Neuro & Skeletal Circuits Group (NeSk)

Ana Carolina Monteiro (NeSk PhD student) shared her work at yesterday’s #YoungScientistsSeminar @i3S_UPorto , developing microphysiological platforms to model tumor–nerve crosstalk in the bone microenvironment, helping bridge 𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘰 models and clinical reality. 👏

We had the pleasure of hosting the 2nd meeting of the #BonePainIII Doctoral Network (23–25 March) at i3S, Porto. 3 days of science, collaboration, expert discussions, and inspiring exchanges—strengthened by great people and sunny weather. Looking forward to the next meeting!☀️🔬

Great start of the year at #BioEngHub @i3S_UPorto with an inspiring session on Organ-on-a-Chip technologies. Estrela Neto shared in-house microfluidic platforms, highlighting systems to engineer bone and the peripheral nervous system on a chip. Congrats to the organizers! 👏

Over the past three months, we welcomed Betija Grinberga, an MSc student from Riga Technical University. During her stay, she worked on cell culture techniques for bone cells as part of her MSc project on antibacterial hydrogels for bone regeneration. We wish her all the best. 🍀

It’s tiiiiiiiime to come together and enjoy the magic of the season beyond the lab bench! Last Monday, we shared an amazing brunch filled with great company, laughter, and a special Secret Santa gift exchange inspired by personal colours. 🎁✨

Another great talk from our PhD student Carolina Monteiro, at the i3S Annual Meeting. Her presentation explored how sensory neuron-osteosarcoma crosstalk modulates the tumour microenvironment, advancing understanding in cancer neuroscience.👏Well done!

Last week, @i3S_porto hosted another inspiring #PhDay — “Navigating the Unknown: from Hypothesis to Breakthroughs.” ⚗️ Beatriz Oliveira & Ana Carolina Monteiro shared their research on cancer–nerve interactions and tumor microenvironments. #i3S #Science #Neuroscience #Cancer

🌙 At #EuropeanResearchersNight, our NeSK team shared how RNA tech is shaping the future of osteoarthritis treatment through the EU-funded @OA_Sinpain project. 👉 Learn more: osteoarthritis-sinpain.eu #Research #Innovation #Health

👀 Science meets art at the i3S Imaging Showcase! PhD student Ana Carolina Monteiro’s confocal microscopy images, now on display in the i3S main hall, reveal the hidden dialogue between neurons & osteosarcoma spheroids. 🔬

The @OA_Sinpain project is at the #esb2025 in Turin 🇮🇹! 📸(Right to left) Coordinator Damien Dupin with Meriem Lamghari and Daniela Vasconcelos from i3S team — building connections, sharing knowledge & shaping new ideas in biomaterials and regenerative medicine. @i3S_UPorto

📢 Exciting news from #ESB2025 in Turin! On Sept 11, Doctor Daniela P. Vasconcelos will present @OA_Sinpain project results: 🧬 Gene silencing via siRNA–Lipid Nanoparticles as a novel therapy for knee #osteoarthritis. Don’t miss session Roma13!

Wrapping up summer break with our group portrait from the Summer Get Together 🌞 A day of family, friends & former members—music, good food, and lots of joy. 🎵🍹 Now recharged & ready to dive back into the lab with fresh energy & ideas! 🧪🔬✨

In June, the Nesk team took some time to reconnect and have fun with a dynamic padel session, brilliantly organised by our colleague Alexandre Magalhães!🎾 It was a great opportunity to strengthen bonds, break the routine, and reinforce the team spirit that drives us every day.🏓

🎓 On April 14, 2025, Clive Jabangwe defended his PhD in #BiomedicalEngineering at i3S! His research explored how inflammation affects nerve growth in cartilage constructs. Congrats, Dr. Jabangwe! 🧠🔬 #PREMUROSA #MarieCurie #PhDDefense 🎉🍀

@OA_Sinpain will be at #MostraUP! Join the #NeSk group as we demonstrate how bioengineering is shaping the future of #osteoarthritis treatment. @i3S_UPorto @UPorto 🗓️ March, 𝟲 - 𝟵 📌 Multiusos de Gondomar

Happy International Day of Women & Girls in Science to all our colleagues and pioneers in the field! 👩‍🔬🧪🔬💡#WomenInScience #STEMEquality #Innovation

We have expanded our portfolio of models that recapitulate the innervation of peripheral tissues. For #osteoarthritis, we share a patient-derived #invitro model to study #sensoryinnervation, with an advanced #labonchip technology to assess inflammatory and neurotrophic mediators

Wishing you a joyful and peaceful holiday season from the Neuro and Skeletal Circuits Research Group! 🎄🎅✨

The siNPAIN consortium held its 5th progress meeting on 12–13 November 2024 in Marseille, France, to review progress across all work packages. The team shared updates, driving forward this innovative effort to transform #OA #therapeutics.

@EstrelaCCN presented her work at the PCC ImmunoOncology Club on October 30th at @i3S_UPorto. Estrela presented NeSk’s advanced microfluidic models, highlighting model’s unique advantages in studying #cancermetastasis and their potential applications in personalized medicine. 🌟