PhD defence Mirco Sana
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Lorenzo, Moroni
Co-supervisor: Dr. Carlos, Mota
Keywords: 3D bioprinting, Thyroid, In vitro model, Animal-free practices
"The butterfly effect: developing a thyroid in vitro model"
This thesis focused on the creation of an innovative 3D printed model of a thyroid that could be used to study dangerous pollutants without the sacrifice of animal models. In particular this work focused on the study of endocrine disruptors, a group of chemicals that can damage humans, animals and the environment. By using 3D bioprinting technology, a thyroid model was produced in the laboratory combining biomaterials and thyroid cells obtained from stem cells. This miniaturized thyroid was able to mimic the original organ and to respond correctly when exposed to chemicals, offering a new tool to study thyroid diseases and understand toxic chemicals mode of action.
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