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New therapeutic strategies for the treatment of advanced breast and colon cancer

Sara Montero, researcher of the “Drug Delivery and Targeting” of CIBER-BBN and VHIR, presented her thesis work on November 22 “Nanotecnnology mediated extrategies targeting cancer stem cells for advanced cancer tratment”, directed by Dr. Simó Schwrtz and Dr Diana Rafael.

In vivo experiments where carried out through the Unit 20 of the ICTS NANBIOSIS.

The work presented by Sara Montero shows two different types of therapeutic strategies for the treatment of advanced breast and colon cancer. Both strategies focus on blocking proteins essential for the survival and proliferation of cancer stem cells (CMC), known to be the main responsible for current therapeutic failures, tumor repopulation after treatments, as well as the causes of the aggressiveness of the resulting metastases. In addition, both strategies take advantage of the advantages offered by nano-drug delivery systems (nano-DDS) to increase the therapeutic efficacy of administered anticancer agents, reduce harmful side effects and, most relevant, specifically eliminating the CMC fraction within tumors. This project has also made it possible to evaluate the effects of combined therapy, using conventional drugs for the treatment of the disease together with specific molecules for the eradication of CMC in the same nanoplatform; specifically a system of polymeric micelles made up of the amphiphilic polymer Pluronic® F127. Together, this work opens the possibility of co-administering different types of compounds to simultaneously eliminate the two main cell populations that make up tumors and thus achieve complete tumor remission.

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Extracellular vesicles secreted by cancer stem cells promote angiogenesis and disease progression

Patricia González, researcher of the “Drug Delivery and Targeting” of CIBER-BBN and VHIR, presented her thesis work on November 19 where she lays the foundations to understand the role of different subpopulations of extracellular vesicles (VEs) secreted by tumor models in the regulation of tumor plasticity, as well as its effect on the tumor microenvironment and disease progression.

In the project, it has been described for the first time how the VEs secreted by the cancer stem cell subpopulation are responsible for activating fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment and promoting angiogenesis, thus facilitating disease progression. Furthermore, it has been possible to discern the role of these vesicles in the regulation of cell plasticity. In this sense, the VEs from tumor stem cells would act as effectors of cell differentiation in contrast to the action of the VEs secreted by differentiated cancer cells, which would stimulate the acquisition of stem cell characteristics.

In order to carry out the in vivo experiments, the services of ICTS Nanbiosis were used, through the U20.

The results open a new line of research in the group with a long journey ahead, setting as main objectives the identification of the molecular actors responsible for the activities described above as well as the translation of said knowledge into specific therapeutic strategies.

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New Equipment available for the Regenerative Medicine Research Line of the U10 of NANBIOSIS

The Unit 10 of Drug Formulation of the ICTS NANBIOSIS coordinated by the CIBER-BBN NanoBioCel group directed by Jose Luis Pedraz, which belongs to the University of the Basque Country, has been present at the signing of the agreement that gives support by the Provincial Council of Alava within the framework of the Advance Pharma Development project, together with the research and technological development center TECNALIA. 

With this agreement, the NanoBioCel research group will receive in the next two years (2021-2023) a contribution of 650,000 €, which will allow the hiring of research personnel and the purchase of specific equipment for the regenerative medicine research line. The first equipment purchased to strengthen U10 in Bio-printing is the RegenHU Bioprinter: R-GEN 100, which will be located in the P3 Laboratory of the Lascaray Research Building. This bioprinter will bring two new technologies to the bioprinting techniques currently being used at U10: extrusion and droplet techniques. With RegenHU it will be possible to work with two new bioprinting processes: electrospinning and electrowriting. Electrospinning is a promising technique for the controlled release of drugs and electrowriting (electrostatic writing) will allow the construction of scaffolds with variable diameters in their design and elaboration.

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‘Point-of-care or PoC’ devices are able to directly detect the genetic material of the virus in just 30 minutes

Twenty five Spanish researchers linked to the Higher Center for Scientific Research, CSIC, who are working more directly on the project ‘Point-of-care tests for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2’ – Studies for the development of technologies effective diagnosis and early detection of SARS-CoV-2- have met since last Wednesday and until this Friday at the Benasque Science Center ‘Pedro Pascual’ to analyze the state or of the different programs and lines of research on the covid-19.

After months of intense work, among the most outstanding achievements in relation to the detection of the genetic material of the virus, is the development of a series of technologies that allow this detection without the need for PCR. Researchers have managed, by designing specific probes, to directly detect the genetic material of the virus in just 30 minutes.

Dra. Pilar Marco, researchar of CSIC and Scientific Director of Nanbiosis U2 Custom Antibody Service (CAbS) – explains that “the PCR technique, which it is very sensitive and very precise, has a disadvantage in terms of time because it requires an amplification stage of this genetic material that makes the process long, this is going to revolutionize the diagnosis, not only for Covid-19, but also of other infectious diseases”.

Researcher of three units of NANBIOSIS, attended the meeting and some of them gave talks:

  • Nuria Pascual, Scientific Coordinator of NANBIOSIS U2 CAbS espoke about Antibodies production
  • Also from NANBIOSIS Unit 2, J. Pablo Salvador espoke about Immunochemical tests and .
  • Serological test of peptide epitopes were explained by Julian Guercetti.
  • Anna Avigñó, Scientific Coordinator of NANBIOSIS U29, espoke about Design of oligonucleotides for a new method in Covid-19 detection without PCR.
  • And Macarena Duran, representing MS4N group and the Peptide synthesis unit of NANBIOSIS (U3) explained the synthesis of potential SARS-COV2 epitopes that have been applied for hybridome selection for mAb and to generate epitope microarrays to analyze serological samples.

The meeting has served to share the most relevant results that have been obtained in the context of the project, as well as discussion of new strategies to address problems that have arisen throughout the project and in turn, discuss future objectives.

Other related news by NANBIOSIS:

NANBIOSIS U2, U3 & U29 participate in the POC4CoV project to develop diagnostic technologies for SARS-COV-2

Source of information: Heraldo de Aragón

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Vaccines against Covid, biomedical signal processing for sleep disorders and regenerative medicine, at the XV CIBER-BBN Annual Conference

The CIBER for Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN) will hold its XV Annual Congress, which will be held online for another year, on November 15 and 16. The conference will begin with a welcome that will be given by Cristóbal Belda, director of the ISCIII, and the scientific director of CIBER-BBN Ramón Martínez Máñez, and will aim to share advances in research in bioengineering, biomaterials and nanomedicine, in addition to advancing synergies with other disciplines and institutions.

This year’s edition will include three plenary talks given by internationally recognized experts in the fields of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination, biomedical signal processing for sleep disorders, and regenerative medicine and biosensors.

In addition to a selection of internal collaborations, valorization projects and collaboration with the CIBER de Cáncer (CIBERONC), the CIBER-BBN researchers will be able to know first-hand the three programs of the Precision Medicine Infrastructure (IMPaCT) and the perspectives of NANBIOSIS ICTS.

Likewise, there will also be time to highlight the best works of young researchers in recognition of the best publications of 2020 with CIBER-BBN member authors under 30 years of age.

Access to the broadcast talks and subsequent debate is free after registering for the event at this link: https://jornadasanuales.ciber-bbn.es/

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Colloidal nanocrystals for energy applications

Semiconductors are materials used in a wide ranfe of applications since they are capable of capturing light and allowing us to take advantage of it. In addition, if we reduce its size to the nanometric scale we can activate additional very interesting properties

On October 16, “Technoscience and Energy” took place in Inseec, Lyon (France), a science-industry transfer event between French and Spanish companies and researchers from the energy sector in France. Among the invited speakers was María Bernechea Navarro, ARAID Investigator, at the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon at University of Zaragoza-INMA.

In her talk, entitled “COLLOIDAL NANOCRYSTALS FOR ENERGY APPLICATIONS”, María Bernechea showed the development of nanomaterials stabilized in solution (to facilitate working with them), composed of abundant and non-toxic elements, as well as their use in various applications related to clean energy.

“We synthesize colloidal nanosemiconductors that are used for different applications. We mainly use these nanomaterials to harvest solar light and convert it into electrical current (solar cells) or remove pollutants in wastewater (using the materials as photocatalysts). More recently we have started to study the incorporation of these materials on carbon supports to fabricate electrodes that can be used in electrochemical storage devices (batteries or supercapacitors). These nanosemiconductors are fabricated at the NANBIOSIS U9 Synthesis of Nanoparticles Unit of CIBER-BBN and the INMA”, has explained María.

Last October 29, María Bernechea gave also a talk at the Faculty of Sciences of La Coruña entitled, “Colloidal Nano-Semiconductors for solar cells and other applications” that is avalilable in youtube. Dr. Bermechea expressly thanked the access to the ICTS NANBIOSIS for the development of these semiconductors.

Article of reference: Aina, S., Villacampa, B., Bernechea, M., Earth-abundant non-toxic perovskite nanocrystals for solution processed solar cells, Mater. Adv., 2021, 2, 4140 [DOI]

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Nanobodies for biosening at the European Biosensor Symposium digital seminars

Next November 8, the researcher of NANBIOSIS U2 Custom Antibody Service (CAbS)  J.-Pablo Salvador will host the Seminar “Nanobodies for biosensing” in the framework of European Biosensor Symposium digital seminar series which are schedulled on the third Tuesday of every month.

Nanobodies® (Nbs) are the recombinant binding domain from the heavy chain antibodies tipically produced from camèlids.  Besides their great potential as molecules in drug development, Nanobodies possess excellent functional properties that aid in their development for diagnostic tools. In this seminar, Dr. Salvador will explain the the outstanding properties of Nanobodies. Three graduate student speaker and up to five graduate student poster presenters will will take the opportunity to show different applications in the biosensing area.

The online event will take place on 16th November at 18:00 

Registration is free.

Further information on the European Biosensor Symposium digital seminars

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