Ilaria Passalacqua's Biography

Ilaria Passalacqua, Scientist, Process Development, LONZA

Ilaria Passalacqua received her M.Sc. in Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology at the University of Pisa focusing her studies on CrispR-Cas9-mediated gene editing on melanoma cell lines. She carried out her PhD in Clinical Pathophysiology at University of Edinburgh and University of Pisa under the supervision of Prof. Baker at Queen’s Medical Research Institute. Her research explored the uptake of EVs in a Cre-LoxP engineered cell model of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertention. After her PhD graduation, she joined Exosomics to focus on single-EV characterization and developing innovative protocols and IP for the use of nano-flow cytometry on EV markers. Currently, she is Scientist II in Process Development Services group at Lonza Siena. In this role, Ilaria is using her knowledge and expertise on analytical and process development to support clients in their journey to bring EV-based therapies to patients.

Characterization of Cell-Derived Vesicles: Are They Really Different from Small EVs?

Monday, 13 November 2023 at 10:00

Add to Calendar ▼2023-11-13 10:00:002023-11-13 11:00:00Europe/LondonCharacterization of Cell-Derived Vesicles: Are They Really Different from Small EVs?Extracellular Vesicles and Nanoparticle-based Therapeutics Europe 2023 in Rotterdam, The NetherlandsRotterdam, The NetherlandsSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com

Cell-derived vesicles (CDVs) are one of the most promising non-viral drug delivery platforms. High amounts of these vesicles are produced through mechanical extrusion of cells and used to carry payloads with therapeutic benefit. CDVs share molecular signatures found in the producer cells but their cargo may differ from other classes of extracellular vesicles (EVs) due to their peculiar genesis. In this study, we ought to identify biophysical and molecular characteristics unique to CDVs or shared with small-EVs. Lonza’s HEK293 cells were used to produce CDVs using MDimune’s proprietary extrusion technology and to purify small-EVs from conditioned media. Both EV types were purified using the same downstream process and characterized by mass spectrometry and nano-flow cytometry (nFCM) to identify CDV-specific markers and evaluate membrane integrity. CDV-enriched proteins were found by proteomic analysis and confirmed by nFCM. Specifically, LAMP-1 and CD63 were identified as CDV-enriched markers and further confirmed by western blot analysis and flow cytometry (FACS). Notably, a partial overlap was observed between CD63 and LAMP-1 positive EV subpopulations , suggesting distinct molecular properties and, perhaps, functional roles. Further work is warranted to confirm these observations and to better understand the potential of CDVs a non-viral vector modality for cell-and-gene therapies.

Add to Calendar ▼2023-11-13 00:00:002023-11-14 00:00:00Europe/LondonExtracellular Vesicles and Nanoparticle-based Therapeutics Europe 2023Extracellular Vesicles and Nanoparticle-based Therapeutics Europe 2023 in Rotterdam, The NetherlandsRotterdam, The NetherlandsSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com

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