Bruno Sarmento

• PhD
• Principal Investigator at University of Porto

Gut microbiota dysbiosis in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) is frequently accompanied by aberrant metabolism and absorption of short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs). However, current oral probiotic therapies neglect the crucial role of probiotic‐driven SCFAs metabolism in restoring gut‐bone homeostasis. In this study, commencing with the sequencing of...

Background: Candidiasis remains a chief concern in global healthcare. Drug safety issues and increasing resistance make it urgent to develop alternative antifungal agents, namely antimicrobial peptides. Amidated decoralin (Dec-CONH2) possesses considerable anti-Candida activity, and its association with nanocarriers could help in enhancing efficacy...

The rising global prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and its significant socio-economic impact highlight the urgent need to develop innovative solutions to overcome the poor targeting efficiency and short retention time faced by current treatments. Hence, the aim of this work was to use an advanced oxidative-responsive nanosystem to sel...

Pseudoboehmite is a synthetic ceramic material obtained by the sol-gel process consisting of a network of inorganic oxides with high porosity and purity that can be used for drug delivery systems. This work studied the interaction between Metformin (Metformin Hydrochloride) and pseudoboehmite, which were treated with this ceramic material in the co...

Rectal cancer accounts for over 35% of the worldwide colorectal cancer burden representing a distinctive subset of cancers from those arising in the colon. Colorectal cancers exhibit a continuum of traits that differ with their location in the large intestine. Due to anatomical and molecular differences, rectal cancer is treated differently from co...

Glioblastoma presents a significant treatment challenge due to the blood–brain barrier (BBB) hindering drug delivery, and the overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which promotes tumor invasiveness. This study introduces a novel nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) system designed for the delivery of batimastat, an MMP inhibitor, across...

Current treatments for retinal disorders are anti-angiogenic agents, laser photocoagulation, and photodynamic therapies. These conventional treatments focus on reducing abnormal blood vessel formation in the retina, which, in a low-oxygen environment, can lead to harmful proliferation of endothelial cells. This results in dysfunctional, leaky blood...

In vitro models are crucial in cancer research, but they must truthfully mimic in vivo tumors for clinical relevance. The development of unprecedent melanoma quadruple multicellular tumoroids (MCTs) is proposed comprising tumor cells, keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and monocytes that replicate tumor architecture, tumor microenvironment, and secretome...

Nanomedicines have created a paradigm shift in healthcare. Yet fundamental barriers still exist that prevent or delay the clinical translation of nanomedicines. Critical hurdles inhibiting clinical success include poor understanding of nanomedicines’ physicochemical properties, limited exposure in the cell or tissue of interest, poor reproducibilit...

Excessive uptake of purine and glucose can lead to hyperglycemia and hyperuricemia, mediated by specific intestinal transport proteins. Currently, there is a deficiency in targeted regulation of these proteins. In this study, we introduce an oral approach for targeted modulation using electrospun core–shell short-fibers that settle on the intestina...

Reactive astrogliosis is the main cause of secondary injury to the central nerves. Biomaterials can effectively suppress astrocyte activation, but the mechanism remains unclear. Herein, Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) are identified through whole transcriptome sequencing in a mouse model of spinal cord injury, revealing the VIM gene as a pivo...

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Glucagon‐like peptide‐2 (GLP‐2) analogs possess high potential in the treatment of IBD by enhancing intestinal repair and attenuating inflammation. Due to the enzymatic degradation and poor intestinal absorption, GLP‐2 analogs are admini...

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the deadliest adult brain cancer. The current standard-of-care chemotherapy using orally administered temozolomide (TMZ) presents poor improvement in patient survival, emphasizing the compelling need for new therapies. A possible chemotherapeutic alternative is docetaxel (DTX), which possesses higher tumoricidal potency agains...

Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative disease characterized by continuous detachment of lubrication factors from damaged cartilage matrix. This study proposes a paradigm that combines natural polyanionic polysaccharides (hyaluronic acid, HA) with dopamine (DA) to design a synovial lubrication factors‐recruiting biomimetic polyphenolized lubricati...

There is a current demand for new and more sophisticated drug delivery systems (DDSs) to efficiently deliver therapeutics to the desired tissues, enhance drug formulations, and enable industrial-scale production. Conventional methods of fabrication of DDSs often result in heterogeneous drug formulations, which can ultimately lead to poor therapeuti...

Significance of endogenous mineralization in bone reconstruction is paramount, as it facilitates the accumulation of calcium ions for bone tissue deposition. However, conventional 3D‐printed scaffolds lack the capacity for calcium ion enrichment and mineralization, coupled with their low bone inductive activity. Inspired from the development of nat...

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by insufficient insulin secretion due to β-cell loss. Despite exogenous insulin administration being a lifesaving treatment, many patients still experience severe glycemic lability. For these patients, a β-cell replacement strategy through pancreas or pancreatic islet transplantation is the most physiological...

Management of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a global healthcare challenge as current therapies are unable to offer optimal clinical efficacy and meet patient expectations. The oral route is particularly appealing for managing CRC due to its low invasiveness and direct access to affected areas, making it possible for localised action. However, dif...

Articular cartilage regeneration is a challenge in tissue engineering. Although diverse materials have been developed for this purpose, cartilage regeneration remains suboptimal. The integration of nanomaterials into 3D network materials holds great potential in the improvement of key mechanical properties, particularly important for osteochondral...

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder that arises when the body cannot respond fully to insulin, leading to impaired glucose tolerance. Currently, the treatment embraces non‐pharmacological actions (e.g., diet and exercise) co‐associated with the administration of antidiabetic drugs. Metformin is the first‐line treatment for T2DM;...

Resveratrol (RES) is a biopharmaceutical classification system (BCS) class II compound with low solubility and high permeability. Several strategies have been explored to overcome the low bioavailability of RES, making the formation of solid dispersions (SDs) one of the most promising. This study aimed at the development of a RES third-generation S...

Antimitotic compounds, targeting key spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) components (e.g., MPS1, Aurora kinase B, PLK1, KLP1, CENPE), are potential alternatives to microtubule-targeting antimitotic agents (e.g., paclitaxel) to circumvent resistance and side effects associated with their use. They can be classified into mitotic blockers, causing SAC-i...

Biomaterials are extensively used to mimic the cell‐matrix interactions, which are essential for cell growth, function and differentiation. This is particularly relevant when developing in vitro disease models of organs rich in extracellular matrix, like the liver. Liver disease involves a chronic wound‐healing response with formation of scar tissu...

Photothermal therapy (PTT) and magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT) using 2D nanomaterials (2DnMat) have recently emerged as promising alternative treatments for cancer and bacterial infections, both important global health challenges. The present review intends to provide not only a comprehensive overview, but also an integrative approach of the st...

The “Warburg effect” consists of a metabolic shift in energy production from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. The continuous activation of glycolysis in cancer cells causes rapid energy production and an increase in lactate, leading to the acidification of the tumour microenvironment, chemo- and radioresistance, as well as poor patient surv...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, with the 5 year survival rate in metastatic cases limited to 12%. The design of targeted and effective therapeutics remains a major unmet clinical need in CRC treatment. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a glycoprotein overexpressed in most colorectal tumors, may constitute a promisin...

Most of the 3D breast tumor models used in drug screening studies only comprise tumor cells, keeping out other essential cell players of the tumor microenvironment. Tumor-associated macrophages and fibroblasts are frequently correlated with tumor progression and therapy resistance, and targeting these cells at the tumor site has been appointed as a...

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and, therefore, it is urgent to develop new and more efficient therapeutic approaches. Foretinib (FRT) is an oral multikinase inhibitor targeting MET (hepatocyte growth factor receptor) and RON (recepteur d'origine nantais) receptors tyrosine kinases (RTK) that has b...

The small intestine is a complex organ with a characteristic architecture and a major site for drug and nutrient absorption. The three-dimensional (3D) topography organized in finger-like protrusions called villi increases surface area remarkably, granting a more efficient absorption process. The intestinal mucosa, where this process occurs, is a m...

Hernia reconstruction is one of the most frequently practiced surgical procedures worldwide. Plastic surgery plays a pivotal role in reestablishing desired abdominal wall structure and function without the drawbacks traditionally associated with general surgery as excessive tension, postoperative pain, poor repair outcomes, and frequent recurrence....

Mometasone furoate (MF) is a synthetic glucocorticoid used clinically to treat specific inflammatory disorders including superior and inferior respiratory tract. Due to its poor bioavailability we further investigated whether nanoparticles (NPs) made of zein protein may constitute a safe and effective choice to incorporate MF. Thus, in this work, w...

Slow-release delivery systems are needed to ensure long-term sustained treatments for retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, which are currently treated with anti-angiogenic agents that require frequent intraocular injections. These can cause serious co-morbidities for the patients and are far from provi...

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an adult's most aggressive brain tumor. The advances in molecular pathology and cell signaling pathways have deepened researchers' understanding of intercellular communication mechanisms that can induce tumor progression, namely the release of extracellular vesicles. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles in various biologi...

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an unmet clinical need characterized by a standard of care (SOC) 5‐year survival rate of only 5%, and a treatment mostly palliative. Significant hurdles in GBM therapies include an effective penetration of therapeutics through the brain protective barrier, namely the blood–brain barrier (BBB), and a successful therapeutic deli...

Demyelinating disorders, with a particular focus on multiple sclerosis (MS), have a multitude of detrimental cognitive and physical effects on the patients. Current treatment options that involve substances promoting remyelination fail in the clinics due to difficulties in reaching the central nervous system (CNS). Here, the dual encapsulation of r...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used as an alternative or as a complement of conventional approaches for cancer treatment. In PDT, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced from the interaction between the photosensitizer (PS), visible light and molecular oxygen, kill malignant cells by triggering a cascade of cytotoxic reactions. In this proc...

Breast cancer appears as the major cause of cancer‐related deaths in women, with more than 2 260 000 cases reported worldwide in 2020, resulting in 684 996 deaths. Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC), characterized by the absence of estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor type 2 receptors, represents ≈20% of all breast cancers. T...

Firefighters are the principal line of defense against fires, being at elevated risk of exposure to health-relevant pollutants released during fires and burning processes. Although many biomonitoring studies exist, only a limited number of human in vitro investigations in fire risk assessment are currently available. In vitro studies stand out as v...

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among the female population worldwide. It is a disease with a high incidence and geographic distribution that negatively impacts global public health and deleteriously affect the quality of life of cancer patients. Among the new approaches, cancer immunotherapy is the most promising trend...

Minimal therapeutic advances have been achieved over the past two decades for glioblastoma (GBM), which remains an unmet clinical need. Here, hypothesis‐driven stimuli‐responsive nanoparticles (NPs) for docetaxel (DTX) delivery to GBM are reported, with multifunctional features that circumvent insufficient blood‐brain barrier (BBB) trafficking and...

The use of systemic anticancer chemotherapy is intrinsically limited by its toxicity. Whether dealing with small molecules or biopharmaceuticals, after systemic administration, small doses fail to reach effective intratumoral concentrations, while high doses with significant tumor inhibition effects may also drive the death of healthy cells, endang...

The encapsulation of bevacizumab (BVZ), angiogenesis inhibitor antibody, into nanocarriers is explored aiming at enhancing its efficacy in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment while eliminating potential side effects. Still, the translation of such nanomedicines into clinics is not straightforward owing to their preclinical screening in simplistic mod...

Peptides have a distinguished therapeutic potential for several chronic conditions, and more than 80 peptides exist in the global market. However, most of these marketed peptide drugs are currently delivered intravenously or subcutaneously due to their fast degradation and limited absorption through non-invasive routes. The pulmonary route is favor...

Despite being the most prevalent and lethal type of adult brain cancer, glioblastoma (GBM) remains intractable. Promising anti-GBM nanoparticle (NP) systems have been developed to improve the anti-cancer performance of difficult-to-deliver therapeutics, with particular emphasis on tumor targeting strategies. However, current disease modeling toolbo...

Actinidia arguta (Siebold & Zucc.) Planch. ex Miq. (kiwiberry) leaves are a source of phenolic compounds with pro-health biological effects, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Despite the huge number of studies reporting the composition of A. arguta leaves, no in vitro or in vivo studies explore its potential use as nutraceutical...

Pseudoboehmite is an aluminium compound with a structure similar to that of boehmite. The unit cell of the pseudoboehmite is slightly larger than that of the boehmite because of the greater incorporation of water in the same structure [1]. It has particles of nanometric dimensions and can be synthesized with extremely high purity. Several papers pu...

Brain diseases represent a substantial social and economic burden, currently affecting one in six individuals worldwide. Brain research has been focus of great attention in order to unravel the pathogenesis and complexity of brain diseases at the cellular, molecular, and microenvironmental levels. Due to the intrinsic nature of the brain, the prese...

Occupational exposure as a firefighter is a complex activity that continuously exposes subjects to several health hazards including fire emissions during firefighting. Firefighters are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), known as toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic compounds, by inhalation, dermal contact, and ingestion. In this work...

Chestnut (Castanea sativa) shells (CSS) are a source of bioactive compounds with well demonstrated in-vitro antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, no in-vivo studies have already evaluate this effect. This study evaluated the effects of the oral daily administration of an eco-friendly CSS extract (50 and 100 mg/kg per body weight (b.w.)) to rats reg...

Antiglycolytic agents inhibit cell metabolism and modify the tumor’s microenvironment, affecting chemotherapy resistance mechanisms. In this work, we studied the effect of the glycolytic inhibitors 3-bromopyruvate (3BP), dichloroacetate (DCA) and 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) on cancer cell properties and on the multidrug resistance phenotype, using lung ca...

Drug delivery using nanoparticles (NPs) represents a potential approach for therapy in cancer, such gastric cancer (GC) due to their targeting ability and controlled release properties. The use of advanced nanosystems that deliver anti-cancer drugs specifically to tumor cells may strongly rely on the expression of cancer-associated targets. Glycans...

Atherosclerosis represents one of the main causes of death in the Western world. It is a multifactorial pathology characterized by lesions that reduce the lumen of the vessels causing serious clinical events. The extradomain-B of fibronectin is overexpressed during angiogenesis and in tissues undergoing growth and extensive remodeling, i.e., athero...

Trans-resveratrol (RSV) is recognised as a bioactive ingredient in the development of functional foods. Its stability, solubility, and bioavailability constraints can be overcome by delivery systems, not yet tested in foods. This study aims at evaluating the impact of two delivery systems on the stability, antioxidant activity, bioaccessibility and...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second type of cancer with the highest lethality rate. The current chemotherapy to treat CRC causes systemic toxicity, unsatisfying response rate, and low tumor-specific selectivity, which is mainly administered by invasive routes. The chronic and aggressive nature of cancers may require long-term regimens. Thus, the...

Cartilage repair strategies are evolving at a fast pace with technology development. Matrices that offer multifaceted functions and a full adaption to the cartilage defect are of pivotal interest. Current cartilage repair strategies face numerous challenges, mostly related to the development of highly biomimetic materials, non-invasive injectable s...

The aim of this work was to investigate the potential of a new 3,6-O,O'-dimyristoyl derivative amphiphilic chitosan (DMCh), in improving the solubility of camptothecin (CPT), a hydrophobic anticancer drug, and its potential oral delivery. FTIR, 1 H NMR and solid-state 13 C NMR spectroscopy were used to characterize DMCh and to determine its average...

The study of particle transport in different environments plays an essential role in understanding interactions with humans and other living organisms. Importantly, obtained data can be directly used for multiple applications in fields such as fundamental biology, toxicology, or medicine. Particle movement in biorelevant media can be readily monito...