Edinburgh – Stefania Glieca, a PhD student in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Department of Food and Drug Sciences of the University of Parma, has been awarded the Pat Burnell Young Investigator Award. This prestigious recognition is given annually to young researchers who demonstrate exceptional creativity and contribute significantly to the development of inhalation drug products.

The award was presented to Glieca during the "Drug Delivery to the Lungs" conference held recently in Edinburgh. She was recognized for her research titled Lactobacilli Inhalation Powder for the Reduction of Lung Inflammation in Non-CF Bronchiectasis Disease, selected from over 100 abstracts and presented as an oral communication to an audience of more than 1,000 attendees.

The project, led by University of Parma professor Francesca Buttini, focuses on the pharmaceutical development of an innovative formulation comprising a powder of respirable microparticles capable of delivering probiotics to the lungs via inhalation.

The research results were achieved through a collaboration between Francesca Buttini’s pharmaceutical technology group, faculty members Benedetta Bottari and Elena Bancalari, and Erika Scaltriti and Martina Tambassi of the Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna.

In vitro tests demonstrated that the inhalation powder, with excellent respirability, possesses anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, key pathogens in respiratory diseases. These findings not only advance scientific knowledge but also offer potential applications for restoring lung microbiota in conditions such as cystic fibrosis and non-CF bronchiectasis. (9colonne)