Programa del congreso

This study evaluates the performance of iron oxide nanoflowers (NFs) in magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) using both inert and in vitro approaches. Non-harmonic waveforms were applied under the same magnetic field conditions, demonstrating that waveform slope strongly influences heating efficiency, with NFs exhibiting higher SAR values than spherical nanoparticles. In vitro experiments using trapezoidal waveforms with the CT2A glioblastoma cell line showed greater tumor cell mortality compared to sinusoidal signals, confirming the enhanced therapeutic potential of non-harmonic excitations.

One of the hallmarks of tissue repair is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which modulate processes such as cell proliferation. Although several attempts have been made to manipulate ROS levels to increase tissue repair, the lack of techniques able to remotely manipulate the redox homeostasis has hindered its progress. Herein, we present a new approach for tuning the ROS levels using magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) that act as nanoheaters when exposed to an alternating magnetic field. We designed two MnxFe3-xO4 MNPs (with a low and a high Mn2+content) and probed the possibility to modulate the ROS balance by magneto-thermal stimulation in the invertebrate model organism Hydra vulgaris, able to fully regenerate. We found a biphasic modulation of the ROS levels played by the MNPs, while MNPs with the lower Mn2+ content are able to positively modulate the regeneration potential under magnetostimulation, MNPs with the higher Mn2+ content cause a different redox imbalance, negatively affecting the regeneration dynamic. This innovative approach reveals a new way for manipulating redox homeostasis that could advance in the field of tissue engineering.

Angiogenesis is a key biological process involved in tissue regeneration, wound healing, and disease progression. Replicating it in vitro remains challenging due to its complexity. Recent advances in 3D printing and microfluidics offer new opportunities to create biomimetic platforms with precise spatial and environmental control. This study presents a microfluidic system integrating high-resolution 3D printed hydrogels to model angiogenesis. Using tunable biomaterials and pro-angiogenic stimuli, the platform enables controlled investigation of how scaffold architecture and material properties influence vascular network formation. Preliminary results show that scaffold geometry and stiffness significantly affect angiogenic responses, highlighting the importance of 3D design in guiding vascular morphogenesis. This approach demonstrates the potential of combining microfabrication and bioengineering to study angiogenesis under physiologically relevant conditions.

La capacidad de controlar de forma remota y precisa vías de señalización intracelular ofrece grandes oportunidades para la investigación biológica básica y la innovación terapéutica. Entre estas vías, la cascada de Wnt/β-catenina es especialmente importante, ya que regula el crecimiento celular, la diferenciación y la reparación tisular. Sin embargo, los métodos actuales para activar esta vía (activación química) carecen de precisión espacio-temporal y pueden generar efectos secundarios significativos. En este trabajo, presentamos una nueva estrategia magnetogenética para modular la vía Wnt/β-catenina mediante la aplicación de fuerzas magnetomecánicas a la E-caderina, una proteína de adhesión clave en la regulación de β-catenina. Se diseñaron nanopartículas magnéticas (NPM) recubiertas con el dominio extracelular de la E-caderina (NPM@E/EC15) para interactuar específicamente con E-caderinas de la superficie celular. Al exponerlas a un campo magnético de baja intensidad, estas nanopartículas ejercen fuerzas mecánicas localizadas que activan la mecatransducción mediada por E-caderina. Esto, promueve la translocación nuclear de β-catenina y la posterior activación de genes diana de Wnt, como demostraron los análisis transcriptómicos y los ensayos con gen reportero de luciferasa. Funcionalmente, esta respuesta promovió una mayor proliferación celular y una cicatrización acelerada. En resumen, este estudio introduce una estrategia no invasiva para investigar la mecanobiología de la E-caderina y para regular de forma remota la señalización Wnt/β-catenina con precisión espacio-temporal. En comparación con las herramientas magnetogenéticas existentes, nuestro método permite la modulación simultánea de poblaciones celulares mediante campos magnéticos de baja intensidad, mostrando un gran potencial para aplicaciones in vivo como el desarrollo de terapias regenerativas.

En este trabajo se ha estudiado el efecto sinérgico de dos métodos físicos para incrementar la capacidad antibacteriana superficial del acero inoxidable 316L usado en aplicaciones biomédicas como implantes y prótesis. Por un lado, se ha nanotexturado la superficie empleando un láser UV (355 nm) con una duración de pulso de 300 ps. Por otro lado, se ha aprovechado la resonancia plasmónica superficial localizada (LSPR) de las nanoesferas de oro (AuGNSs) para reducir la viabilidad bacteriana. Mediante simulaciones teóricas (discrete dipole approximation, DDA) y el análisis experimental con un calorímetro diferencial de barrido (DSC) con fotoexcitación se han seleccionado las nanopartículas más adecuadas, así como la longitud de onda óptima. Aprovechando las propiedades fototérmicas de las AuGNSs se ha diseñado un nuevo método para su unión a la superficie del acero previamente nanotexturado. Los resultados revelan el incremento de la capacidad antibacteriana de las superficies generadas por la acción conjunta de los dos mecanismos.

Hyperthermia-based nanotherapies have emerged as promising adjuvant strategies in oncology, yet their efficacy in clinically relevant three-dimensional (3D) tumor models remains poorly understood. Here, we compared photothermal therapy (PTT, 808 nm laser) and magnetic hyperthermia (MH, alternating magnetic field) using superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in engineered neuroblastoma (NB) models. Bulk heating assays in PBS, serum-containing medium, and 96-well plates demonstrated that both controls and nanoparticle-containing samples reached temperature rises of ≥5 °C within 10 min, indicating that macroscopic heating was largely driven by medium and plate absorption rather than nanoparticle contribution. In contrast, in 3D NB tissue-engineered scaffolds (collagen I–hyaluronic acid), SPIONs were efficiently internalized and showed no cytotoxicity. Upon treatment, PTT failed to reduce proliferation compared with controls, whereas MH induced a significant transient decrease in DNA content and Ki67 positivity at 48 h, accompanied by histological evidence of reduced tumor cell density. However, proliferation recovered by day 5, and caspase 3/7 profiling revealed heterogeneous apoptotic responses. Taken together, these results demonstrate that MH, but not PTT, exerts a measurable cytostatic effect in 3D NB models, although the effect is temporary. Our findings indicate the importance of using 3D tissue-engineered models to reveal clinically relevant treatment responses and highlight the need for optimized MH protocols or combinatorial strategies to achieve durable tumor control in pediatric oncology