Microenvironments for New Therapies
The vision of our group is to render bioengineered microenvironments powerful tools for the treatment and diagnosis of disease. The activity of the group is strongly translation-oriented, based on well-established collaborations with medical professionals, namely neurosurgeons and orthopaedic surgeons. Osteoarticular diseases, namely those associated with ageing (e.g. spine degeneration and osteoarthritis), are major areas of application. Pivotal in our strategy is the modulation of the inflammatory response, namely through immunomodulatory biomaterials, which are strongly influenced by our “learn with nature” approach. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a permanent source of inspiration for the bioengineered microenvironments developed by us. We bioengineer matrix-inspired biomaterials that modulate the inflammatory response, including hierarchically designed matrices and nanocomplexes for tissue regeneration.
Morphology of macrophages differentiated on surfaces can be observed by staining for F-actin filaments (red) and nuclei (green).
Team
Selected Publications
Molinos M., Cunha C., Almeida C.R., Gonçalves R.M., Pereira P., Silva P.S., Vaz R., Barbosa M.A.,
Age-Correlated Phenotypic Alterations in Cells Isolated from Human Degenerated Intervertebral Discs with Contained Hernias. Spine43(5):E274-E284, 2018. [Journal: Article] [CI: 13] [IF: 2,9]
DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000002311 SCOPUS: 85021845784
Caldeira J., Santa C., Osório H., Molinos M., Manadas B., Goncalves R., Barbosa M.,
Matrisome Profiling during Intervertebral Disc Development and Ageing. Scientific Reports7(1):, 2017. [Journal: Article] [CI: 36] [IF: 4,1]
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11960-0 SCOPUS: 85029508543
Pinto M.L., Rios E., Silva A.C., Neves S.C., Caires H.R., Pinto A.T., Durães C., Carvalho F.A., Cardoso A.P., Santos N.C., Barrias C.C., Nascimento D.S., Pinto-do-Ó P., Barbosa M.A., Carneiro F., Oliveira M.J.,
Decellularized human colorectal cancer matrices polarize macrophages towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype promoting cancer cell invasion via CCL18. Biomaterials124:211-224, 2017. [Journal: Article] [CI: 88] [IF: 8,8]
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.02.004 SCOPUS: 85013069713
Neves N., Linhares D., Costa G., Ribeiro C.C., Barbosa M.A.,
In vivo and clinical application of strontium-enriched biomaterials for bone regeneration. Bone and Joint Research6(6):366-375, 2017. [Journal: Review] [CI: 54] [IF: 2,4]
DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.66.BJR-2016-0311.R1 SCOPUS: 85021702111
Vasconcelos D.M., Gonçalves R.M., Almeida C.R., Pereira I.O., Oliveira M.I., Neves N., Silva A.M., Ribeiro A.C., Cunha C., Almeida A.R., Ribeiro C.C., Gil A.M., Seebach E., Kynast K.L., Richter W., Lamghari M., Santos S.G., Barbosa M.A.,
Fibrinogen scaffolds with immunomodulatory properties promote inαvivo bone regeneration. Biomaterials111:163-178, 2016. [Journal: Article] [CI: 50] [IF: 8,4]
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.10.004 SCOPUS: 84991771953
Almeida M.I., Silva A.M., Vasconcelos D.M., Almeida C.R., Caires H., Pinto M.T., Calin G.A., Santos S.G., Barbosa M.A.,
miR-195 in human primary mesenchymal stromal/stem cells regulates proliferation, osteogenesis and paracrine effect on angiogenesis. Oncotarget7(1):7-22, 2016. [Journal: Article] [CI: 55] [IF: 5,2]
DOI: 10.18632/ONCOTARGET.6589 SCOPUS: 84969765513
Teixeira G.Q., Leite Pereira C., Castro F., Ferreira J.R., Gomez-Lazaro M., Aguiar P., Barbosa M.A., Neidlinger-Wilke C., Goncalves R.M.,
Anti-inflammatory Chitosan/Poly-γ-glutamic acid nanoparticles control inflammation while remodeling extracellular matrix in degenerated intervertebral disc. Acta Biomaterialia42:168-179, 2016. [Journal: Article] [CI: 57] [IF: 6,3]
DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.06.013 SCOPUS: 84983262266
Vasconcelos D.P., Costa M., Amaral I.F., Barbosa M.A., Águas A.P., Barbosa J.N.,
Modulation of the inflammatory response to chitosan through M2 macrophage polarization using pro-resolution mediators. Biomaterials37:116-123, 2015. [Journal: Article] [CI: 114] [IF: 8,4]
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.10.035 SCOPUS: 84922253992
Almeida C.R., Serra T., Oliveira M.I., Planell J.A., Barbosa M.A., Navarro M.,
Impact of 3-D printed PLA- and chitosan-based scaffolds on human monocyte/macrophage responses: Unraveling the effect of 3-D structures on inflammation. Acta Biomaterialia10(2):613-622, 2014. [Journal: Article] [CI: 208] [IF: 6]
DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.10.035 SCOPUS: 84896505907
Maciel J., Oliveira M.I., Colton E., McNally A.K., Oliveira C., Anderson J.M., Barbosa M.A.,
Adsorbed fibrinogen enhances production of bone- and angiogenic-related factors by monocytes/macrophages. Tissue Engineering - Part A20(1-2):250-263, 2014. [Journal: Article] [CI: 33] [IF: 4,7 (*)]
DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2012.0439 SCOPUS: 84891526984
Age-Correlated Phenotypic Alterations in Cells Isolated from Human Degenerated Intervertebral Discs with Contained Hernias. Spine43(5):E274-E284, 2018. [Journal: Article] [CI: 13] [IF: 2,9]
DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000002311 SCOPUS: 85021845784
Caldeira J., Santa C., Osório H., Molinos M., Manadas B., Goncalves R., Barbosa M.,
Matrisome Profiling during Intervertebral Disc Development and Ageing. Scientific Reports7(1):, 2017. [Journal: Article] [CI: 36] [IF: 4,1]
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11960-0 SCOPUS: 85029508543
Pinto M.L., Rios E., Silva A.C., Neves S.C., Caires H.R., Pinto A.T., Durães C., Carvalho F.A., Cardoso A.P., Santos N.C., Barrias C.C., Nascimento D.S., Pinto-do-Ó P., Barbosa M.A., Carneiro F., Oliveira M.J.,
Decellularized human colorectal cancer matrices polarize macrophages towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype promoting cancer cell invasion via CCL18. Biomaterials124:211-224, 2017. [Journal: Article] [CI: 88] [IF: 8,8]
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.02.004 SCOPUS: 85013069713
Neves N., Linhares D., Costa G., Ribeiro C.C., Barbosa M.A.,
In vivo and clinical application of strontium-enriched biomaterials for bone regeneration. Bone and Joint Research6(6):366-375, 2017. [Journal: Review] [CI: 54] [IF: 2,4]
DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.66.BJR-2016-0311.R1 SCOPUS: 85021702111
Vasconcelos D.M., Gonçalves R.M., Almeida C.R., Pereira I.O., Oliveira M.I., Neves N., Silva A.M., Ribeiro A.C., Cunha C., Almeida A.R., Ribeiro C.C., Gil A.M., Seebach E., Kynast K.L., Richter W., Lamghari M., Santos S.G., Barbosa M.A.,
Fibrinogen scaffolds with immunomodulatory properties promote inαvivo bone regeneration. Biomaterials111:163-178, 2016. [Journal: Article] [CI: 50] [IF: 8,4]
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.10.004 SCOPUS: 84991771953
Almeida M.I., Silva A.M., Vasconcelos D.M., Almeida C.R., Caires H., Pinto M.T., Calin G.A., Santos S.G., Barbosa M.A.,
miR-195 in human primary mesenchymal stromal/stem cells regulates proliferation, osteogenesis and paracrine effect on angiogenesis. Oncotarget7(1):7-22, 2016. [Journal: Article] [CI: 55] [IF: 5,2]
DOI: 10.18632/ONCOTARGET.6589 SCOPUS: 84969765513
Teixeira G.Q., Leite Pereira C., Castro F., Ferreira J.R., Gomez-Lazaro M., Aguiar P., Barbosa M.A., Neidlinger-Wilke C., Goncalves R.M.,
Anti-inflammatory Chitosan/Poly-γ-glutamic acid nanoparticles control inflammation while remodeling extracellular matrix in degenerated intervertebral disc. Acta Biomaterialia42:168-179, 2016. [Journal: Article] [CI: 57] [IF: 6,3]
DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.06.013 SCOPUS: 84983262266
Vasconcelos D.P., Costa M., Amaral I.F., Barbosa M.A., Águas A.P., Barbosa J.N.,
Modulation of the inflammatory response to chitosan through M2 macrophage polarization using pro-resolution mediators. Biomaterials37:116-123, 2015. [Journal: Article] [CI: 114] [IF: 8,4]
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.10.035 SCOPUS: 84922253992
Almeida C.R., Serra T., Oliveira M.I., Planell J.A., Barbosa M.A., Navarro M.,
Impact of 3-D printed PLA- and chitosan-based scaffolds on human monocyte/macrophage responses: Unraveling the effect of 3-D structures on inflammation. Acta Biomaterialia10(2):613-622, 2014. [Journal: Article] [CI: 208] [IF: 6]
DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.10.035 SCOPUS: 84896505907
Maciel J., Oliveira M.I., Colton E., McNally A.K., Oliveira C., Anderson J.M., Barbosa M.A.,
Adsorbed fibrinogen enhances production of bone- and angiogenic-related factors by monocytes/macrophages. Tissue Engineering - Part A20(1-2):250-263, 2014. [Journal: Article] [CI: 33] [IF: 4,7 (*)]
DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2012.0439 SCOPUS: 84891526984