Written on December 19, 2023.
A Pioneer to improve drug screening and advanced cell therapies for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a rare and aggressive form of brain tumor. All thanks to the development of a translational platform that exploits 3D printing technology. This is the final target of the studio 3D-Pioneer (3D-Printed onco-neurospheres)project that sees IRST “Dino Amadori” Irccs leader in a partnership with the Irccs in Advanced Technologies and Care Models in Oncology of Reggio Emilia, TPM – Tecnopolo Mirandola “Mario Veronesi” and the Democenter-Sipe Foundation. A project that obtained funding of 500 thousand euros from the Emilia-Romagna Region through a call for tenders Regional Operational Program (Por) – European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) intended for strategic industrial research projects.
3D-Pioneer foresees a total investment of 700 thousand euros and IRST’s share is over 328 thousand euros. Of the 500 thousand euros financed by the tender, the Institute will receive 230 thousand. The scientific director of the project is Dr. Anna Tesei researcher at the IRST Bioscience Laboratory. With Dr. Tesei, the working group composed of Martina Bedeschi, Noemi Marino, Melania Elettra Vaccari, Valentina Venturi, Arianna Battisti; while for the management and coordination of the project and partnership, the contribution of the Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer Office is fundamental (in the photo, Dr. Monica Tramontin).
The project, during the first year, will work to reproduce with three-dimensional printing protocols multicellular glioblastoma spheres representative of the complex cellular and molecular interactions of the tumor microenvironment, capable of impacting the effectiveness of therapies. These protocols will use commercial lines or primary cultures of glioblastoma, in association with immune and endothelial cells. An intermediate validation phase of the model will follow and, in parallel, starting from the third quarter of the first year, the serial bioprinting of glioblastoma spheroids homogeneous in shape, volume and density is expected.
The models obtained will then be used for cytotoxicity tests, with the support of integrated instruments useful for screening made available by the companies participating in the project. In fact, two regional companies are involved in this study, Celldynamics and Cellply.
In the photo from left to right Martina Bedeschi, Noemi Marino, Melania Elettra Vaccari, Monica Tramontin, Anna Tesei, Valentina Venturi, Arianna Battisti