At the recent European Society for Biomaterials conference in Turin, our project partner, Mariangela Clemente, presented her work on Giant Janus liposomes. These vesicles— named after the Roman god with two faces — have different chemical properties on each hemisphere that can interact with both hydrogels and bacterial biofilms.
From drug delivery to bacterial reprogramming
Mariangela, a researcher at the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto per i Sistemi Biologici, brings expertise in liposomes and lipoplexes for drug delivery, combined with experience in synthesising bioactive molecules.
The ambitious goals of the BIOACTION project … intrigued me, so I was excited to join the team through the ISB-CNR research group and take on this new challenge.
Her work has been supporting BIOACTION’s goal of transforming pathogenic bacteria, rather than fighting them. This novel approach aims to reprogram these bacteria using genetic sequences that encode proteins necessary for tissue regeneration and immune response regulation.
“I worked on the preparation and characterization of lipoplexes,” nanostructures formed by positively charged liposomes and negatively charged DNA that can deliver genetic instructions to bacteria. “[the lipoplexes] were then loaded into Giant Janus-type liposomes capable of adhering to both hydrogel and biofilm. The results are encouraging, including in terms of biological experiments.”
The BIOACTION bio-hydrogels, containing delivery systems like the Giant Janus-type liposomes, can be applied as coatings for implants or as injectable materials at infection sites. When the liposomes interact with local bacteria, they deliver genetic material that transforms the bacteria into producers of pre-regenerative proteins.
Conference connections and insights
“The formation of double-sided liposomes … fascinated conference participants, who were intrigued by the preparation method,” Mariangela notes. “I also noticed the interest of the scientific and clinical biomedical community in the final smart hydrogel-based material comprising the multicompartment Janus liposomes.”
The discussions on drug delivery were certainly very interesting, as they are related to my field of research. [I got to] deepen my knowledge of the materials used to obtain advanced biomedical devices and new characterization techniques
Sharing knowledge for a bigger impact
“The main goal of presenting the BIOACTION research at the ESB was to share the project’s innovative approach to treating infections, thereby increasing the visibility and scientific impact of the project in the field of European research,” Mariangela concludes.
[Sharing this research] was also an opportunity to get feedback from leading researchers in the field of biomaterials and to explore potential research collaborations with academic and industrial partners.