Erika Maria Tottoli

Dr. Erika Maria Tottoli

University of Pavia - Department of Drug Sciences, Pavia, Italy

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

7Years (2020-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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5 August 2020 in Pharmaceutics
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Journal Article
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Erika Maria TottoliErika Maria Tottoli
Erika Maria Tottoli
Dorati RossellaDorati Rossella
Dorati Rossella
Ida GentaIda Genta
Ida Genta
ENRICA CHIESAENRICA CHIESA
ENRICA CHIESA
Silvia PisaniSilvia Pisani
Silvia Pisani
Bice ContiBice Conti
Bice Conti
Skin wound healing shows an extraordinary cellular function mechanism, unique in nature and involving the interaction of several cells, growth factors and cytokines. Physiological wound healing restores tissue integrity, but in many cases the process is limited to wound repair. Ongoing studies aim to obtain more effective wound therapies with the intention of reducing inpatient costs, providing long-term relief and effective scar healing. The main goal of this comprehensive review is to focus on the progress in wound medication and how it has evolved over the years. The main complications related to the healing process and the clinical management of chronic wounds are described in the review. Moreover, advanced treatment strategies for skin regeneration and experimental techniques for cellular engineering and skin tissue engineering are addressed. Emerging skin regeneration techniques involving scaffolds activated with growth factors, bioactive molecules and genetically modified cells are exploited to overcome wound healing technology limitations and to implement personalized therapy design.

Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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MRMariella Rosalia
Mariella Rosalia
ENRICA CHIESAENRICA CHIESA
ENRICA CHIESA
Erika Maria TottoliErika Maria Tottoli
Erika Maria Tottoli
Dorati RossellaDorati Rossella
Dorati Rossella
Ida GentaIda Genta
Ida Genta
Silvia PisaniSilvia Pisani
Silvia Pisani
Nowadays, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a challenge for antibiotic therapy, mostly involving Gram-negative bacteria. Among the strategies activated to overcome AMR, the repurposing of already available antimicrobial molecules by encapsulating them in drug delivery systems, such as nanoparticles (NPs) and also engineered NPs, seems to be promising. Tobramycin is a powerful and effective aminoglycoside, approved for complicated infections and reinfections and indicated mainly against Gram-negative bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Proteus, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Serratia, Providencia, and Citrobacter species. However, the drug presents several side effects, mostly due to dose frequency, and for this reason, it is a good candidate for nanomedicine formulation. This review paper is focused on what has been conducted in the last 20 years for the development of Tobramycin nanosized delivery systems (nanoantibiotics), with critical discussion and comparison. Tobramycin was selected as the antimicrobial drug because it is a wide-spectrum antibiotic that is effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative aerobic bacteria, and it is characterized by a fast bactericidal effect, even against multidrug-resistant microorganisms (MDR).

23 February 2023 in Pharmaceutics
Verified
Journal Article
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Erika Maria TottoliErika Maria Tottoli
Erika Maria Tottoli
LBLaura Benedetti
Laura Benedetti
ENRICA CHIESAENRICA CHIESA
ENRICA CHIESA
Silvia PisaniSilvia Pisani
Silvia Pisani
Giovanna BruniGiovanna Bruni
Giovanna Bruni
Dorati RossellaDorati Rossella
Dorati Rossella
Hypertrophic scars (HTSs) are aberrant structures that develop where skin is injured complexly and represent the result of a chronic inflammation as a healing response. To date, there is no satisfactory prevention option for HTSs, which is due to the complexity of multiple mechanisms behind the formation of these structures. The present work aimed to propose Biofiber (Biodegradable fiber), an advanced textured electrospun dressing, as a suitable solution for HTS formation in complex wounds. Biofiber has been designed as a 3-day long-term treatment to protect the healing environment and enhance wound care practices. Its textured matrix consists of homogeneous and well-interconnected Poly-L-lactide-co-poly-ε-caprolactone (PLA-PCL) electrospun fibers (size 3.825 ± 1.12 µm) loaded with Naringin (NG, 2.0% w/w), a natural antifibrotic agent. The structural units contribute to achieve an optimal fluid handling capacity demonstrated through a moderate hydrophobic wettability behavior (109.3 ± 2.3°), and a suitable balance between absorbency (389.8 ± 58.16%) and moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR, 2645 ± 60.43 g/m2 day). The flexibility and conformability of Biofiber to the body surfaces is due to its innovative circular texture, that also allow it to obtain finer mechanical properties after 72 h in contact with Simulated Wound Fluid (SWF), with an elongation of 352.6 ± 36.10%, and a great tenacity (0.25 ± 0.03 Mpa). The ancillary action of NG results in a prolonged anti-fibrotic effect on Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts (NHDF), through the controlled release of NG for 3 days. The prophylactic action was highlighted at day 3 with the down regulation of the major factors involved in the fibrotic process: Transforming Growth Factor β1 (TGF-β1), Collagen Type 1 alpha 1 chain (COL1A1), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). No significant anti-fibrotic effect has been demonstrated on Hypertrophic Human Fibroblasts derived from scars (HSF), proving the potential of Biofiber to minimize HTSs in the process of early wound healing as a prophylactic therapy.

10 October 2023 in Polymers
Verified
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Erika Maria TottoliErika Maria Tottoli
Erika Maria Tottoli
LBLaura Benedetti
Laura Benedetti
FRFederica Riva
Federica Riva
ENRICA CHIESAENRICA CHIESA
ENRICA CHIESA
Silvia PisaniSilvia Pisani
Silvia Pisani
Dorati RossellaDorati Rossella
Dorati Rossella
Hypertrophic scars (HTSs) are pathological structures resulting from chronic inflammation during the wound healing process, particularly in complex injuries like burns. The aim of this work is to propose Biofiber PF (biodegradable fiber loaded with Pirfenidone 1.5 w/w), an electrospun advanced dressing, as a solution for HTSs treatment in complex wounds. Biofiber has a 3-day antifibrotic action to modulate the fibrotic process and enhance physiological healing. Its electrospun structure consists of regular well-interconnected Poly-L-lactide-co-poly-ε-caprolactone (PLA-PCL) fibers (size 2.83 ± 0.46 µm) loaded with Pirfenidone (PF, 1.5% w/w), an antifibrotic agent. The textured matrix promotes the exudate balance through mild hydrophobic wettability behavior (109.3 ± 2.3°), and an appropriate equilibrium between the absorbency % (610.2 ± 171.54%) and the moisture vapor transmission rate (0.027 ± 0.036 g/min). Through its finer mechanical properties, Biofiber PF is conformable to the wound area, promoting movement and tissue oxygenation. These features also enhance the excellent elongation (>500%) and tenacity, both in dry and wet conditions. The ancillary antifibrotic action of PF on hypertrophic scar fibroblast (HSF) for 3 days downregulates the cell proliferation over time and modulates the gene expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) at 48–72 h. After 6 days of treatment, a decrement of α-SMA protein levels was detected, proving the potential of biofiber as a valid therapeutic treatment for HTSs in an established wound healing process.

19 March 2025 in Polymers
Verified
Journal Article
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GPGianni Pecorini
Gianni Pecorini
MTMartina Tamburriello
Martina Tamburriello
Erika Maria TottoliErika Maria Tottoli
Erika Maria Tottoli
Ida GentaIda Genta
Ida Genta
Bice ContiBice Conti
Bice Conti
Dorati RossellaDorati Rossella
Dorati Rossella
The exponential increase in medical waste production has increased the difficulty of waste management, resulting in higher medical waste dispersion into the environment. By employing a circular economy approach, it is possible to develop new materials by waste valorization. The employment of biodegradable and renewable agro-food, waste-derived materials may reduce the environmental impact caused by the dispersion of medical waste. In this work, tomato peel recovered cutin was blended with poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLAPCL) to develop new textiles for medical application through electrospinning. The textile fabrication process was studied by varying Cut content in the starting suspensions and by optimizing fabrication parameters. Devices with dense and porous structures were developed, and their morphological, thermal, and physical–chemical properties were evaluated through scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. Textile material stability to γ-irradiation was evaluated through gel permeation chromatography, while its wettability, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility were analyzed through contact angle measurement, tensile test, and MTT assay, respectively. The LCA methodology was used to evaluate the environmental impact of textile production, with a specific focus on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The main results demonstrated the suitability of PLAPCL–cutin blends to be processed through electrospinning and the obtained textile’s suitability to be used to develop surgical face masks or patches for wound healing.

10 December 2022 in Polymers
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ENRICA CHIESAENRICA CHIESA
ENRICA CHIESA
Erika Maria TottoliErika Maria Tottoli
Erika Maria Tottoli
AGAlessia Giglio
Alessia Giglio
Bice ContiBice Conti
Bice Conti
MRMariella Rosalia
Mariella Rosalia
Ida GentaIda Genta
Ida Genta
Graphene is a 2D crystal composed of carbon atoms in a hexagonal arrangement. From their isolation, graphene nanoplatelets (nCD) have revolutionized material science due to their unique properties, and, nowadays, there are countless applications, including drug delivery, biosensors, energy storage, and tissue engineering. Within this work, nCD were combined with PLA, a widely used and clinically relevant thermoplastic polymer, to produce advanced composite texturized electrospun fabric for the next-generation devices. The electrospinning manufacturing process was set-up by virtue of a proper characterization of the composite raw material and its solution. From the morphological point of view, the nCD addition permitted the reduction of the fiber diameter while the texture allowed more aligned fibers. After that, mechanical features of fabrics were tested at RT and upon heating (40 °C, 69 °C), showing the reinforcement action of nCD mainly in the texturized mats at 40 °C. Finally, mats’ degradation in simulated physiological fluid was minimal up to 30 d, even if composite mats revealed excellent fluid-handling capability. Moreover, no toxic impurities and degradation products were pointed out during the incubation. This work gains insight on the effects of the combination of composite carbon-based material and texturized fibers to reach highly performing fabrics.