Cycle/Years
39th cycle [2023-2026]
Contacts
Supervisors
Dr. Tommaso Lomonaco, Prof. Stefano Masi
Title of the PhD project
PERICARD: a targeted Plasmatic pEptidomic profile foR monitoring CARdiovascular Diseases
Abstract of the PhD project
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels that belong to non-communicable diseases. They include coronary artery disease, thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmia, and stroke, among others. While molecular pathways involved in the initiation and evolution of CVDs have been extensively explored and partially established, imaging studies and routine laboratory tests lack diagnostic efficacy in 50% of CV events. Nowadays, clinical use of peptides is rapidly increasing since most of them play a crucial role in maintaining tissue homeostasis. They are smaller than proteins, hence they may rapidly enter the bloodstream (i.e., due to passive diffusion), unlike proteins that may need to be actively secreted. Furthermore, their plasma concentration can potentially reflect an altered vascular biology. Simultaneous analysis of a panel of peptides may represent a potential approach to monitor the complex and multifactorial nature of CVDs.
The aim of this project is to develop and validate the first reliable analytical protocol based on targeted top-down peptidomics and UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis for the determination of an array of cardiovasculary active peptides (i.e., Endothelins, Urotensins, Cystatin C, Fibrinopeptides, Guanylins) in plasma samples. In collaboration with the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine of the University of Pisa, a pilot study will be conducted aimed at finding possible correlations between the target peptides and clinical variables. PERICARD would represent an innovative tool to better identify “vulnerable” individuals, diagnose disease conditions promptly, and effectively prognosticate and treat patients with the disease.
Academic Fields and Disciplines (SSD), main and secondary
CHIM/01 - ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Publications
• Lenzi, A., De Cristofaro, M., Biagini, D., Ghimenti, S., Armenia, S., Pugliese, N. R., ... & Lomonaco, T. (2024). Development of a high-throughput liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry platform for the determination of intact natriuretic peptides in human plasma. Talanta, 126077.
• De Cristofaro, M., Lenzi, A., Ghimenti, S., Biagini, D., Bertazzo, G., Vivaldi, F.M., Armenia, S., Pugliese, N.R., Masi, S., Di Francesco, F. and Lomonaco, T., 2024. Decoding the Challenges: navigating Intact Peptide Mass Spectrometry-Based Analysis for Biological Applications. Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry, pp.1-23.
Poster communications at conferences
• XXXVII Congresso Nazionale della Società Chimica Italiana (SCI) – Milan, Italy
Poster communication: PERICARD: a targeted Plasmatic pEptidomic profile foRmonItoring CARdiovascular Diseases
• 12th MS J -day – International conference – Pisa, Italy
Oral communication: Are we measuring the right peptides? Unveiling cross-reactivity in ANP, BNP, and CNP immunoassays
• CFF 2025 – Chemistry for the future – International conference – Pisa, Italy
Poster communication: Salivary peptide profiling as a novel approach for cardiovascular disease monitoring
• Euroanalysis 2025 – International conference – Barcelona, Spain
Poster communication: Sweat-Based Protocols for Reliable Determination of Creatine and Cystatin-C in Chronic Kidney Disease
• XXXI Congresso della Divisione di Chimica Analitica della Società Chimica Italiana (SCI) – Pisa, Italy
Poster communication: Redefining heart failure diagnostics: a mass spectrometry-based approach to quantify natriuretic peptide
Other achievements
• Best Poster Award, Salivary peptide profiling as a novel approach for cardiovascular disease monitoring, CFF – Chemistry for the Future, 7-9 July 2025
• Multivariate analysis school: best oral presentation award - University of Genoa, 20-24 May 2024
