Full Professor
Department of Structural and Functional Biology
Via H. J. Dunant, 3. 21100 – Varese, Italy
Tel: +39 0332 421550
Fax: +39 0332 421554
E-mail: stefano.banfi@uninsubria.it

Degree in organic chemistry in February 1980 at the University of Milan; after the military service I spent few years collaborating with Prof. S. Colonna in Milan with different grants and as research officer in the laboratories of Prof CJM Stirling at Bangor University (North Wales) for one year (October 1982- October 1983).
In 1985 I was appointed a position as a CNR researcher, and then received a permanent position in the Center directed by Prof. F. Montanari (CNR - Centro Studi e Stereochimica Sistemi Speciali Organici); the collaboration with Prof. Montanari group lasted until November 1998 when I was appointed a position of Associate Professor (Organic Chemistry) at University of Insubria (Varese).
Since then I have been working in the Department of Structural and Functional Biology as head of the organic chemistry laboratory and teaching Organic Chemistry, Laboratory of Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry in different courses of the School of Sciences.

As CNR research officer I have been working several years on the catalytic activity of metallo- porphyrins in hydrocarbon oxidations promoted by inorganic oxidants. NaOCl and H2O2 were used as primary oxidants in alkene epoxidations and saturated hydrocarbons oxygenations catalysed by Mn-Tetraarylporphyrins; the reaction mechanism was deeply investigated determining the optimum reaction conditions in relation with the catalyst structures. In those studies the importance of the nature of substituents placed on the periphery of porphyrin skeleton and the importance of the presence of co-catalysts in the reaction medium have been assessed.

Present research interests are in the field of the Phodynamic Therapy applied on tumours (PDT) and the Photodynamic Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (PACT). These two methodologies, although addressed to different cells, shares the same principle i.e. the activation by low energy radiations (visible light or near IR) of molecules characterized by the presence of wide, unsaturated frame. These molecules, generally indicated as Photosensitizers, when excited by a beam of light, induce the energy transfer to the surrounding molecular oxygen, thus producing the highly reactive and cytotoxic singlet oxygen. This last is able to kill both eucariotic and procariotic cells. The selectivity of the treatment is insured by the different uptake of ionic and non ionic molecules by procarotic and eucariotic cells respectively.

In collaboration with the groups of microbiology and pharmacology of the same Department we are currently studying the in vitro activity of cationic porphyrins on bacteria and that of neutral and low polar compounds on tumour cells. Recent results obtained with a panel of newly synthesized diaryl- and monoaryl-porphyrins are very promising and allow to envisage new powerful photosensitizers for both PDT and PACT.

In the future I will be interested in the in vivo applications of new photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy applied both on tumour and on bacteria. Collaborations with clinicians will possibly allow the set up of the first clinical trials on specific tumors or on infections.