Decoding Extracellular Vesicles to Defeat Metastasis
Welcome to the Biological Nanoparticles Laboratory. We are an independent research group within the Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery Department at the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (University of Groningen). Led by Dr. Sara Busatto—following her tenure at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital—our lab focuses on the intersection of biological nanoparticles and cancer progression. We investigate the critical role of Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), naturally occurring cell-secreted nanoparticles, in driving Brain Metastasis and leverage these insights to engineer targeted, biocompatible, cell-derived, next-generation nanotherapeutics.
Our Research Pillars
EV Biomolecular Corona
It is now widely accepted that biological nanoparticles naturally present in the body, including EVs, adsorb specific biomolecules and circulating nanoparticles onto their surface throughout their secretion into biofluids and their in vivo life cycle. These surface-associated components are collectively referred to as the “biomolecular corona.”
Our laboratory investigates the formation, composition, and functional impact of the biomolecular corona surrounding cancer-derived EVs. Understanding these interactions is essential not only for elucidating the physiological role of EVs in cancer progression but also for guiding the development of novel, targeted, and biocompatible EV-inspired drug delivery systems.
EVs in Brain Metastasis
Our laboratory investigates the role of cancer-derived EVs in the earliest stages of lung- and breast-to-brain metastasis. In particular, we study how EVs modulate the blood–brain barrier (BBB), making it more permissive to the adhesion, interaction, and transendothelial migration of brain-seeking cancer cells originating from lung and breast tumors.
A major focus of our research is understanding how EVs contribute to the establishment of the brain pre-metastatic niche—a supportive perivascular microenvironment that promotes the survival, colonization, and growth of metastatic cells within the brain.
Biocompatible Drug Vehicles for Targeted Brain Delivery
Our research focuses on the development of innovative and scalable engineering strategies for biological cell-derived nanoparticles, including extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their hybrids/mimetics, to generate highly biocompatible and actively targeted drug delivery systems.
We aim to harness these engineered nanocarriers for the selective delivery of small non-coding RNAs, therapeutic proteins, and conventional chemotherapeutic agents to primary and metastatic brain tumors, as well as neurodegenerative diseases. Our goal is to improve treatment specificity and therapeutic efficacy while minimizing off-target effects and enhancing delivery across the blood–brain barrier.