Shannon Moreino

Background

Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) at the Department of Pharmacy (2017), Brac University, Bangladesh

Trainee Analyst, Analytical Method Validation (2017) at Sanofi Aventis, Bangladesh Undergraduate Teaching and Research Assistant (2018 -2019) at the Department of Pharmacy, Brac University, Bangladesh

Project

Development of 3D models for studying brain metastasis

Around 30% of patients with advanced melanoma develop brain metastasis. Current treatment strategies including surgery, systemic therapy, radiotherapy and radiosurgery, is only minimally effective. The therapeutic resistance may in part be explained by the commonly high number of brain metastases detected at the time of neurological presentation, and that they are also regarded as radioresistant. Furthermore, the unique vascular structure of the blood brain barrier plays a major role in preventing chemotherapies from entering the central nervous system. As a result, secondary brain malignancies are associated with poor prognosis.

Both in vitro technologies and animal models have elucidated several characteristics of the metastatic process and tumour physiology. However, monolayer cultures often do not mimic the three-dimensional properties of cancer tissue, calling for the need of 3D technologies such as tumor spheroids, brain organoids and co-cultures.

The aim of my project is to develop 3D brain metastasis spheroids, brain organoids and co-culture technology. Brain metastatic cell invasion will be assessed by confocal microscopy using these models, and targeted drug screening will be performed