Cesare Di Nitto - Senior Business Development Specialist at CATUG
Cesare Di Nitto - Senior Business Development Specialist at CATUG
Biography
I was born in Rome, Italy in 1995 were I received my bachelor’s in industrial engineering in 2017. After my bachelor I moved to Milan for my master’s in biomedical engineering with a focus on biotechnologies and regenerative medicine. Between 2019 and early 2020, I had the opportunity to carry out my thesis project at the prestigious Trinity College Dublin. I defended my MSc thesis in April 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I paused my job search and spent the rest of the spring and summer quarantined in Tuscany, enjoying time with family and friends. In September 2020, I was lucky to secure a Ph.D. position at the labs of Philochem AG - part of the Philogen group a pioneer in antibody-cytokine fusion proteins for cancer treatment. In affiliation with the University of Zürich, in February 2024, I successfully defended my thesis under the supervision of Prof. Dario Neri (CEO of Philogen) and Prof. Michael Weller (Director of the Department of Neurology at the Zürich University Hospital, USZ). During my PhD, I led three main projects and collaborated with outstanding scientists across Zürich. Among them were Dr. Christian Pellegrino, focused on advanced CAR-T therapies, and Dr. Tobias Weiss, known for his contributions to glioblastoma research, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. After completing my PhD and spending some time exploring career opportunities, I joined CATUG in May 2024, CATUG is a global CRO/CDMO with deep expertise in xRNA therapeutics, LNP technology and strong analytical QC capabilities. In my current role as Senior Business Development Specialist, I have the chance to combine my scientific background in biomedical engineering and immuno-oncology with my communication skills to expand CATUG’s presence in the RNA-LNP field and drive business growth.
Interview
NanoSphere: Tell us a bit about yourself—your background, journey, and what led you to where you are today.
Cesare: I’ve always been passionate about science in all its forms. As mentioned in my bio, I started with a bachelor’s in industrial engineering—a broad and multidisciplinary program that gave me a solid foundation in both theoretical and applied sciences. However, since high school, I’ve felt a particular curiosity about biology and living organisms. That’s what drove me to pursue a master’s in biomedical engineering, bringing me closer to the world of biotechnology, cellular biology, and regenerative medicine.
In 2020, I made a big shift in my academic journey by joining Philochem AG, the R&D unit of the Philogen Group. This meant leaving the engineer path and dive fully into the pharmaceutical space - something I embraced with joy. I was lucky to be supervised by Prof. Dario Neri, former ETH professor and current CEO of Philogen. Dario is an exceptional scientist with a unique combination of academic excellence and entrepreneurship.
I owe him all my passion for immunology, cancer research and - more broadly – for helping me understand how pharmaceutical products evolve from bench to bedside. That experience shaped my mindset and expanded my view of science beyond the lab bench.
After defending my PhD, I realized I was ready for a new challenge. While I had built strong expertise in the lab, I felt drawn toward the commercial side of science—where strategy, communication, and innovation intersect. That’s when I met Lin Jin, now my current manager and someone I deeply admire. Lin studied at some of the top universities in the U.S. and played a pivotal role as a Subject Matter Expert in the development of Moderna’s SM-102-based COVID-19 vaccine.
By the time we connected in 2024, Lin had already co-founded CATUG in 2021, established operations in Suzhou, China, opened U.S. offices in 2023, and was preparing to expand into Europe with facilities in Basel. The timing was perfect. I had just completed my PhD and was eager to step into a role that would allow me to combine my scientific knowledge with commercial and business development skills - exactly the direction I wanted to pursue.
Stepping back for a moment, I belong to a generation whose professional and personal life was profoundly shaped by the tragic COVID-19 pandemic. As a scientist with a growing interest in immunology, I followed the vaccine race closely and became fascinated by RNA technology—an area that was “emerging,” though now I know it had been quietly advancing for decades.
RNA is reshaping medicine as we know it. Enabling faster, more affordable, and personalized therapies. From in vivo engineered CAR-T cells to gene-editing strategies that cure metabolic disorders in newborns, the possibilities are extraordinary. CATUG, with its deep expertise in RNA therapeutics, LNPs, and analytical development, stands out as a global leader in this space, helping researchers and start-ups fulfill their goals. It felt like the perfect fit, both in terms of science and mission.
Many things brought me to where I am today, but above all, I’m grateful for the mentors who guided me along the way. I’ve had the privilege of learning from brilliant minds; all connected to Nobel Prize-winners. Dario is an alumnus of both Prof. Kurt Wüthrich (2002 Nobel Prize) and Sir Gregory Winter (2018 Nobel Prize), while Lin was mentored by Prof. Jack Szostak (2009 Nobel Prize) during her Ph.D.
Spending time with such extraordinary people has had a deep impact on me. They’ve helped shape the way I work, how I write a strong scientific paper, how I present ideas, and how I think critically. Skills that I, maybe unconsciously, now bring into every aspect of my career.
NanoSphere: Circular RNA is gaining traction—and you’ve been closely involved in CATUG’s circRNA platform. In your opinion, what are the biggest misconceptions about circRNA that scientists or clients still have? And where do you see the strongest therapeutic use cases emerging—oncology, vaccines, or beyond?
Cesare: Circular RNA is a very interesting emerging format in the RNA space. Companies like Circio AB and Orna Therapeutics are leading the way, showing promising preclinical results and advancing circRNA-based candidates into their pipelines. One of the biggest misconceptions is that circRNA is merely a synthetic human invention. In reality, circular RNAs exist endogenously and play active roles in gene regulation, as elegantly demonstrated for the first time by Thomas Hansen in his 2011 EMBO publication. Another frequent misunderstanding lies in the assumption that circRNAs are easy to manufacture. Quite the opposite—circularization is technically complex, especially at scale. High purity circRNA production remains challenging due to issues sucha as imperfect homology arm pairing (i) during the ligation step, which can generate undesirable byproducts and absence of a poly-A tail (ii), which makes downstream purification more difficult compared to “traditional” linear mRNA that benefits from Oligo-dT chromatography.
Despite these challenges, circRNA has some clear advantages. Its circular structure means no need for expensive capping reagents, increased stability due to resistance to exonuclease degradation, extended intracellular half-life and more sustained protein expression. In the long run, this opens the door for less frequent dosing, making circRNA ideal for protein replacement therapies - such as in cystic fibrosis -or for achieving longer-lasting immune responses in vaccines. Additionally, circRNA features versatility: It can be used not only as a protein expression platform, but also as a "sponge" to sequester disease-associated microRNAs. This offers potential in fields like neurology, oncology, and rare diseases.
In summary, while there are still manufacturing hurdles to overcome, the therapeutic promise of circRNAs is undeniable. I believe it could soon serve as a next-generation alternative to linear mRNA, especially in the vaccine space, while expanding into other applications such as protein replacement and RNA interference.
NanoSphere: From PhD pipettes to PowerPoint pitches—how did your scientific training shape the way you now communicate innovation to potential partners?
Cesare: Scientific communication is a skill that develops over time—and one that must adapt depending on the audience. I believe the key is simplicity: your message should be clear enough that everyone in the room, regardless of background, can understand the core idea. Most of my communication skills were shaped during my Ph.D. Since I was involved in an industrial Ph.D. spending my time both at Philochem AG (industry) and at the University of Zürich (academia) to keep both parties updated on my projects I would find myself presenting slides quite often At Philochem, we had the infamous “Philomeeting” every semester, where the entire company, including C-level executives, attended project updates. These meetings were rigorous and interactive, often filled with tough questions aimed at driving a scientific discussion. Multiply this by two for university part and add bi-weekly meetings with my direct supervisor: I was frequently presenting slides and defending data. Over the years, this repetition helped me grow into a more confident communicator. Presenting to peers, senior scientists, and my Ph.D. committee taught me how to tailor my message, anticipate questions, and make complex topics digestible. Skills that now translate directly into how I engage with clients and partners on RNA-LNP technology.
Cesare: Scientific communication is a skill that develops over time—and one that must adapt depending on the audience. I believe the key is simplicity: your message should be clear enough that everyone in the room, regardless of background, can understand the core idea. Most of my communication skills were shaped during my Ph.D. Since I was involved in an industrial Ph.D. spending my time both at Philochem AG (industry) and at the University of Zürich (academia) to keep both parties updated on my projects I would find myself presenting slides quite often At Philochem, we had the infamous “Philomeeting” every semester, where the entire company, including C-level executives, attended project updates. These meetings were rigorous and interactive, often filled with tough questions aimed at driving a scientific discussion. Multiply this by two for university part and add bi-weekly meetings with my direct supervisor: I was frequently presenting slides and defending data. Over the years, this repetition helped me grow into a more confident communicator. Presenting to peers, senior scientists, and my Ph.D. committee taught me how to tailor my message, anticipate questions, and make complex topics digestible. Skills that now translate directly into how I engage with clients and partners on RNA-LNP technology.
NanoSphere: Do you think researchers underestimate the value of storytelling when it comes to accelerating RNA technologies into the clinic?
Cesare: Absolutely. Storytelling plays a fundamental role - not just in the RNA field, but across all areas of science and communication. Whether you’re presenting a project, writing a paper, or submitting a grant proposal, the ability to craft an interesting narrative is crucial.
Cesare: Absolutely. Storytelling plays a fundamental role - not just in the RNA field, but across all areas of science and communication. Whether you’re presenting a project, writing a paper, or submitting a grant proposal, the ability to craft an interesting narrative is crucial.
At the time of writing, I’ve had the pleasure of attending talks by both Prof. Katalin Karikó, who shared her journey from struggling lab student to Nobel Prize winner in 2023 and Prof. Drew Weissman, who spoke at ASGCT25 about the future of RNA therapeutics. Beyond being pioneers of mRNA technology, they are also exceptional communicators. S Their ability to tell their stories has inspired countless researchers and young entrepreneurs around the world to pursue their dreams and advancing the field of RNA technology forward. Unfortunately, the public perception of RNA was damaged by the quick development of global-scale vaccines during COVID-19 pandemic. We all have friends or relatives outside the scientific community who were hesitant on receiving a vaccine shot. Not necessarily because of the technology itself, but because there wasn’t enough time to build public trust with clear communication around the technology.
Today, the growing awareness and acceptance of RNA technologies owes much to those researchers who understand the power of storytelling. These narratives help build confidence within the scientific community and the big public. One example that comes to my mind is the recent story of baby KJ, who was treated for a rare urea cycle disorder using a CRISPR base editor delivered via LNPs. That single story has generated enormous momentum for RNA-LNP non-viral gene editing and has given a significant boost to translational science, now closer to real-world cures.
NanoSphere: If there’s one key message or insight you’d like to share with readers about the future of nanomedicine, what would it be?
Cesare: We’re living in an era of rapid and continuous evolution, and nanomedicine is at the forefront of this transformation. It’s giving us the confidence to pursue therapeutic strategies that were once considered science fiction—particularly those involving RNA and nanoparticles. In the near future, I believe we’ll see a shift towards more targeted approaches as we are seeing for in vivo CAR-T where RNA-LNP are conjugated wiht ligands on their surface to achieve cell specificity. In general terms, targeted therapies are more convenient as they enhance activity at the site of disease while sparring healthy tissues. This means lowering overall toxicity which has consistently decreased through the years, particularly in oncology, when comparing off target side-effects emerging from traditional chemotherapy to advanced immunotherapies. Another breakthrough will come from gene-editing. We're becoming increasingly capable of treating genetic disorders with precision, sometimes with a single dose, through highly personalized interventions. That said, regulatory bodies will play a crucial role. They must support this wave of innovation by creating clear, science-based guidelines for evaluating novel therapies while ensuring long-term patient follow-up. The future of nanomedicine is here. We just need the right frameworks to bring it to patients safely and quickly!
Cesare: We’re living in an era of rapid and continuous evolution, and nanomedicine is at the forefront of this transformation. It’s giving us the confidence to pursue therapeutic strategies that were once considered science fiction—particularly those involving RNA and nanoparticles. In the near future, I believe we’ll see a shift towards more targeted approaches as we are seeing for in vivo CAR-T where RNA-LNP are conjugated wiht ligands on their surface to achieve cell specificity. In general terms, targeted therapies are more convenient as they enhance activity at the site of disease while sparring healthy tissues. This means lowering overall toxicity which has consistently decreased through the years, particularly in oncology, when comparing off target side-effects emerging from traditional chemotherapy to advanced immunotherapies. Another breakthrough will come from gene-editing. We're becoming increasingly capable of treating genetic disorders with precision, sometimes with a single dose, through highly personalized interventions. That said, regulatory bodies will play a crucial role. They must support this wave of innovation by creating clear, science-based guidelines for evaluating novel therapies while ensuring long-term patient follow-up. The future of nanomedicine is here. We just need the right frameworks to bring it to patients safely and quickly!