Abstract
SPHERE aims to assess the efficacy and biocompatibility of innovative smart materials or bioactive molecules using advanced 3D cell culture models, focusing on cancer and blood brain barrier, providing more accurate insights into cellular behaviour, drug responses, and tissue interactions. The significance of this research lies in its potential to accelerate the development of next- generation therapeutics and biomaterials for regenerative medicine and drug delivery thanks to a multidisciplinary approach that includes chemistry, biology, medicine and engineering. The expected impact includes enhanced predictive power in preclinical testing, reduced reliance on animal models, and improved outcomes in biomedical applications. SPHERE aims to address these outcomes through three work-packages exploring (i) synthesis and characterization of new materials and promising Pt-based drug (ii) validation through different 3D cell models (BBB and solid cancer) (iii) metabolomic analysis useful for identification of new predictive markers for diseases condition.
Objectives
- Objective 1 - Development and optimization of protocols for 3D cell culture. Identification and refinement of three-dimensional culture systems (e.g., spheroids, organoids, biomimetic scaffolds) suitable for the analysis of cell-material interactions, ensuring experimental reproducibility and scalability.
- Objective 2 – Synthesis and comprehensive characterization of new smart materials and active molecules. These materials will be engineered to respond to specific external stimuli—pH, temperature, enzymatic activity, electromagnetic fields—enabling controlled drug release, targeted cellular interaction.
- Objective 3 – Optimization of diagnostic methodologies for metabolic markers in three- dimensional systems. These diagnostic tools aim to establish reliable and reproducible methods for functional readouts, enabling a deeper understanding of cell-material dynamics and improving the predictive power of in vitro models in biomedical research and preclinical testing.
Collaborators
- CNR-IFN di Milano
- Politecnico di Milano
- Università degli studi di Bari
- Politecnico di Bari
Key 5 publications
- 1. Recent advances in 3D Models for Multiparametric blood-brain barrier Detection in microfluidics systems – review submitted Journal of Materials Chemistry B
- 2. Biocompatible melanin-functionalized CaCO3 nanoparticles for cells protection against photoinduced oxidative stress. Manuscript submitted ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.
- 3. 2 manuscripts are in the process of being written
People
- Viviana Vergaro
- Chiara Boncristiani
- Alessandra Nardini
- Maria Serena Chiriacò
- Elisabetta Primiceri
- Francesco Ferrara
- Antonio Turco
