Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy
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Welcome to the homepage of the department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy. Click on the button to find out more about our Department.
Research Groups
Prof. dr. Peter Olinga
Ex vivo model
The Organ Slice Lab is led by Prof. dr. Peter Olinga and explores precision-cut tissue slices (PCTS) as a highly relevant and translational model to elucidate the pathogenesis, treatment, and biomarker research of organ fibrosis.
We work from the postulate that current therapeutic gaps in fibrosis—the excessive production of extracellular matrix—stem from a failure to account for the complex in vivo architecture and cellular composition of human organs. To address this, we utilize viable tissue explants derived from healthy and diseased human liver, kidney, and intestine to investigate disease pathogenesis, evaluate potential treatments, and conduct biomarker research. This methodology enables precise reconstruction of disease mechanisms while contributing to the reduction of laboratory animal use in pharmaceutical research.
Core pillars:
- Mechanistic Pathogenesis: Decoding the fundamental pathways that drive the progression of organ-specific fibrosis.
- Translational Treatment: Evaluating the efficacy of novel compounds using viable human tissue to improve clinical success rates.
- Advanced Biomarker Research: Identifying and validating molecular markers of tissue damage and therapeutic recovery.
- Ethical Innovation: Prioritizing human-based models to minimize and replace the reliance on animal testing.
Dr. Marina Trombetta Lima
The Matrix Organoid Lab is led by Dr Marina Trombetta-Lima and explores microenvironment engineering as a new conceptual and technological framework to decode aging and different human diseases.
We work with the postulate that aging and metabolic disorders do not arise from isolated organ dysfunction, but from disrupted inter-organ communication embedded within evolving tissue microenvironments. To test this paradigm, we develop next-generation human organoid-based platforms that reconstruct endocrine, inflammatory, and metabolic signaling across organs. Our disease models focus on mechanistic reconstruction allowing precision intervention.
Core pillars:
Microenvironment engineering as a unifying disease principle
Human multi-organ organoid systems with controlled inter-organ signaling
Systems-level dissection of endocrine–immune–neural crosstalk
Translation toward stratified, mechanism-based therapeutic strategies
Dr. Flávia Moreira De Sousa
Nanomedicine & RNA Therapeutics
The Sousa Lab is an independent research group dedicated to engineering next-generation nanomedicines for cancer treatment, with a primary focus on glioblastoma and immune modulation within the central nervous system.
Led by Dr. Flávia Sousa, the lab develops biodegradable polymeric and lipid-based nanoparticles for the delivery of RNA therapeutics, including self-amplifying RNA (saRNA), circular RNA, and non-viral gene delivery platforms. Our mission is to reprogram the brain tumor microenvironment through precision nanotechnology and to translate innovative formulation strategies into clinically relevant solutions.
Our work integrates:
Advanced nanoparticle engineering (PLGA, lipid nanoparticles, hybrid lipid–polymer systems)
RNA immunotherapy design and formulation
Tumor endothelial targeting and membrane dynamics
Localized in situ immunomodulation strategies
Translational nanomedicine and regulatory awareness
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