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A new polymeric nomedicin facilitates simultaneous pharmacological and gene silencing therapies

Simó Shwartz, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS U20 In vivo Experimental Platform, has recently published an interesting article “Efficient EFGR mediated siRNA delivery to breast cancer cells by Cetuximab functionalized Pluronic® F127/Gelatin” issued by  Chemical Engineering Journal. The research group of Dr Schwartz has managed to create a micelle formed by a combination of polymers and gelatin that allows to transport effectively large quantities of both nucleic acids and drugs inside. The system also leads to the periphery a series of carboxylic groups that allow anchoring in a very easy way any type of directing molecule such as for example a peptide or antibody. 

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Influence of polymer concentration on the properties of nano-emulsions and nanoparticles obtained by a low-energy method

Scientists of NANBIOSIS U12. Nanostructured liquid characterization unit have recently published an article in  Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects

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Esther Pueyo closes the series of conferences “Mathematics in our life”

Next Tuesday, March 13, at 7:00 pm, in the facilities of the Social Work of Ibercaja of Patio de la Infanta, the third and last conference of the cycle “Mathematics in our life” will take place, organized by the Royal Academy of Sciences of Zaragoza (RACZ).

With the title Mathematics and heart, a tandem with a great future, the last conference will be taught by Esther Pueyo Paules, professor at the University of Zaragoza, researcher at the BSICoS group of CIBER-BBN and I3A of the University of Zaragoza,which coordinates Unit 27 of NANBIOSIS High Performance Computer.

Esther Pueyo is winner of a “Starting Grant” from the European Union for the MODELAGE project to advance in the characterization of aging of the heart and the prevention of cardiac arrhythmias.

Conference by Esther Pueyo

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NANBIOSIS participated in the Big Science Business Forum 2018 in Copenhagen

During the days 26-28 of February took place in Copenhagen, Denmark the Big Science Business Forum 2018 in which NANBIOSIS was present.

Big Science is the term that is used to designate research efforts of great magnitude, due to its high cost, complexity and scientific importance. Scientific progress is increasingly based on large-scale projects, with increasingly global scientific projects and increasingly collaborative research.

The Big Science Business Forum 2018 brought together more than 650 delegates from 25 countries, and representatives of more than 250 companies, being an important event to know business opportunities in the coming years as well as to establish Networks, with more than 1000 central players and 800 individual 1-1 business meetings.

In the photo, together with representatives from CDTI, Jesús Izco, Coordinator of  NANBIOSIS a Large Scale Facility (ICTS), and Manuel Lozano, Director of CNM-CSIC, which houses another ICTS: the “Integrated Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room”,

The Integrated Clean Room for Micro and Nano fabrication (SBCNM) is a Large Scale Facility (ICTS) dedicated to the development and application of innovative technologies in the field of Microelectronics together with other emerging Micro/Nanotechnologies. It is embedded administratively in the Centro Nacional de Microelectrónica – Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona – (IMB-CNM), a research centre belonging to the Spanish Council of Scientific Research (CSIC). It is an open access facility that aims at helping national and international research groups to carry out R&D activities thanks to the availability of a set of complete micro and nanotechnologies and processes housed in a highly specialised Clean Room environment devoted to R&D&i of excellence, and driven by an expert team. Such support ranges from technology awareness to the development of basic demonstrators, or small series of prototypes.

NANBIOSIS is a distributed ICTS for the design and production of biomaterials, nanomaterials and devices to their preclinical validation, integrated by the Center for Biomedical Research of Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN) and the Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery Jesus Usón (CCMIJU ). NANBIOSIS consists of 27 units coordinated under a single window model. Together, these units offer a complementary service that includes the design, production of biomaterials and nanomaterials and the characterization of these bio and nanomaterials, tissues, devices and medical systems from a point of view, physical-chemical, functional, toxicological and biological (including preclinical validation), focused on biomedical applications, which allows for the development of a therapeutic agent until it reaches preclinical validation under the coordination of some of the best Spanish research groups in bioengineering, biomaterials and nanomedicine.

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Numerical models applied to the cornea to improve eye surgery

Researchers of the NANBIOSIS U13 apply numerical models to the cornea to better understand how it behaves and help in surgical planning. Data and algorithms developed through the computer, together with the 3D image, make it easier for ophthalmologists to perform eye surgery more precise and personalized treatments for each patient

The work carried out by Miguel Ángel Ariza Gracia at the Aragón Engineering Research Institute (I3A) has been recognized by the University of Zaragoza with the Extraordinary Award for the Best Doctoral Thesis of the Biomedical Engineering Program in 2017

In this line of research, framed in the European project PopCorn has been working Miguel Angel Ariza since September 2013 under the supervision of Begoña Calvo and José Félix Rodríguez Matas, the research group in Applied Mechanics and Bioengineering (AMB) of the I3A – CIBER -BBN, which coordinates the unit 13 of NANBIOSIS and the Laboratory of Biological Structure Mechanics (LabS) of the Politecnico di Milano, respectively. The Mechanical Characterization of Biological Tissues that the project needs is carried out in NANBIOSIS U13 Tissue & Scaffold Characterization Unit. Unit 27 High Performance Computing of NANBIOSIS is also used in this project for the Computational Simulation of Biological Tissues.

The advances in corneal biomechanics open new ways and possibilities to create technical equipment that allow to know the mechanical properties and characteristics of the eye

Here are joined three technologies, the topography (allows to measure the geometry of the cornea), the tonometry of no contact or breath of air (deforms the cornea to obtain dynamic variables that are believed associated with the properties of the cornea) and the models in silico or numerical. The three, together with the phenoptic image technology, “can make it possible to obtain the geometry of a patient’s eye, with its personalized properties to give better advice to doctors in refractive surgeries or in the planning of another surgical intervention,” explains Miguel Angel Ariza

Begoña Calvo, who also works on the numerical modeling of other structures such as skeletal muscle, points out that this “generic” process of reconstruction, transfer of clinical data to the model and generation of a finite element model can be used to simulate other treatments or reproduce different surgical techniques. “The work of Miguel Ángel has allowed us to delve into what is now known as artificial intelligence, having the necessary algorithms to generate databases that can be used in the clinic,” he says.

Fibers of collagen in the cornea

The quality of the cornea tissue depends on the collagen fibers that we have embedded in the corneal stroma, its orientation is what gives that transparency and its links (crosslinks) structural integrity. “Our proposal is to go a step further, to work to better understand collagen fiber,” explains Ariza.

Nowadays, “there is no technical team that provides all the properties and allows to know what quality the corneal tissue has to be able to adequately respond to surgery and subsequent treatments,” recalls Dr. Calvo.

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NANBIOSIS Unit 10 of Drug Formulation participates in the European Project Position II

Nanobiocel, the CIBER-BNN – UPV-EHU group, led by José Luis Pedraz, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS-ICTS U10 “Drug Formulation Unit” participates in the Position II European project, coordinated by Philips Electronics Nederland.

The project, funded through the Horizon 2020 call with a global budget of more than 50 million euros, will be developed during three years with the participation of 48 partners. Its general objective is to innovate in the production processes in the field of health to obtain state-of-the-art catheters. It will also include innovative treatments, such as cell therapy, which guide small capsules with cells with a regenerative effect to stimulate the recovery of damaged cardiac areas during the infarction.

The Nanobiocel group will be responsible for carrying out the formulation of the cells in hydrogels, for administration through the catheter at the cardiac level, for the regeneration of heart tissue.

In the development of the project, NANBIOSIS U10 “Drug Formulation Unit ” will participate. This Unit, located in the Faculty of Pharmacy of the UPV / EHU, has the capacity to design and evaluate classic dosage forms and new forms of biotechnological drugs, DNA, RNA and vaccines, using different methodologies based on micro and nanomedicine. This last methodology, based on the microencapsulation of cells, peptides, proteins and, in general, of biotechnological products, as well as the development and design of non-viral vectors for gene therapy, is one of the greatest singularities of this unit. It has the most advanced equipment for micro and nanoencapsulation.

The Eurpean project under Grant Agreement Ecsel-783132- POSOTION II 2017-IA, seeks to reverse the nowadays obsolete production of catheters (in the last decade there have been no innovations in this field). This justifies, from a business point, the investment in new R & D lines. In addition, it will introduce open technology platforms to increase miniaturization, the integration of electronics, wireless communications and their encapsulation. These technology platforms will renew catheter-based interventions, improving performance and reducing current production costs. It also seeks to break the current monopoly of US companies in the development and production of smart catheters.

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NANBIOSIS ICTS invites groups and companies to discuss Smart Biomaterials and devices for Drug Delivery

On February 22nd, the National School of Health of the Carlos III Health Institute hosted the forum on Smart Biomaterials and biomedical devices for applications in drug delivery and regenerative medicine, organized by the ICTS Nanbiosis, an infrastructure shared by the CIBER-BBN and the Center of Minimally Invasive Surgery Jesus Usón (CCMIJU). This is the first groups/companies meeting organized by Nanbiosis, in which about 70 B2B meetings  were held.

The meeting brought together about 40 participants from 14 research groups (from the CIBER-BBN and the CCMIJU) and 10 companies, which discussed the latest advances in the research lines developed by the groups and platforms of Nanbiosis and on the needs and demands of the industry in smart biomaterials and devices for targeted drug delivery and regenerative medicine.

Jesus Izco, Coordinator of Nanbiosis, presented the new “Cutting-Edge Biomedical Solutions“, soon available on the ICTS website. These are integrated solutions to advanced challenges in nanomedicine, biomaterials, medical device, and diagnostic that can be developed by several units under a  one-stop shop model, optimized with the experience and scientific and technical knowledge of the research groups of excellence that manage the involved units. Some of the Cutting-edge biomedical solutions presented in the meeting were preclinical validation of biomaterials, mechanical and surface characterization, biocompatibility and studies of biofilm formation and infections.

The CIBER-BBN prsentations were: “Instructive materials for regenerative medicine” by Miguel Ángel Mateos (NANBIOSIS U5 IP: Elisabeth Engel); “Molecular biomaterials for drug delivery and biomedical applications” byNathaly Veronica Segovia (NANBIOSIS U6 / IP Jaume Veciana and Nora Ventosa); “Advances with micro-nano technologies for in vitro devices and point of care” by Rosa Villa (NANBIOSIS U8 ); “Development of new dosage forms for advanced therapies based on new biomaterials” by José Luis Pedraz (NANBIOSIS U10); “Contact lenses functionalized for the prevention of corneal infections” by Jordi Esquena (NANBIOSIS U12 / IP Carlos Rodríguez); “Combined in-silico and in-vitro models of the cell microenvironment and drug delivery effects in cancer and tissue engineering applications” by Fany Peña (NANBIOSIS U13 / IP Miguel Á. Martínez); “Surface of the biomaterial: the first contact with our body” by  Marisa González (NANBIOSIS U16 ); “Use of biomaterials for the repair of soft tissue defects” by Bárbara Pérez Khöler (NANBIOSIS U17 / IP J M. Bellón and Gemma Pascual); “Controlled release systems based on mesoporous materials with molecular doors for applications in therapy and diagnosis” by Ramón Martínez Máñez (NANBIOSIS U26); “New intelligent devices and biomaterials for the treatment of pathologies of the retina and the nervous system” (Eduardo Fernández); and “Near-infrared responsive scaffolds for biomedical applications” (Nuria Vilaboa).

On the part of the CCMJU, the presentations were the following: “Application of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in preclinical models for surgical and cardiovascular research” by Javier García Casado (NANBIOSIS U14); “Regenerative medicine in animal models of cutaneous healing and diabetic models” by Beatriz Moreno (NANBIOSIS U19); “Preclinical studies of biomaterials” by Idoia Díaz-Güemes (NANBIOSIS U21 /IP: FM Sánchez Margallo); “Porcine model of myocardial infarction as a translational research platform in regenerative medicine” by Verónica Crisóstomo (NANBIOSIS U24).

In the turn of the companies, they presented some collaboration opportunities AJL, i-Vascular, Praxis Pharmaceutical, Technical Proteins Nanobiotechnology and REGEMAT 3D; and they also participated in the Rovi, Viscofan, Biomag and Biogelx Laboratories forum.

These meetings, where links are established between research groups and companies, address issues of business and scientific interest, allowing direct contacts between researchers and business managers.

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NANOMOL, Research Group Coordinator of Unit 6 of NANBIOSIS, accredited with TECNIO certification

NANOMOL, the research group coordinating ICTS “NANBIOSIS” Unit 6, has been accredited with the TECNIO certification as a Technology Developer Organization, until 2019. This TECNIO certification was created by the Government of Catalonia, through ACCIÓ. This certification supports the most qualified agents involved in technology transfer processes, allows companies to access advanced R&D and develop new products and services, and increases the scope of technology projects by finding the most suitable technology partners & suppliers.

About Nanomol (ICMAB-CSIC/CIBER-BBN)

NANOMOL is a research group depending on the Institute of Material Science of Barcelona from CSIC, with wide expertise and recognized excellence in the synthesis, processing and study of molecular and polymeric materials with chemical, electronic, magnetic and biomedical properties. NANOMOL is also a member of Biomedical Research Networking center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN) and of the technology transfer network TECNIO from ACC1Ó-Generalitat de Catalunya. The development by Nanomol of the different prototypes of nanocapsules will be performed in the ICTS “NANBIOSIS”, more specifically by the Biomaterial Processing and Nanostructuring Unit (U6) of the CIBER in Bioengineering, Biomaterials & NanomedicIne located at the ICMAB-CSIC.

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Microfluidic device that reproduces the blood-retinal barrier

The use of In vitro testing with living cells as an alternative to animal research has limitations like the difficulty to reproduce the interaction of cells. To overcome it, scientists are working on the development of systems that simulate and reproduce functions of tissues and organs in conditions very similar to reality. They are called organ-on-a-chip, which include microenvironments and microarchitectures that simulate the state of tissues and living organs.

Scientists of NANBIOSIS Unit 8 have published in an article, cover of the magazine “Lab on a Chip”, the “proof of concept” of a microfluidic device that reproduces the blood-retinal barrier, that is, a microchip that allows us to reproduce what happens ” in vivo ‘in the retina. This device can be an essential tool that revolutionizes experimentation ‘in vitro’.

José Yeste, researcher of the CIBER-BBN, explains that the micro device consists of several parallel compartments, in which different types of cells have been cultivated to emulate the structure of cellular layers of the retina. They are endothelial cells, that is, they form the internal part of the barrier, in contact with the blood capillaries, through which oxygen and nutrients reach the retina. In addition, it is also composed of neuronal cells (which form the neuroretina), and pigment epithelial cells, which constitute the outer layer. The compartments are interconnected in their lower part by a network of micro-grooves, so as to allow an intercellular communication through the exchange of signalling molecules between cells. Thus, cells can send their signals to others and interact, much like they would in a living organism. In addition, the micro device allows the endothelial cells to be subjected to the mechanical stimulus induced by the flow to emulate a more physiological microenvironment.

“Within the body, the endothelial cells that line the inside of blood vessels are subject to the mechanical stimulation of blood circulation. In cell cultures that do not reproduce this flow, the cells are as ‘lethargic’, and do not respond in the same way they would in real conditions, “explains Rosa Villa, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS Unit 8 and leader of the group of Biomedical Applications of the Microelectronics Institute of Barcelona of the CSIC.

Scientists have evaluated the correct formation of the blood-retinal barrier by performing permeability, electrical resistance tests, as well as protein expression of tight junctions between cells. These tests were intended to verify that the barrier is well formed, that it has closed but maintains the natural permeability, sufficient to allow the passage of nutrients and oxygen, and that the cells are in contact and interact with each other.

This work has been developed in the ICTS NANBIOSIS, more specifically in Unit 8 of Micro-Nano Technology located in the IMB-CNM. It is also part of the results of the CIBER intramural project called Micro BRB: Microfluidic model of retinal neurovascular unit to identify new therapeutic targets in diabetic retinopathy (2016-2017) in wich also  participates Unit 3 of NANBIOSIS

Source: http://noticiasdelaciencia.com/not/27155/un-microchip-microfluidico-reproduce-la-barrera-de-la-retina-humana/

Article of reference:

A compartmentalized microfluidic chip with crisscross microgrooves and electrophysiological electrodes for modeling the blood–retinal barrier. Jose Yeste, Marta arcía-Ramírez, Xavi Illa, Anton Guimerà, Cristina Hernández, Rafael Simó and Rosa Villa. DOI: 10.1039/C7LC00795GLab Chip, 2018, 18, 95-105

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Cryopreservation of stem cells

Scientific Reports of the Nature Publications Group has recently published the article ‘Cryopreservation of human mesenchymal stem cells in an allogeneic bioscaffold based on platelet rich plasma and synovial fluid’. This research is part of the doctoral thesis of Haritz Gurruchaga, belonging to the NanoBioCel group of CIBER-BBN and UPV / EHU, which is focused on the optimization of the storage processes of encapsulated cells through slow cryopreservation. The thesis is being co-directed by  José Luis Pedraz and Jesús Ciriza, Scientific Director and Scientific Coordinator of NANBIOSIS Unit 10 Drug formulation.

The work is focused on the optimization of the storage processes of encapsulated cells through slow cryopreservation. Mesenchymal stem cells are being increasingly used for the treatment of various diseases

For further information

Article of reference:

Haritz Gurruchaga, Laura Saenz del Burgo, Ane Garate, Diego Delgado, Pello Sánchez, Gorka Orive, Jesús Ciriza, Mikel Sánchez, José Luis PedrazCryopreservation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in an Allogeneic Bioscaffold based on Platelet Rich Plasma and Synovial FluidScientific Reports 7, Article number: 15733 (2017) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16134-6

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