Projects in tissue engineering and biomaterials win prizes for advancing development of bioprinted skin for diabetic ulcers and amniotic membrane bio-dressings for eye diseases
Researchers from the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) received awards for their work during the 1st International Congress of the Brazilian Society of Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, held in São Paulo from June 5 to 7. Poster presentations by Dr. Monielle Sant’Ana Leal and Dr. Caroline Nascimento Barquilha, both of the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), were among the projects recognized during the event.
Researchers Monica Alves (Unicamp), Caroline Nascimento Barquilha (CNPEM), Monielle Sant’Ana Leal (CNPEM), and Ana Carolina Migliorini Ferreira (CNPEM) with one of the awards received at the conference.
Three-dimensional artificial diabetic skin model
Monielle Sant’Ana Leal, a researcher and post-doctoral fellow at LNBio, received the prize for best scientific paper in the graduate student category for her work developing a three-dimensional bioprinted model of artificial human skin, with potential application in the study of diabetic ulcers.
The study reproduces structural and functional changes seen in the skin of people with diabetes, helping to advance more effective regenerative therapies and reduce the use of animal models in scientific tests.
An innovative dermal matrix stood out among the tested formulations for promoting tissue organization and epidermal maturation. This advance is an important step in tissue engineering applied to healing for chronic wounds.
The project is being carried out at CNPEM with support from the São Paulo State Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the Dutch Research Council (NWO), through a special call for proposals involving research on biomaterials designed for health applications.
Amniotic membrane biodressings
Caroline Nascimento Barquilha, another researcher and post-doctoral fellow at LNBio, received the prize for best scientific paper in the professional researcher category for poster presentations. Her research uses the amniotic membrane, a tissue derived from the human placenta with major regenerative potential, as a source to develop biodressings and isolate stem cells. The idea behind the research is to use these dressings to treat eye diseases, especially those affecting its external surface.
During the study, which was carried out in partnership with the researcher Monica Alves of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), the biodressings were characterized and produced under strict quality control. This allowed the team to standardize all stages in the process, from collection and cultivation to cryopreservation of the stem cells in the amniotic membrane, ensuring the sterility and safety of this material.
The research, which received funding from FAPESP, now moves to the clinical trial phase, slated to begin in the coming months at UNICAMP’s Hospital de Clínicas.
Seminar
The 1st International Congress of the Brazilian Society of Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine was attended by many professionals from CNPEM. Along with presentations of research projects, the event also featured a lecture entitled “Evolving Regenerative Technologies: Advanced Solutions in Tissue Engineering,” presented by LNBio researcher Dr. Ana Carolina Migliorini Ferreira.
The session introduced projects developed by CNPEM’s Tissue Engineering group like bioprinted dressings for skin, heart and eye tissue, and discussed advances in biofabrication, 3D models and organ-on-a-chip platforms as promising solutions for regenerative medicine.
About CNPEM
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is home to a state-of-the-art, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment and works on different fronts within the Brazilian National System for Science, Technology and Innovation. A social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. It is responsible for Sirius, the largest assembly of scientific equipment constructed in the country, and is currently constructing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructure open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects involving the productive sector, and training for researchers and students are the pillars of this institution that is unique in Brazil and able to serve as a bridge between knowledge and innovation. CNPEM’s research and development activities are carried out through its four National Laboratories: Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), Biorenewables (LNBR), as well as its Technology Unit (DAT) and the Ilum School of Science — an undergraduate program in Science and Technology supported by the Ministry of Education (MEC).
