0000000000737485
AUTHOR
Maria Elena Lombardo
PLLA scaffolds with controlled architecture as potential microenvironment for in vitro tumor model
Abstract The "microenvironment" where a tumor develops plays a fundamental role in determining its progression, the onset of metastasis and, eventually, its resistance to therapies. Tumor cells can be considered more or less invasive depending both on the nature of the cells and on the site where they are located. Commonly adopted laboratory culture protocols for the investigation of tumor cells take usually place on standard two-dimensional supports. However, such cultures do not allow for reproduction of the biophysical properties of the tumor’s microenvironment, thus causing the cells to lose most of their relevant characteristics. In this work MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells were cultiva…
3D polymeric supports promote the growth and progression of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.
Abstract Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare and aggressive malignancy that accounts for the majority of deaths from all thyroid cancers. ATC exhibits invasiveness and highly resistance to conventional therapies which include cytotoxic chemotherapy, the combination of BRAF and MEK inhibition and, more recently, immunotherapies, that have shown promising but still limited results. A growing knowledge on ATC tumor biology is needed for developing more effective therapies with significant better survival. Researchers have begun to utilize 3D models to culture cancer cells for in vitro studies. In this work, C643 ATC cell line was cultured on polymeric scaffolds with high-interconnecte…
Mathematical and numerical modeling of an airlift perfusion bioreactor for tissue engineering applications
The Tissue Engineering (TE) strategy is widely focused on the development of perfusion bioreactors to promote the production of three-dimensional (3D) functional tissues. To optimize tissue production, it is worth investigating the engineering parameters of a bioreactor system for identifying a beneficial range of operation variables. Mathematical and numerical modeling of a perfusion bioreactor is capable to provide relevant insights into the fluid flow and nutrients transport while predicting experimental data and exploring the impact of changing operating parameters, such as fluid velocities. In this work, the hydrodynamic parameters and oxygen transport were investigated using mathemati…
Development of a novel in vitro system for biomedical applications
Nella ricerca scientifica e medica, l'uso degli animali ha apportato notevoli benefici all’uomo. Sebbene la loro fisiologia non imiti perfettamente il corpo umano, essi agiscono come perfetti "modelli" per lo studio delle malattie umane e lo sviluppo di nuovi farmaci e trattamenti. Tuttavia, secondo la Food and Drug Administration (FDA), solo l'8% dei farmaci testati sugli animali è considerato sicuro ed efficace per l'uso sull’essere umano, il 92% non lo è. Questi tassi di fallimento estremamente elevati nello sviluppo di farmaci, insieme ai costi in forte aumento, hanno portato molti ricercatori a rivalutare il valore degli studi in vivo sugli animali. Questo è stato il motivo per cui, ne…
Novel dual-flow perfusion bioreactor for in vitro pre-screening of nanoparticles delivery: design, characterization and testing
An advanced dual-flow perfusion bioreactor with a simple and compact design was developed and evaluated as a potential apparatus to reduce the gap between animal testing and drug administration to human subjects in clinical trials. All the experimental tests were carried out using an ad hoc Poly Lactic Acid (PLLA) scaffold synthesized via Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS). The bioreactor shows a tunable radial flow throughout the microporous matrix of the scaffold. The radial perfusion was quantified both with permeability tests and with a mathematical model, applying a combination of Darcy's Theory, Bernoulli's Equation, and Poiseuille's Law. Finally, a diffusion test allowed to in…