About the research:
In the human body, cells interact with the extracellular matrix and respond to the chemical, mechanical, and geometric properties of the microenvironment. Among these properties, surface curvature can influence cytoskeletal organization, migration, proliferation, and cell differentiation. Chondrocytes, the cells responsible for producing the cartilage matrix, have a rounded morphology and tend to lose their phenotype when cultured on flat surfaces. This project will investigate how different 3D surface curvatures influence the phenotype of chondrocytes, through the analysis of chondrogenic and fibrogenic markers and transcriptomic studies, aiming to identify mechanisms involved in maintaining the cartilage phenotype and contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches for degenerative cartilage diseases such as osteoarthritis.
Awards and honors:
🏆 Best innovation work on New Methodological Approaches (NAMs) for in vitro efficacy/safety assessment of ingredients and products by Natura Cosméticos at the 1st Brazilian Congress on Alternative Methodologies to Animal Use in Research (2023)
🏆 Best poster at the 2nd Nanosaúde Network workshop (2023)
🏆 CEO Innovation Awards in recognition of identifying a potential commercial application for their research, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (2019)
🏆 MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE Fellowship as part of the EU-funded project CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILITY FELLOWSHIPS IN MEDICAL DEVICE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: A CÚRAM INDUSTRY-ACADEMIA TRAINING INITIATIVE (MedTrain) (2017)
🏆 Bernhard Gross Best Oral Presentation in the Symposium: Biomaterials to control Biological cells: characterization of the materials and understanding of the mechanisms of cell response, Brazilian Materials Research Society (2015)
Selected publications:
AMARAL, RONALDO JOSE FARIAS CORREA; CAVANAGH, BRENTON ; O’BRIEN, FERGAL JOSEPH ; KEARNEY, CATHAL JOHN . Platelet-derived growth factor stabilises vascularisation in collagen-glycosaminoglycan scaffolds. JOURNAL OF TISSUE ENGINEERING AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE, v. n/a, p. term.2789, 2018. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/term.2789
DO AMARAL, RONALDO JOSÉ FARIAS CORRÊA; DA SILVA, NEMIAS PEREIRA ; HADDAD, NATÁLIA FERREIRA ; LOPES, LUANA SIQUEIRA ; FERREIRA, FÁBIO DIAS ; FILHO, RICARDO BASTOS ; CAPPELLETTI, PAOLA ALEJANDRA ; DE MELLO, WALLACE ; CORDEIRO-SPINETTI, ERIC ; Balduino, Alex . Platelet-Rich Plasma Obtained with Different Anticoagulants and Their Effect on Platelet Numbers and Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Behavior In Vitro. Stem Cells International, v. 2016, p. 1-11, 2016. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2016/7414036
DO AMARAL, RONALDO J. F. C.; ZAYED, NOORA M. A. ; PASCU, ELENA I. ; CAVANAGH, BRENTON ; HOBBS, CHRIS ; SANTARELLA, FRANCESCO ; SIMPSON, CHRISTOPHER R. ; MURPHY, CIARA M. ; SRIDHARAN, RUKMANI ; GONZÁLEZ-VÁZQUEZ, ARLYNG ; O’SULLIVAN, BARRY ; O’BRIEN, FERGAL J. ; KEARNEY, CATHAL J. . Functionalising Collagen-Based Scaffolds With Platelet-Rich Plasma for Enhanced Skin Wound Healing Potential. FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, v. 7, p. 1-22, 2019. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2019.00371/full
DO AMARAL, R. J.; MATSIKO, A. ; TOMAZETTE, M. R. ; ROCHA, W. K. ; CORDEIRO-SPINETTI, E. ; LEVINGSTONE, T. J. ; FARINA, M. ; O’BRIEN, F. J. ; EL-CHEIKH, M. C. ; BALDUINO, A. . Platelet-rich plasma releasate differently stimulates cellular commitment toward the chondrogenic lineage according to concentration. Journal of Tissue Engineering, v. 6, p. 1-14, 2015. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2041731415594127
Amaral, Ronaldo J.F.C. do; Pedrosa, Carolina da S.G. ; Kochem, Michele C.L. ; Silva, Karina R. da ; Aniceto, Marcelo ; Claudio-da-Silva, Cesar ; Borojevic, Radovan ; Baptista, Leandra S. . Isolation of human nasoseptal chondrogenic cells: A promise for cartilage engineering. STEM CELL RES, v. 8, p. 292-299, 2012. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1873506111001206?via%3Dihub
