IN²UB INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH SEMINARS
Overcoming Physiological Barriers with OM-pBAE Nanoparticles: Insights from the NanoTher Lab
By, Dr. Cristina Fornaguera Puigvert, Institut Químic de Sarrià (IQS), Universitat Ramon Llull (Barcelona)
Date and Venue: Thu, November 27, 2025 at 12:00h – Aula Magna Enric Casassas (Faculties of Physics and Chemistry)
(Chaired by Dr. G. Franzese, IN²UB and Faculty of Physics)
Abstract: Nanoparticles based on poly(β-amino ester)s (pBAEs) are a versatile platform developed in the NanoTher Lab for delivery of nucleic acids and small molecules across challenging physiological barriers. Our research combines tailored polymer chemistry (e.g. oligo-modified pBAEs (OM-pBAEs) with precise end-terminal peptide modifications) with advanced biophysical and imaging tools to design, characterize, and optimize nanoparticles with high transfection efficacy, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. In this talk I will present our work in three main areas: 1) Rational design of OM-pBAE polyplexes: how variations in polymer backbone, peptide modification (arginine, lysine, histidine), N/P ratios, and hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance influence stability, charge, size, conformation and protein-corona formation. 2) Cellular and tissue barriers: mechanisms of endocytosis, endosomal escape (proton sponge effect), intracellular trafficking studied with super-resolution and correlative microscopy (CLEM, PExM), and behavior of pBAE NPs in 3D spheroid models to mimic in vivo tissue architecture. 3) Immune and systemic barriers: interaction with blood components, avoidance of rapid clearance via protein corona / opsonization; stealth design strategies (e.g. grafting zwitterionic polymers like pSBMA) to prolong circulation and improve targeting to cells of interest (e.g. APCs) in vaccination or cancer models. I will conclude by showing the results of one example of success: the vaccination for melanoma.
About the Author: Cristina Fornaguera, PhD, is an ICREA Academia. Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Technology at Institut Químic de Sarrià (IQS), Universitat Ramon Llull (Barcelona, Spain) and Principal Investigator of the NanoTherapies Laboratory. Her research focuses on the design and development of advanced polymeric nanocarriers, particularly poly(β-amino ester) (pBAE) nanoparticles, for the delivery of nucleic acids and other therapeutic payloads. Dr. Fornaguera’s work spans rational polymer synthesis, formulation optimization, and the study of nanoparticle interactions with biological barriers using state-of-the-art imaging and microfluidic models. She is vice-president of the Spanish-Portuguese Local Chapter of the Controlled Release Society (SPLC-CRS) and actively participates in national and European collaborative projects on nanomedicine, drug delivery, and translational research.