Research

The group works mainly in the following fields of research:

- Advanced bioceramics for bone tissue regeneration and scaffolding.

Bone pathologies are one of the most important challenges from the health, social and economical point of view. Many efforts are addressed to design materials for bone regenerative therapies instead of bone substitution with permanent and nonresorbable implants. This research line tackles the design and development of macroporous scaffolds, which supply responses adapted to the different stages of bone regeneration (cell adhesion, differentiation, proliferation, angiogenesis, etc.). For this purpose, our research team prepares implants through the control of the chemical composition, mesoporosity, macroarchitecture and functionalization of surfaces with growth factors. The synergic effect of these factors is expected to improve the regeneration processes in large bone defects.

- Stimuli-responsive mesoporous nanoparticles for antitumoral therapy

Bone cancer

Bone metastases are present in the 70% of patients who die because of cancer. Despite of the large bibliography dealing with nanovehicles as antitumoral carriers, the application of these systems in the field of bone tumors is still in the beginnings. The aim of this research line is developing stimuli-responsive nanosystems based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Our nanovehicles are specifically functionalized with chemical agents to target bone malignant cell. Through the surface functionalization with biphosphonates, tetracyclines, or polymalonic acid, which exhibit affinity for the bone hydroxyapatite, we explore the possibility of accumulate our nanovehicles in bone and, subsequently, release the antitumoral drugs kept inside the pores.

Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma (N.B.) is the most common extracranial solid cancer in childhood and the most common cancer in infancy. Nearly half of neuroblastoma cases are diagnosed when the disease has already spread through the body. In collaboration with the Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús de Madrid, we are developing a research line to treat this cancer with mesoporous nanoparticles. These systems are loaded with cytotoxic drugs, immunomodulators and/or plasmids. Their surfaces exhibit molecules (folic acid, biotine, etc.), proteins or antibodies (transferrine, antGD2) that selectively recognize malignant cells. Once located in the cancer area, the nanosystems trigger the cargo by means of stimuli-responsive mechanisms

- Design of biomaterials and surfaces with antibacterial properties

Bone Infection

Chronic infections constitute one of the greatest challenges in orthopaedic surgery in the world's healthcare systems. Difficulties derive mainly from the biofilm-mode of living of bacteria with resistances against immunological defence and conventional antibiotics. All this has serious repercussions for patients with high percent of mobility and excessive health costs. The aim of this research line is to develop new biomaterials and surfaces capable of preventing bacterial adhesion, killing bacteria and destroying the biofilm. In this context, Vallet-Regí’s research group is exploring three main approaches:

(1) Design of implant surfaces that inhibit the bacterial adhesion through the creation of low fouling biomaterial surfaces.

(2) Design multifunctional scaffolds with both antimicrobial and bone regenerative properties

(3) Design of nanocarriers based on Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSN) with bacteria and biofilm targeting capability, which notably enhances the antimicrobial power of the loaded antibiotics, as well as ions with therapeutic antibacterial activity.

Journals Covers

Selected references

B. Dumontela, C. Jiménez, M. Vallet-Regí, M. Manzano, BIOINSPIRED EXTRACELLULAR VESICLE-COATED SILICA NANOPARTICLES AS SELECTIVE DELIVERY SYSTEMS. Mater. Today Bio. 23, 100850 (2023).

M. Colilla, M. Vallet‐Regí. ORGANICALLY MODIFIED MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOPARTICLES AGAINST BACTERIAL RESISTANCE Chem. Mater. 35, 8788-8805 (2023).

M. Manzano, A. Gabizón, M. Vallet-Regí. CHARACTERIZATION OF A MESOPOROUS. Pharmaceutics. I14, 1483 (2022).

M. Vallet-Regí, F. Schüth, D. Lozano, M. Colilla, M. Manzano. ENGINEERING MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOPARTICLES FOR DRUG DELIVERY: WHERE ARE WE AFTER TWO DECADES? Chem. Soc. Rev. 51, 5365- 5451 (2022)

Colilla, I. Izquierdo, G. P. Rodríguez, N. Otamendi-Vallet. COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE IN HONOR OF PROFESSOR MARÍA VALLET REGÍ: 20 YEARS OF SILICA-BASED MESOPOROUS MATERIALS. Pharmaceutics, 14, 125 (2022).

M. Vallet-Regí. OUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO APPLICATIONS OF MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOPARTICLES. Acta Biomaterialia 137, 44–52 (2022)

P. Mora, D. Lozano, M. Benito, F. Mulero, M. Manzano, M. Vallet-Regi. OSTEOPOROSIS REMISSION AND NEW BONE FORMATION WITH MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOPARTICLES. Adv. Sci. 2101107 (2021).

M. Vallet-Regí, D. Lozano, B. González, I. Izquierdo. BIOMATERIALS AGAINST BONE INFECTION. Adv. Healthcare Mater. 2000310 (2020).

M. Manzano, M. Vallet-Regí. MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOPARTICLES FOR DRUG DELIVERY. Adv. Funct. Mater. 30, 1902634 (2020)

M. Martínez, I. Izquierdo, M. Colilla, M. Vallet-Regí. CONCANAVALIN A-TARGETED MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOPARTICLES FOR INFECTION TREATMENT. Acta Biomaterialia. 96, 547-556 (2019).

P. Mora, D. Lozano, M. Manzano, M. Vallet-Regí. NANOPARTICLES TO KNOCKDOWN OSTEOPOROSIS-RELATED GENE AND PROMOTE OSTEOGENIC MARKERS EXPRESSION FOR OSTEOPOROSIS TREATMENT. ACS Nano. 13, 5451-5464 (2019).

S. Montalvo, G. Aragoneses, L. Garcia, M. Vallet Regí, María, B. González, J.L. Luque. CANCER CELL TARGETING AND THERAPEUTIC DELIVERY OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES BY TRANSFERRIN DECORATED MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOCARRIERS: INSIGHTS INTO THE ACTION MECHANISMS BY QUANTITATIVE PROTEOMICS. Nanoscale. 11, 4531-4545 (2019).

G. Villaverde, A. Alfranca, A. Gonzalez, G.J. Melen, R. Castillo, M. Ramirez, A. Baeza, M. Vallet-Regi. MOLECULAR SCAFFOLDS AS DOUBLE TARGETING AGENTS FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF NEUROBLASTOMA. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 58, 3067-3072 (2019).

M. Manzano, M. Vallet-Regí. ULTRASOUND RESPONSIVE MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOPARTICLES FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS. Chem. Commun. 55, 2731-2740 (2019).

R. Castillo, D. Lozano, M. Vallet-Regí. BUILDING BLOCK BASED CONSTRUCTION OF MEMBRANE-ORGANELLE DOUBLE TARGETED NANOSYSTEM FOR TWO-DRUG DELIVERY. Bioconjug. Chem. 29 (11), 3677-3685 (2018).

B. González, M. Colilla, J. Díez, D. Pedraza, M. Guembe, I. Izquierdo-Barba, M. Vallet-Regí. MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOPARTICLES DECORATED WITH POLYCATIONIC DENDRIMERS FOR INFECTION TREATMENT. Acta Biomaterialia. 68, 261-271 (2018).

J.L Paris, M. Manzano, M.V. Cabañas, M. Vallet-Regi. MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOPARTICLES ENGINEERED FOR ULTRASOUND-INDUCED UPTAKE BY CANCER CELLS. Nanoscale. 10, 6402-6408 (2018).