Study of the interaction of polymersomes with biological barrier models

• Grant number: 25/02314-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy
• Principal Investigator: Carlota de Oliveira Rangel Yagui
• Grantee: Gabriel Athayde Ramirez
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/17651-6 - STUDIES OF FORMULATION AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECT OF PHOTOLYASE IN IN VITRO SKIN MODELS AIMING AT PHOTOPROTECTION AND PREVENTION OF SKIN AGING, AP.R

Abstract

Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising approach to overcome limitations in drug delivery systems, especially in the case of biopharmaceuticals such as proteins and peptides. This type of drugs faces challenges related to stability, bioavailability and effective permeation through biological barriers. Among the possible nanostructures for drug transport, polymersomes can be considered an innovative and versatile alternative. They are nanostructures produced from the self-aggregation of amphiphilic copolymers. However, there is still a need to better understand the interaction of polymersomes with membrane models, in order to elucidate whether these nanostructures penetrate the barriers, fuse with the barriers and/or whether the polymers work as permeation enhancers. In this project we will investigate the interaction of polymersomes with models of biological barriers. More speciffically, we will produce Pluronic-L121 polymersomes nanoencapsulating BSA-FTIC as a biomolecule model and polymersomes containing in their composition a molar fraction of Pluronic-L121-fluorescein. We will then investigate the interaction of the polymersomes with pig skin and spheroids of fibroblasts and keratinocytes. The project involves the preparation of polymersomes by direct dissolution and characterization by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Confocal fluorescence microscopy will be used to investigate polymersomes interaction with pig skin and spheroids. (AU)