Guest Editors
Valentina Castagnola
Fondazione Pisana Per La Scienza ONLUS
<p>After earning an MSc in Photochemistry and Material Chemistry from the University of Bologna, Dr. Valentina Castagnola completed a PhD in Micro- and Nano-Systems in 2014 from the Laboratory for Analysis and Architecture of Systems. Her research focused on designing and implementing neural probes for brain stimulation and recording. In 2015, she joined the Center for Bionano Interactions at University College Dublin, where she began working with organic and inorganic nanomaterials and their interactions with biofluids and cells. Since 2020, she has been a researcher at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. In addition to this role, she serves as a tenure-track researcher at the Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza ONLUS in Pisa, where she continues her work on functional hybrid nanomaterials for applications in neuroscience.</p>
Luca Boselli
Italian Institute of Technology
<p>Dr. Luca Boselli is a researcher at the Nanobiointeractions & Nanodiagnostics Laboratory of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Genova. He works in nanomedicine, focusing on nanozymes and plasmonic nanoparticles for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.</p><p><br></p><p>Dr. Boselli earned an MSc in Photochemistry and Material Chemistry from the University of Bologna in 2011, followed by a PhD in Organometallic Chemistry from the University of Toulouse in 2014. From 2015 to 2019, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Bionano Interactions, University College Dublin, where he worked on the synthesis, physicochemical properties, and biological characterization (including biomolecular corona analysis) of various inorganic and biomimetic nanostructures.</p>
Collection Overview
The successful clinical translation of nanoformulations relies on precisely predicting and controlling their interactions with biofluids and cells in complex, dynamic physio-pathological environments. Beyond their intended targets, nanomaterials interact with various biomolecules that significantly influence their biological fate. Starting with homogeneous and well-characterized nanomaterials, the study of these interactions involves several intermediate steps, which can be categorized into three main areas:
1. Colloidal and Structural Stability and Surface Functionality: It involves assessing the stability of nanomaterials and the availability of active or targeting sites within the relevant biological environment.
2. Biological Identity: It focuses on identifying key biomolecular components of nanoformulations, such as proteins, lipids, glycans, metabolites, and fragments from membranes, organelles, or viral capsids. It also includes analyzing their biological availability (e.g., accessibility and orientation), interaction kinetics, and exchange processes. Additionally, this area explores hybrid biomimetic systems that incorporate components derived from cells, bacteria, or viruses.
3. Cellular Interactions: It examines how nanomaterials interact with biological systems by selecting appropriate biological media (e.g., various serum types and concentrations), models (e.g., different cell types, 2D cultures, 3D organoids, and organ-on-chip systems), exposure strategies (e.g., varying concentration, normalization, and static vs. dynamic incubation), and relevant analytical readouts (e.g., imaging techniques, flow cytometry, and colorimetric assays).
Despite numerous protocols available in the literature, the lack of standardization continues to undermine the reliability of results for a given formulation, perpetuating the persistent in vitro/in vivo mismatch.
This Methods Collection aims to foster a concerted effort toward establishing a shared knowledge foundation through standardized nano-bio screening protocols, ideally validated through interlaboratory studies. A unified framework will ensure data robustness, facilitate regulatory approval, and accelerate the clinical translation of nanoformulations, ultimately unlocking their full therapeutic potential.
