11.021, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55496
Bassetto, M., Ferla, S., & Pertusati, F. (2015). Polyfluorinated groups in medicinal chemistry. Future Medicinal Chemistry, 7(4), 527-546.
https://doi.org/10.4155/fmc.15.5, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52202
Bassetto, M., Ferla, S., Leyssen, P., Neyts, J., Yerukhimovich, M., Frick, D., O’Donnell, R., & Brancale, A. (2015). Novel symmetrical phenylenediamines as potential anti-hepatitis C virus agents. Antiviral Chemistry and Chemotherapy, 24(5-6), 155-160.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2040206616676353, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55499
Ferla, S., Gomaa, M., Brancale, A., Zhu, J., Ochalek, J., DeLuca, H., & Simons, C. (2014). Novel styryl-indoles as small molecule inhibitors of 25-hydroxyvitamin D-24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1): Synthesis and biological evaluation. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 87, 39-51.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.09.035, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55495
Ferla, S., Aboraia, A., Brancale, A., Pepper, C., Zhu, J., Ochalek, J., DeLuca, H., & Simons, C. (2014). Small-Molecule Inhibitors of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D-24-Hydroxylase (CYP24A1): Synthesis and Biological Evaluation. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 57(18), 7702-7715.
https://doi.org/10.1021/jm5009314, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55494

Other Research Outputs

Ferla, S. (2013). Small molecule inhibitors of CYP24A1 for treatment of various cancers
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55493
http://orca.cf.ac.uk/53626/

Supervision

Untitled (current)

PhD

Other supervisor: Dr Mariolino Carta
Targeting the NS1-2 and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase proteins: computer-aided discovery of novel therapeutics for norovirus infections. (current)

PhD

Other supervisor: Dr Martin Gill
Computational Structure, Function and Binding Analysis of Proteins in the Human Kidney (current)

PhD

Other supervisor: Dr Jonathan Mullins
Development of a combined database / in silico pipeline for the investigation of novel approaches for precision medicine (awarded 2023)

MSc

Other supervisor: Dr Jonathan Mullins

Taught Modules

PM-009 Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry

The module aims to provide a broad understanding of the fundamentals of organic chemistry. Building upon the introduction to organic compounds given in PM-000 Foundation Biological Chemistry, this module introduces the principal functional groups present in organic molecules and covers the main reactions which they are likely to undergo.
PMC101 Organic Chemistry: an Introduction for Life Sciences.

The module deals with the basic principles of organic chemistry Two aspects which are particularly emphasised are the stereochemistry of organic compounds and the mechanisms of organic reactions.
PMP102 Drugs & Medicines

This module aims to develop your knowledge in the areas of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry: Following the entire medicine development process, learners will be introduced to the principles of drug discovery and development, from identification of drug targets to medicine licensing. An introduction to the fundamentals of chemical and pharmaceutical science concepts that underpin the design and manufacture of medicines will be given. The module demonstrate the role of chemistry in the development of drugs and how physicochemical aspects of molecules influence their behaviour. Different sources and purification of substances used in medicines will be described together with a variety of analytical instruments and their pharmaceutical applications. Principles of medicine formulation and systems for medicine delivery in the body will be presented together with how medicines¿ quality is assured and controlled to ensure patient safety and improved outcomes. Integration between basic science and pharmacy practice is introduced incrementally in Year 1 through integrated teaching, which link two or more modules. Due to the integrated, spiral nature of the curriculum, learning outcomes from this module will also be reinforced and contextualised by learning delivered within the Practice of Pharmacy (PMP-103) and Health, Disease and Patient (PMP-101) modules. Likewise, learning outcomes primarily delivered within those modules may also be covered during this module to ensure that students' scientific knowledge related to and informs their clinical practice. Skills in professionalism will be reinforced and contextualised by learning delivered within the Pharmacist as a Professional (PMP-100) module.
PMP201 Patient-Centred Learning I (PCLI)

The PMP201 is the first of the three Patient-Centred Learning (PCL) modules delivered in Years 2 &3 of the B230, M.Pharm Pharmacy (Hons) programme. This semester-long (11 weeks) module encompasses 4 vertically integrated study units (ISU), including cardiovascular (CVS), respiratory (RES), Infection (INF) and gastrointestinal (GIS). Further, PMP201 horizontally spirals up with the 7 subject themes: pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry, cellular & molecular biosciences, anatomy & physiology, pharmacology & therapeutics, clinical pharm223acy, and pharmacy practice. The module aims to enable students to reasonably apply their fundamental knowledge (drugs & medicines, health, disease and patient, and practice of pharmacy) acquired from the Year 1 module (PMP101, PMP102 and PMP103) to the patient and people-centred professional scenarios. The module aims to enable students to transfer knowledge from educational and psychological, pharmaceutical, pharmacological theories into solving problems and making decisions in new previously unseen patient-related situations. In addition, the learning will be supported by robust contextualisation of science into pharmacy practice, emerging developments with precision/ personalised pharmacy and working with other healthcare professionals (interprofessional education) through multi-disciplinary teaching & learning, and extensive clinical exposure with simulated patients and professional scenarios via in-person community, hospital and GP pharmacy placements. Thus, this module also envisages a progressive development in the transferable skills, including recognition, responsible action, problem-solving, ethical, and emotional intelligence, decision making and others.
PMP202 Patient-Centred Learning II (PCLII)

PMP202 is the second of three Patient-Centred Learning (PCL) modules delivered in Years 2 and 3 of the B230 M. Pharm Pharmacy (Hons) programme. This semester-long (11 weeks) module encompasses 5 vertically integrated study units (ISUs), including central nervous system (CNS), musculoskeletal system (MSS), eyes, ears, nose and throat (EENT), kidney and liver (K&L) and skin. PMP202 also horizontally spirals up with the 7 subject themes: pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry, cellular & molecular biosciences, anatomy & physiology, pharmacology & therapeutics, clinical pharmacy, and pharmacy practice. The module aims to enable students to reasonably apply their fundamental knowledge (drugs & medicines, health, disease and patient, and practice of pharmacy) acquired from the Year 1 module (PMP101, PMP102 and PMP103) along with the skills developed in PMP201, to the patient and people-centred professional scenarios explored in PMP202. The module aims to enable students to transfer knowledge from educational and psychological, pharmaceutical, and pharmacological theories into solving problems and making decisions in new previously unseen patient-related situations. In addition, the learning will be supported by robust contextualisation of science into pharmacy practice, emerging developments with precision/ personalised pharmacy and working with other healthcare professionals (interprofessional education) through multi-disciplinary teaching & learning, and extensive clinical exposure with simulated patients and professional scenarios via in-person community, hospital and GP pharmacy placements. Thus, this module also envisages a progressive development of transferable skills, including recognition, responsible action, problem-solving, ethical, and emotional intelligence, decision making and others.
PMP301 Patient Centred Learning III (PCLIII)

This module continues to build on the skills developed in ¿Patient-Centred Learning I and II (PCLI and PCLII)¿ modules. Subject themes (Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology, Biology & Biochemistry, Anatomy & Physiology, Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice) within the semester-long ¿Patient-Centred Learning III¿ module are intercalated by ¿vertical¿ integrated study units focussing on the endocrine system, nutrition, cancer, genitourinary and vaccines. The module aims to enable students to transfer knowledge from educational and psychological, pharmaceutical, pharmacological theories into solving problems and making decisions in new previously unseen patient-related situations with increasing complexity as compared to PCLI and PCLII. This learning will be supported by robust contextualisation of science into pharmacy practice and working along other healthcare professionals through trans-disciplinary teaching and learning and extensive clinical exposure in the Pharmacy Skills Suite and in placements.
PMP303 New Knowledge (NK60)

This module aims to develop your knowledge in the areas of Research Methodology and Enquiry: This module allows students to develop in-depth knowledge of research methodology and enquiry through designing and conducting a research project (under the directions of one or more project supervisor) in areas of the science or practice of pharmacy including but not limited to clinical pharmacy, digital pharmacy, drug delivery, pharmaceutical chemistry, microbiology, cell and molecular biology, immunology, pharmacology, pharmacy education and public health. The module stimulates research enquiry skills and enables students to conduct a laboratory-, literature-, data-, fieldwork-, computer-based research projects. Content will include research methods, literature review, data analysis, a poster and a dissertation.

Key Grants and Projects

Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel CD200, PD-1 and CTLA-4 small-molecule inhibitors as potential cancer treatment 2019 - 2022

Cancer Research Wales for support of projects in cancer research-PhD studentship, with Professor A. Brancale (Cardiff University) Dr G. Patel (Cardiff University), £100,000

Career History

Sêr Cymru Research Fellow in Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University

June 2018 - July 2020
Research Associate, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University

June 2017 - June 2018
Research Associate, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University

January 2015 - May 2017
Research Assistant, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University

September 2013 - December 2014
PhD student, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University

October 2009 - September 2013
Co-supervisor of pharmaceutical production, CHIESI Farmaceutici S.P.A. Parma, Italy

October 2008 - April 2009

Dr Salvatore Ferla

Email address

Research Links

About

Areas Of Expertise

Career Highlights

Publications

Research Highlights

All Research

Journal Articles

Other Research Outputs

Supervision

Untitled (current)

Targeting the NS1-2 and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase proteins: computer-aided discovery of novel therapeutics for norovirus infections. (current)

Computational Structure, Function and Binding Analysis of Proteins in the Human Kidney (current)

Development of a combined database / in silico pipeline for the investigation of novel approaches for precision medicine (awarded 2023)

Taught Modules

PM-009 Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry

PMC101 Organic Chemistry: an Introduction for Life Sciences.

PMP102 Drugs & Medicines

PMP201 Patient-Centred Learning I (PCLI)

PMP202 Patient-Centred Learning II (PCLII)

PMP301 Patient Centred Learning III (PCLIII)

PMP303 New Knowledge (NK60)

Key Grants and Projects

Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel CD200, PD-1 and CTLA-4 small-molecule inhibitors as potential cancer treatment 2019 - 2022

Career History

Sêr Cymru Research Fellow in Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University

Research Associate, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University

Research Associate, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University

Research Assistant, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University

PhD student, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University

Co-supervisor of pharmaceutical production, CHIESI Farmaceutici S.P.A. Parma, Italy