Fiona Freeman

Afiliación:

University College Dublin

Título:

Engineering Complex Bone Tumour Models: Unravelling Tumour Microenvironment for Drug Discovery

Abstract:

Osteosarcoma, a highly aggressive bone cancer primarily affecting children, adolescents, and young adults, remains one of the most challenging paediatric cancers to treat. Despite advances in cancer research, the standard-of-care treatment for osteosarcoma has remained largely unchanged for nearly 50 years. The prognosis for patients with secondary lung metastasis is particularly poor, with approximately 70% succumbing to the disease within three years. Compounding this issue, osteosarcoma’s rarity significantly limits the recruitment of eligible participants for clinical trials, further delaying the development of effective treatments.

Traditional 2D cell cultures have long been the primary in vitro model used in cancer research. While these models are cost-effective and relatively straightforward to produce and maintain, they fall short in replicating the solid tumour characteristics and complex interactions between tumour cells and their surrounding microenvironment. This disconnect has contributed to the high failure rate of preclinical drug candidates in clinical settings, emphasizing the urgent need for more representative in vitro models.

Emerging research has highlighted the potential of advanced 3D models in bridging this gap. These models more accurately mimic the phenotypic behaviour of primary tumours, particularly in sarcomas like osteosarcoma, where growth rates, cell morphology, cell-cell junctions, and kinase activation in spheroids exhibit remarkable similarity to their in vivo counterparts. Developing such models has become essential for unravelling the complexities of osteosarcoma progression and identifying novel therapeutic targets.

This presentation will explore the innovative osteosarcoma models developed in our laboratory to address these challenges. By recreating the intricate interplay between osteosarcoma cells and key components of the tumour microenvironment, our models aim to provide deeper insights into disease mechanisms and progression. Additionally, we will discuss how these models are being utilized to evaluate and accelerate the development of novel therapeutic strategies, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for patients facing this devastating disease.

Through this work, we aim to contribute to a paradigm shift in osteosarcoma research, highlighting the critical role of advanced in vitro models in overcoming longstanding barriers in translational cancer research.

Jaime Martín Pérez

Afiliación:

Universidad de Coruña

Título:

Decoding the Structure of Donor Polymers for Organic Solar Cells

Abstract:

The performance of organic electronic devices, such as solar cells, depends on understanding and controlling the solid-state microstructure of semiconducting polymers. In this talk, I will discuss on our recent understanding of the aggregate states, solid-state microstructure, and thermotropic behavior of the best-performing family of polymers for solar cells, i.e., benzodithiophene-based semiconducting polymers. I will argue that the microstructure of these polymers does not seem to fit neither in the traditional structural models developed for polymers, i.e. the amorphous and semi-crystalline models, nor with other stablished low-order structures, a.k.a. solid mesophases, such as condis crystals, liquid crystals, hexagonal phases, columnar phases, paracrystals, and so on. Conversely, these polymers organize into a unique solid mesophase comprising stacked solid-like and liquid-like layers. This mesophase resembles sanidic structures while also sharing features with columnar mesophases like condis-crystals and paracrystals. At a larger length-scale, the mesophase organizes into nanoscale fibril-like domains, with polymer backbones aligned along the fibril axis, coexisting with amorphous-like glassy regions, reported in our work for the first time. I will also discuss on the thermotropic behavior of this biphasic nanomorphology, providing insights into how thermal annealing influences polymer structure. The understanding of the structure of semiconducting polymers enables a more precise framework for defining structure-function relationships, impact thus on the entire field of organic electronics, from organic photovoltaics to bioelectronics to wearable electronics.

Susana Carregal Romero

Afiliation:

CIC biomaGUNE

Title:

Designing Nano/Micromotors: Transitioning from Synthetic to Biohybrid Configurations

Abstract:

Pulmonary administration of nanomedicines, including viral vaccines, offers a direct, noninvasive route for both systemic delivery and lung-targeted therapy. However, natural lung defense mechanisms often lead to rapid clearance or degradation, limiting clinical translation. This challenge contrasts with the growing burden of lung diseases in aging populations and emerging infectious threats, underscoring the need for optimized pulmonary nanomedicines.

We employ bottom-up synthetic protocols to develop iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or bimodal positron emission tomography (PET)/MRI imaging. These nanoparticles are encapsulated or integrated into lipid- or protein-based drug carriers. Using proteomics and molecular imaging, we analyze their interactions with lung barriers.

Our findings show how molecular imaging provides insights into lung retention, penetration, and cellular uptake. Moreover, we highlight the use of magnetic separation in studying lung surfactant corona formation. We present multifunctional nanoparticles capable of drug encapsulation and contrast agent labeling, enabling multi-scale characterization of nano-bio interactions. Finally, we show how different surface coatings influence lung retention, macrophage clearance, and tissue penetration, impacting nanomedicine efficacy.

Alicia Torrado Varela

Afiliation:

Eli LillyDiscovery Chem Res & Technol

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