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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250711T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250711T110000
DTSTAMP:20260418T023014
CREATED:20250704T062700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250704T062700Z
UID:127147-1752228000-1752231600@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion. Armando Cortés-Reséndiz and Maria J. Ugarte-Orozco
DESCRIPTION:Decoding skeletal muscle-liver axis in the context of sarcopenia: Towards the multi organ on a chip\nArmando Cortés-Reséndiz (1)\,*\, Francesco De Chiara (1)\, Javier Ramón Azcón (1\,2)\n1 Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia\, Barcelona\, Spain\n2 ICREA-Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats\, Barcelona\, Spain\n*acortes@ibecbarcelona.eu \nSarcopenia is characterized by marked reductions in skeletal muscle mass and quality\, which impacts the mobility and autonomy of patients. [1] They suffer not only from low physical performance and strength but also face a greater risk of falls and further comorbidities\, one of those being non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)\, as reported by some studies [2]. These have described a correlation between diminished muscle strength and the onset of NASH [2]. Thus\, our study examines sarcopenic phenotypes in three-dimensional muscle tissues in contact with conditioned media from NASH.\nThis approach involves subjecting skeletal muscle tissues to incubation in culture media derived from a pre-established model of NASH. We encapsulated human hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSC) in a collagen-based hydrogel. After treatment\, our model accumulates excess lipids upon a challenge with non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs)\, shows activation of HSC\, primary drivers of fibrosis\, and exhibits a proinflammatory environment. We also show the presence of apoptotic phenotypes and paracrine signaling between cell types of the liver. Such conditions trigger an atrophic phenotype in healthy skeletal muscle tissues\, fabricated by encapsulating human myoblasts in a Matrigel and fibrinogen matrix using PDMS casting. Skeletal muscle tissues were functionally evaluated as well by electrical pulse stimulation (EPS). We show that treated tissues exert lower contractile forces during EPS regime compared to our control conditions.\nBoth of our models pose valuable tools to aid in the identification of potential drug targets and therapeutic strategies\, as they mimic key features and cellular microenvironments of sarcopenia and NASH. For this reason\, our investigation marks a critical step toward understanding the intricate associations between these diseases. With the multi organ on a chip in sight\, we will focus on integrating both models inside an organ-on-chip device. \n  \nPlasmonic Biosensors to evaluate complement activation in serum of patients with myasthenia gravis.\nMaria J. Ugarte-Orozco 1*\, Javier Ramón-Azcón 1\, Eduard Gallardo Vigo 2\n1 Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) – Barcelona (Spain)\n2 Institut de Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. U.A.B. – Barcelona (Spain)\n*mugarte@ibecbarcelona.eu \nMyasthenia Gravis (MG)\, an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder affecting nerve-muscle communication\, is characterized by antibodies (Abs) targeting neuromuscular junction (NMJ) receptors. Most patients (80-90%) possess antibodies recognizing the acetylcholine receptor (AChR-MG)\, these anti-AChR Abs play a crucial role in the complement activation system (e.g.\, sC5b-9). These Abs lead to the formation of membrane attack complex (MAC) in the NMJ\, representing the most critical pathogenic mechanism resulting in AChR depletion and subsequent muscle weakness. [1][2] Complement inhibitor therapies are emerging as effective treatments for anti-AChR Abs; however\, the main problem is that considerable variability in treatment response exists\, and current clinical tests have difficulty differentiating primary pathogenic mechanisms in each patient. [3] The identification of complement activation biomarkers could facilitate the treatment selection. To address this\, we aimed to develop a throughput and scalable plasmonic biointerface as an accurate diagnostic tool\, measuring the release of soluble complement (sC5b-9) after its activation by anti-AChR Abs. This biosensor focuses on detecting complement activation in patient samples\, confirming the patient’s eligibility for complement inhibitor therapy\, such as Eculizumab. This strategy enables label-free detection of AChR autoantibody-mediated complement activation\, providing a quick and accurate diagnosis of MG. \nIn this study\, we introduce a biosensor based on a nanostructured polycarbonate substrate from Blu-ray discs with a thin gold layer\, utilizing Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) for analysis. It employs antibody-antigen as biorecognition elements to detect sC5b-9 in serum samples. We successfully optimized the biofunctionalization of cys-Protein G\, an antibody-binding protein targeting the Fc region that enables orientation to the antibody\, exposing the binding sites towards the analyte to enhance surface sensitivity. The biosensing potential was demonstrated by the detection of sC5b-9 in commercial human serum\, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.76 ng/mL in culture media and when working with human sera 0.92 ng/mL. Additionally\, the performance of the plasmonic biosensor was assessed with a cohort of sera samples from patients provided by Sant Pau Hospital.\nThe label-free plasmonic biosensor we developed holds great promise for future applications in POC and portable devices within the realm of precision medicine. By offering detailed insights into the specific pathogenic mechanisms underlying MG in individual patients\, our biosensor contributes to more accurate diagnosis and enables the development of personalized treatment strategies. The biosensor’s high sensitivity\, scalability\, and compatibility with clinical workflows position it as a valuable tool for advancing bioengineering and improving patient care in the field of precision medicine.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/es/event/phd-discussion-armando-cortes-resendiz-and-maria-j-ugarte-orozco/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250725T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250725T110000
DTSTAMP:20260418T023014
CREATED:20250313T084908Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250313T084908Z
UID:124732-1753437600-1753441200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar. Sung Hoon Kang
DESCRIPTION:Bone-inspired materials with self-adaptable mechanical properties and rose prickle-inspired sutureless anastomosis devices for resilient and healthy future\nSung Hoon Kang\, Department of Materials Science and Engineering\, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology \nI will present our ongoing efforts to address current challenges in materials for structural/biomedical applications and surgical procedures to connect blood vessels together based on inspiration from nature. \nFirst\, I will present self-adaptive materials that can change their mechanical properties depending on loading conditions by the coupling between loading and material synthesis [1]. Bone provides structural support for human body\, and it has been a subject of study and inspiration for novel materials due to its outstanding mechanical properties including toughness\, self-healing\, and remodeling capability\, which is desirable to mitigate the failure of materials and structures through fracture and fatigue. However\, it has been challenging for synthetic materials to change and adapt their structures and properties to address the changing loading condition to prevent failure. \nTo address the challenge\, we are inspired by the findings that bones are formed by mineralizing ions from blood onto collagen matrices. I will present a material system that triggers proportional mineral deposition from electrolytes on piezoelectric matrices upon mechanical loadings so that it can self-adapt to mechanical loadings. For example\, the mineralization rate could be modulated by controlling the loading condition\, and a 30-180% increase in the modulus of the material was observed upon varying the cyclic loading condition. Moreover\, our results showed that minerals were preferentially formed near the crack tip where stress was concentrated so that they contribute to blunting the crack tip and mitigating the propagation of the damage. As a result\, the material system showed a decrease in crack propagation speed by ~90%\, compared to samples tested in deionized water without mineral ions. \nTo expand the environment that the material can be utilized\, we have investigated synthesis of liquid-infused porous piezoelectric composites inspired by bone and pitcher plant [2]. I will present our synthesis approach and resulting mechanical properties. The material showed over 36 times increase in modulus and 30 times increase in dissipation after 12 million loading cycles\, demonstrating self-adaptive behavior in air. Furthermore\, the material can be (re)programmed to generate multiple shapes by self-folding based on spatial distribution of mechanical loading. [3]. We envision that our findings can contribute to new strategies for making resilient and sustainable materials for dynamically changing mechanical environments\, with potential applications including infrastructure\, vehicle\, and healthcare [4]. \nSecond\, I will present biomedical devices that can connect blood vessels together without suture. Vascular anastomosis\, the surgical connection of adjacent blood vessels\, is a foundational surgical skill critical for plastic and reconstructive surgery\, transplant surgery\, vascular surgery\, and many other surgical specialties. The current standard of anastomosis is manually suturing two tubular structures together around an opening with fine sutures often requiring a microscope or vessel loupes. This is a century old technique with many challenges. Suturing technique requires extensive surgical training in resource-intensive settings. Procedures are long (60 to 90 minutes per anastomosis)\, expensive (up to $35\,000 per procedure)\, and\, at times\, require specialized equipment (surgical microscope costing over $100\,000 per unit). Even in the hands of skilled surgeons\, the anastomosis can be complicated by leakage or thrombosis; 27% of cases result in complications and 25% require reoperation. Consequently\, there is a pressing need for a more efficient and safer alternative to handsewn anastomosis. \nInspired by rose prickles that are used by the plant for climbing walls\, we report a sutureless anastomosis device with anchors designed to hold free vascular ends together with traction. We utilized 3D printing to find an optimum geometry of anchors by conducting ex-vivo tensile testing and flow measurements\, as well as in-vivo testing with porcine models. We identified an optimum geometry from ex-vivo testing with porcine vessels\, which showed the failure force of our device is comparable or better than that of the handsewn suture (4.9 N) with stretch force tolerance up to 6.3 N. Based on pulsatile flow testing with porcine vessels\, we found no leakage up to 45 mL/min flow rate\, well above the physiologic blood flow rate in a microvascular flap after anastomosis (13.7±5 mL/min). Compared with handsewn anastomosis\, the device resulted in minimum deformation of the anastomotic site. From in-vivo non-survival porcine studies (N=10)\, the device showed successful anastomosis (< 5 min per anastomosis) with no leaking for both arterial and venous anastomoses. There was no thrombosis or other technical failure identified during the 4-hour observation period after device implantation. Our anastomotic device has the ability to innovate the way blood vessels are put together making current procedures faster\, easier\, and safer. We envision our sutureless anastomotic device will contribute to significantly improve medical readiness and make anastomotic techniques more accessible to a broad range of clinicians\, researchers\, and patients across the world.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/es/event/ibec-seminar-sung-hoon-kang/
LOCATION:Torres I\, Floor -1\, Room 1
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
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