Dr. Ivana Vinković Vrček will be one of the main speakers at the upcoming EFSA (European Food and Safety Authority) meeting – ”Network on nanotechnologies in food and feed (NANONETWORK) 13th meeting”, in Parma, Italy. The meeting will be held on September 26, 2023.
Where she will give a lecture about a very important issue regarding „Endocrine disruptive effect of complex mixtures: case study on nanoplastics and pharmaceuticals“.
Attached below you can find the preliminary program of the meeting.
For more information about the NANONETWORK meeting and to stay updated on the latest developments, please visit the official EFSA website.
In the period from June 1 to July 31, at the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health we had the opportunity to host a student from Italy, Linda Schiasselloni, from the Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano. As part of the Erasmus + program, Linda participated in professional practice on the scientific project Phoenix, under the guidance of dr. sc. Ivana Vinković Vrček.
During her practice, Linda participated in various project activities aimed at profiling the efficacy and safety of drug nanoformulations in rodent models. She was involved in all phases of experiments dealing with the assessment of biomarkers of oxidative stress in different organs and tissues of animals treated with nanoformulations of drugs.
During her traineeship, Linda also gained basic knowledge about GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) practices in the housing of laboratory animals and preclinical testing in rodent models. Furthermore, she perfected the skills of using laboratory animals in preclinical trials of nanopharmaceuticals. She also gained knowledge about biochemical tests and methods for assessing the toxicity of nanomaterials using in vivo models. Linda also improved her knowledge of the application of nanomaterials in biomedicine.
This professional traineeship enabled Linda to acquire important skills and knowledge in the field of nanomedicine, especially in relation to the application of nanomaterials in biomedicine. Linda actively participated in the research and showed commitment and ability in carrying out the assigned tasks. Her participation has contributed to the progress of the Phoenix project, and the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health is pleased with the successful collaboration with Linda and the Università degli Studi di Milano.
The Nabiheal team gathered in Berlin at Charité – Universitätsmedizin, from 04.07. -07.07. 2023 to hold their M6 Meeting. Funded by Horizon Europe (HORIZON) under grant agreement no. 101092269.
The meeting was attended by dr. sc. Ivana Vinković Vrček, leader of work package 5 (WP5).
After six months, The leadership of the Nabiheal project gathered together, to assess their progress, exchange ideas and make important decisions to move forward. All for the sake of the goal that their activities will contribute to the improvement of the wound healing process in patients.
The International Conference “Recent Advances in Nanotechnology – 10th Anniversary of the BNT Center of the University of Bialystok” was held in the period from 28/05 to 01/06/2023 at the University Campus in Bialystok, 1K Ciolkowskiego Str., Bialystok, Poland.
The conference was attended by dr. sc. Nikolina Kalčec and Nikolina Peranić, mag. chem., where they both held their oral lectures.
The main goal of the conference was to create an international platform for the exchange of scientific ideas on the topic of nanotechnology.
The topics were divided into three main thematic panels covering issues related to nanomaterials, their characteristics, applications and biological activity.
Main topics discussed during the meeting:
Diversity of nanomaterials
Functionalization of nanomaterials
Characterization and modifications of nanomaterials
Applications of nanomaterials
Nanocomposites
Toxicity of nanomaterials
The conference is co-financed from the state budget under the “Doskonała nauka” program, Recent achievements is nanotechnology – 10-th anniversary of BNT Center University of Bialystok (contract no. DNK/SP/548576/2022), project value 124 500 PLN, co-financing 109 000 PLN.
On May 26, 2023, the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Medicine hosted a second symposium organized as part of the SENDER project (HRZZ-PZS-2019-02-4323) and financed and supported under the “Scientific Cooperation” program implemented by the Croatian Foundation for science through funds from the European Social Fund.
The organizing committee of the symposium included the manager of the SENDER project, Dr. Ivana Vinković Vrček, Dr. Nikolina Kalčec, Nikolina Peranić, mag. chem. and Ivan Mamić, mag. pharm., members of the Nanobiofaces research group.
The symposium was opened by the project manager, Dr. Ivana Vinković Vrček, followed by a plenary lecture by Dr. Martine Lihter, from the Institute of Physics. In addition to the attractive plenary lecture, there were also short oral presentations on topics in the field of chemistry and nanotechnology by numerous colleagues from the Institute of Physics, the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Medicine, the Faculty of Physics in Rijeka and the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka.
The website for NABIHEAL, an EU-funded Horizon Europe project developing biomaterials for complex wound healing, is now online. Find out more about the project and what its impact will be, and browse the 14 partners from 7 countries to see how each contributes to the project’s objectives.
Dr. sc. Nikolina Kalčec, mag. Appl. chem. Has successfully defended her doctoral thesis entitled “Design and characterization of gold and selenium nanoparticles as potential systems for the delivery of levodopa and dopamine”, under the mentorship of dr. sc. Ivan Vinković Vrček, scientific advisor and prof. emer. Frances Separovic. The defense was held on May 12, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in lecture room 222 of the Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Science and Mathematics of the University of Zagreb.
Dr. sc. Kalčec defended her dissertation under the title “Design and characterization of gold and selenium nanoparticles as potential systems for the delivery of levodopa and dopamine” before a committee composed of: prof. dr. sc. Snežana Miljanić from the Faculty of Science and Mathematics; assoc. dr. sc. Marko Močibob from the Faculty of Science and Mathematics and dr. sc. Maja Dutour Sikirić, senior research associate at the Ruđer Bošković Institute.
With this, Nikolina Kalčec has successfully completed her post-graduate study in Chemistry, obtaining the title: Doctor of Science.
In the new episode of the podcast “Pod mikroskopom” dr. sc. Ivana Vinković Vrček talks about the development and application of nanotechnology in diagnosis and medicines and about the benefits and risks of their use.
The podcast, organized by the Student Union of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb and the Association of Students of Pharmacy and Medical Biochemistry of Croatia, can be listened to at the following links:
On behalf of the scientific and organizational committee, we are pleased to invite you to the symposium “Synergy at the interface of chemistry and nanotechnology” which will be held on May 26th, starting at 9:00 a.m. at the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health in Zagreb (Ksaverska cesta 2).
The meeting is organized by the research group of the project “Safe approach for the development of nano-systems for the targeted delivery of drugs to the brain – SENDER” financed under the “Scientific Cooperation” Program implemented by the Croatian Science Foundation through the funds of the European Social Fund (led by Dr. Ivana Vinković Vrček ). The meeting is organized in cooperation with the Croatian Chemical Society and the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health.
The aim of this interdisciplinary meeting is to present and connect research groups dealing with topics in the field of nanotechnology, and to establish cooperation between different institutions and exchange experiences.
Young researchers will have the opportunity to present their research or the research of their groups in the form of a presentation, the expected duration of which is 10 minutes. The symposium will be held in English, so we ask all those interested to send their abstracts in English by May 19, 2023 at 12:00 to the email addresses nkalcec@imi.hr and nperanic@imi.hr.
Please forward this notice to anyone who may be interested.
Ivana Vinković Vrček, consultant at the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health about the problem of exposure of the human body to complex mixtures of different chemicals, toxins, materials and micro and nanoplastic particles, but also about the great success of her team in the design of nanoformulation of drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Ivana Vinković Vrček, scientific advisor at the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health in Zagreb, is a pioneer in research into the safety assessment of new materials and nanomaterials in Croatia. Her research work on the development of new approaches to regulatory-oriented testing of the effectiveness and safety of chemicals and materials enabled her to play a leading role in projects funded by the European programs Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe.
She is an extremely active mentor to young scientists, so she currently supervises nine doctoral students and three postdoctoral students, and her exceptional success in managing projects and mentoring doctoral theses is also visible through publication in renowned journals and the engagement of young researchers. Ivana participates as a volunteer in the work of expert councils and commissions – Thematic Innovation Council for Health and Quality of Life and the Program Committee for Nanotechnology of the European Food Safety Agency.
Climate change caused by pollution and the filling of our planet with plastic are among the most current topics today. The fact is that only a very small percentage of plastic can be recycled, so we will never actually be able to get rid of it. But it turns out that the fact that it is around us is a smaller problem, and the fact that she has become a part of us is much bigger. What do we inhale, what do we drink, what do we eat, that is, what do we put into the body and what poses the greatest danger?
The exposure of a person during his life is an extremely demanding problem from the aspect of risk assessment, because we are exposed to complex mixtures of different chemicals, toxins, materials, including, among others, particles of micro and nanoplastics. Therefore, one of the main goals of the European Union (EU) strategy for a sustainable climate-neutral and circular economy is to protect human health and the environment by addressing pollution from all sources, as stated by the European Green Deal program.
Current EU legislation does not provide a comprehensive and integrated risk assessment of the combined effects of different chemicals and materials taking into account different routes of exposure, while the regulatory requirements for mixtures have not changed significantly since 2012 despite being a research priority since 2001.
The problem is further compounded by plastic all around us. Plastic is a central material for modern life because it is a multi-purpose, resistant, easy to process and affordable material. Despite this, its use has become a problem due to the increasing pollution of the environment with plastic. In addition, plastic in the environment is subject to slow photo-, chemical, physical and biological degradation and fragmentation into micro- and nano-particles.
Chronic human exposure to plastic is already a health problem – from nanoplastics in cosmetics and synthetic fibers in clothing to plastic particles in water and air. We interact with plastic without fully understanding what it means for our planet, much less for our own bodies. Understanding plastics, their additives and how they interact with our bodies is now more critical than ever. Analysis of human feces has shown that micro-sized plastic particles can be excreted through the gastrointestinal tract.
Plastic particles have also been detected in human colectomy samples, human blood and human placental tissue. Considering the specific physico-chemical properties and reactivity of materials on the nanoscale, plastic micro/nanoparticles can adsorb and accumulate toxic chemicals from the environment, acting as a “Trojan horse” for hazardous substances, thus further complicating the risk assessment that needs to take into account the effects, action and toxicity of complex, complex mixtures.
With the aim of minimizing the possible harmful effect of economic activities on the ecosystem, the EU has launched a series of plans and programs, including the 8th Environment Action Programme, the Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU Strategic Approach to Pharmaceuticals in the Environment, the EU Strategy on Chemicals for sustainability towards a toxin-free environment, the Resolution towards an EU Comprehensive Framework on Endocrine Disruptors (2019/2683(RSP)), the Commission’s Communication on Endocrine Disruptors and the Biodiversity Strategy.
If the environment is so contaminated with microplastics and nanoplastics and the composition of the land, air and water has changed so much, is it even possible to grow an animal somewhere in the world or produce food that is ecological, 100 percent clean and healthy?
This is a difficult question and it is not possible to give a simple and unequivocal answer. However, it should be taken into account that every human activity, both in the past and now, is also the cause of public health problems.
For example, cooking food on open fires in the past represented an extreme danger to human health, despite the fact that food may have been richer in macronutrients and micronutrients. Since the problem today is the excessive production of exhaust gases on the roads, it should be taken into account that the former heating with fossil fuels also polluted the atmosphere, that is, the air we breathe.
I would say that it is not possible to live in a health-free environment, because every development of the economy and the implementation of human activities implies changing the environment and the conditions in which we live.
However, the key question is what and what the cost of development is. Therefore, the main idea of the European strategy on chemicals for sustainability towards a toxin-free environment is to promote sustainable development that includes concern for human health. It should be kept in mind that everyday human activities should also be modified in the direction of sustainability.
Therefore, EU legislation is moving in the direction of banning the use of single-use plastic products. For example, it is completely unsustainable to buy coffee in a disposable plastic cup, mix it with a disposable plastic spoon and then, after drinking the coffee, throw it all in the trash.
At the same time, it should be noted that a huge amount of such waste really ends up in a landfill, and does not go through the circular economy. I am afraid that the problems with plastic will not be solved without legislative decrees and bans. By nature, people are prone to conformism and comfortable behavior. Thus, most people would rather buy a drink in a single-use plastic packaging, which they will throw away after consuming the drink, than to buy the same drink in a returnable glass packaging.
How does all this ultimately affect the human body? And what do we pass on to new generations?
The problem with plastic escalated precisely because of the lack of restrictions, regulations and neglect of the fact that people are comfortable and lazy by nature. The price will be paid by the new generations, and the problem is already evident in the increase in the incidence of diseases and disease states that we did not know before, such as autoimmune diseases and infertility.
American scientist Dr. Shanna Swan (professor of ecology and public health at one of the most prestigious American medical schools, the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York) claims that this especially affects our ability to reproduce. Her terrifying research shows that in the past 70 years, since the increased production of plastic and PVC, the number of sperm in men has drastically decreased, and if it continues to decrease at the same pace until 2050, that number will be zero! Further, in the American Center for Disease Control, she came across research that found high levels of phthalates in the urine of pregnant women and reduced levels of testosterone in the male children they gave birth to. What is your view of the future, will plastic really exterminate us in the end?
Again, I have to admit that it is difficult for me to give a simple answer to that question. All the information you provided is correct. My research group is also intensively dealing with the problem of human exposure to complex mixtures with nanoplastics that can have a negative effect on our endocrine system.
For example, we discovered that non-toxic concentrations of drugs, preservatives and additives are very toxic and disturb the hormonal balance when human cells are exposed to mixtures of these non-toxic concentrations, and especially when nanoplastics are introduced into the mixture. This actually means that the paradigm of classical toxicology is completely changing and that it is no longer reasonable to examine the effects of a single chemical or material, but it is necessary to apply a holistic approach and investigate the effects of complex mixtures.
And what now? Can we change anything anymore? How much sense do all these green and sustainable policies that governments and all big business players who care about reputation and consumers have? And what influence can we as individuals have?
All the research and all the ingenious scientific results are completely useless if man himself does not change his behavior. If each individual does not stop behaving unreasonably and, dare I say it, arrogantly. For example, why is it necessary to change the wardrobe every year, why do we have to buy products packed in 5 types of packaging, why is it necessary to change the car every 5 years, why is it necessary to go to work by private car and not by public transport or, if at all possible, by bike or on foot… I can go on and on. Our behavior must be reasonable at every level and in every occasion, both at home, in the workplace and on the street. Considering that it is difficult to expect that people will radically change their behavior patterns on their own, this should be imposed on them not only by decrees, laws and prohibitions, but the state apparatus should also engage experts in shaping public opinion who would design and organize actions and promotions of the so-called conscientious and socially responsible behavior.
What is your research group currently working on?
I lead an exceptional multidisciplinary research team in which young, talented people of different profiles work, from chemists, chemical technologists, biologists, biochemists, pharmacists and all the way to doctors.
We are currently active on 4 large projects in the field of nanomedicine and risk assessment, which are financed as part of the Horizon program of the European Union and the European Social Fund.
One of our biggest current achievements is the success of our idea to design nanoformulation drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
The results of our research showed that design based on biogenic components is more effective and represents a real innovation.
