Announcements

In a fair social community, women should have equal opportunities and be respected and included in diverse choices. Today is the 113^th International Women's Day and the world of science is seeing more female scientists emerge to lead their fellow researchers. We had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Letizia Polito, Guest Editor of the Special Issue “Women’s Special Issue Series: Biomedicines”, published by Biomedicines (ISSN: 2227-9059).

1. What has led you to the fields of cancer therapy and drug delivery?

During my training at the University of Bologna, I had been particularly fascinated by the concept of the magic bullet created by Paul Ehrlich: being able to deliver toxic molecules in a specific (almost magical) way toward targets present on cells, eliminating them as they are responsible for a pathological state. I have never stopped working on this topic.

2. The spirit of research seems to be quite important to you. What was your main inspiration for pursuing a scientific career? Did you pick it up from your family or school?

My parents would have initially preferred a more traditional career for me, but they taught me to always follow my dreams and goals. At school, I was certainly impressed by my science teacher, his great knowledge and his ability to disseminate it. I think he was an important part of making my future choices.

3. You have had an impressive and productive career. Which of your accomplishments do you consider to be the most impactful ones? Of which are you most proud?

It is difficult to decide between my career achievements. I remember the hard work behind each of them, the personal relationships created in the research groups, the commitment, the effort, the study, the tiredness, but also the laughter during the breaks. Each example of research that I conducted represents a piece of my life, I cannot choose between one or the other. I can, however, say that I am quite proud of all my achievements, no matter how big or small they are.

4. Does being a woman pose particular challenges in the fields you research? How could the scientific community address these challenges?

When I started my career about thirty years ago, being a woman and a researcher often meant having to face important personal choices; first of all, it meant giving up (or postponing) the idea of having kids and starting a family. Today, in several countries, this is no longer a problem, but there are still many (too many) countries where being a woman means being forced to make life choices, where being a woman means limiting one's personal freedom. For the women living in those countries, the international scientific community should act as soon as possible to break down any cultural barriers.

5. Do you feel that scientific opportunities for women have increased during your career?

As I said above, important results have been achieved in many countries, but the road ahead is still very long and arduous. It is our duty to continue to keep the attention high and to raise awareness on this subject.

6. Can you tell us something about you that people would be surprised to learn?

When I was little, I dreamed of becoming a novel writer, but now, I only write scientific papers (I am sort of a cellular and molecular novel writer).

7. Given your long career in research and development, what would you say has been the highlight of your career?

I hope to be able to continue working and achieving results for many more years on plant toxins, immunoconjugates and drug targeting, improving the techniques currently available and continuing to put together many small pieces of the great puzzle of knowledge on these topics.

8. Please describe the most difficult challenge you have faced in your research work and how you overcame it.

Certainly, my most difficult challenge was to continue researching in Italy, even when it seemed that there could be economic and career obstacles that would be difficult to overcome. I have always had the support of my family who encouraged me not to give up and to continue on my path, even if it was an uphill one.

9. What are your aims for the future?

I hope that in the future it will be possible for our research group to perfect some immunoconjugates, possibly containing plant toxins, to be utilized for clinical use.

10. Do you have any advice for young researchers, especially young women, who might be interested in doing research in cancer therapy and drug delivery?

I have only one piece of advice for young researchers: always be curious, believe in your potential and never give up.

Dr. Letizia Polito’s contact information:
Email: [email protected]

Relevant Special Issue:

"Women’s Special Issue Series: Biomedicines"
Submission Deadline: 30 April 2023

Special Issue information:

Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue entitled “Women’s Special Issue Series: Biomedicines” to celebrate and highlight the achievements of women in the development of new molecules and therapies for the cancer research area.

For this Special Issue, we are seeking the submission of original research articles and comprehensive review papers from oncology-related fields, in particular regarding new therapeutic targets, therapeutic strategies and research of biomedicines and biopharmaceutical products.

The series advocates the advancement of women in science. We invite contributions to the Special Issue whose lead authors identify as women. The submission of articles with all-women authorship is especially encouraged. However, we do welcome articles from all authors, irrespective of gender.

Dr. Letizia Polito
Dr. Nadia Alfaidy
Guest Editors