STSM at i3S in Porto – Report from Paolo Signorello
I am Paolo Signorello, a PhD student at the Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, and a member of Centro 3R, Italy. Thanks to the Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM), I spent four months (from 01/02/2024 to 31/05/2024) at “i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto”, under the supervision of Professor Bruno Sarmento. During this period, I developed a magnetic nanoparticle-based formulation and tested it in an advanced in vitro intestinal model1 for potential use in drug delivery or hyperthermic therapy targeting the intestine.
This model consisted, from top to bottom, of a multilayer co-culture using transwells for 24-well plates, which included four different cell types: two types for the epithelial layer, fibroblasts encapsulated in a hydrogel to ensure the development of the extracellular matrix in the apical compartment, and endothelial cells in the basolateral compartment. This configuration was designed to mimic the complex structure of the intestinal barrier.
First, I functionalized magnetic nanoparticles with a mucoadhesive biological material and tested them for stability over time and at different pH levels using a Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) instrument.
Subsequently, I conducted a viability assay to evaluate the toxicity of the magnetic nanoparticles on all cell types. After 21 days of developing the model, I tested for any biological differences that may occur in terms of permeability and nutrient absorption, both in the presence and absence of the magnetic nanoparticle-based formulation.
I am very grateful to the COST Action IMPROVE for supporting this period abroad at i3S, as it significantly enhanced my knowledge of nanomaterials, cytotoxicity, the development of complex in vitro models, and co-culture techniques.
The atmosphere at i3S is very welcoming and inclusive. Furthermore, Professor Sarmento’s team is very proactive in building new working groups and fostering networking opportunities. This experience will allow me to engineer better, more advanced models with improved predictivity, in line with the 3Rs Principles.
[1] Ferreira B, Barros AS, Leite-Pereira C, Viegas J, das Neves J, Nunes R, Sarmento B. Trends in 3D models of inflammatory bowel disease. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2024 Mar;1870(3):167042. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167042. Epub 2024 Jan 29. PMID: 38296115.