Giorgio Facchetti Wins the FIS3 Advanced Grant

The LUSTER project aims to develop luminescent organometallic complexes capable of detecting and monitoring the early formation of toxic protein oligomers, which are responsible for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and various amyloidoses. By exploiting these complexes as stable metal-based probes with red/near-infrared (NIR) emission, the project seeks to “illuminate” these harmful intermediates in real time, enabling not only their visualization but also the inhibition of their aggregation. The ultimate goal is to create theranostic tools able to detect and modulate oligomerization from its earliest stages, integrating chemical synthesis, biological validation, and advanced imaging techniques to improve both diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.