Sandrine Gerber

Prof. Sandrine Gerber

Group for Functionalized Biomaterials, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

25Years (2002-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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26 November 2021 in Polymers
Verified
Journal Article
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LNLaura Nicolle
Laura Nicolle
CJCeline Journot
Celine Journot
Sandrine GerberSandrine Gerber
Sandrine Gerber
Chitosan (CS) is a natural biopolymer that has gained great interest in many research fields due to its promising biocompatibility, biodegradability, and favorable mechanical properties. The versatility of this low-cost polymer allows for a variety of chemical modifications via covalent conjugation and non-covalent interactions, which are designed to further improve the properties of interest. This review aims at presenting the broad range of functionalization strategies reported over the last five years to reflect the state-of-the art of CS derivatization. We start by describing covalent modifications performed on the CS backbone, followed by non-covalent CS modifications involving small molecules, proteins, and metal adjuvants. An overview of CS-based systems involving both covalent and electrostatic modification patterns is then presented. Finally, a special focus will be given on the characterization techniques commonly used to qualify the composition and physical properties of CS derivatives.

21 January 2025 in Nanomaterials
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ASAlessandra Spada
Alessandra Spada
Sandrine GerberSandrine Gerber
Sandrine Gerber
Active cancer targeting consists of the selective recognition of overexpressed biomarkers on cancer cell surfaces or within the tumor microenvironment, enabled by ligands conjugated to drug carriers. Nanoparticle (NP)-based systems are highly relevant for such an approach due to their large surface area which is amenable to a variety of chemical modifications. Over the past decades, several studies have debated the efficiency of passive targeting, highlighting active targeting as a more specific and selective approach. The choice of conjugation chemistry for attaching ligands to nanocarriers is critical to ensure a stable and robust system. Among the panel of cancer biomarkers, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) stands as one of the most frequently overexpressed receptors in different cancer types. The design and development of nanocarriers with surface-bound anti-EGFR ligands are vital for targeted therapy, relying on their facilitated capture by EGFR-overexpressing tumor cells and enabling receptor-mediated endocytosis to improve drug accumulation within the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we examine several examples of the most recent and significant anti-EGFR nanocarriers and explore the various conjugation strategies for NP functionalization with anti-EGFR biomolecules and small molecular ligands. In addition, we also describe some of the most common characterization techniques to confirm and analyze the conjugation patterns.

1 September 2006 in Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry
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Sandrine GerberSandrine Gerber
Sandrine Gerber
LJLucienne Juillerat-Jeanneret
Lucienne Juillerat-Jeanneret
The combined and ordered sequential action of glycosidases and glycosyltransferases in mammalian cell compartments leads to the addition of defined glycans to proteins and lipids. Altered glycosylation patterns, neoexpression, underexpression or overexpression of glycans are a hallmark of cancer. These changes are either found in the core or the terminal structures of the carbohydrates of glycoproteins. Affected proteins can be either cellular, cell-surface or secreted proteins, and glycosylation modifications frequently result in a modified expression, metabolism, functions, properties, stability and/or cellular localization of glycoproteins in cancer cells, resulting in part in their uncontrolled growth and aggressive behavior. Therefore glycosylation pathways, and the glycosidases and glycosyltransferases of these pathways, represent potential innovative modalities for drug development in cancer therapies which are just beginning to be explored. This review proposes to summarize the published information for glycosidases and their inhibitors in cancer.

15 April 2020 in Polymers
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Journal Article
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LSLuca Szabó
Luca Szabó
Sandrine GerberSandrine Gerber
Sandrine Gerber
Christine WandreyChristine Wandrey
Christine Wandrey
The natural anionic polyelectrolyte alginate and its derivatives are of particular interest for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Most interesting for such applications are alginate hydrogels, which can be processed into various shapes, self-standing or at surfaces. Increasing efforts are underway to functionalize the alginate macromolecules prior to hydrogel formation in order to overcome the shortcomings of purely ionically cross-linked alginate hydrogels that are hindering the progress of several sophisticated biomedical applications. Particularly promising are derivatives of alginate, which allow simultaneous ionic and covalent cross-linking to improve the physical properties and add biological activity to the hydrogel. This review will report recent progress in alginate modification and functionalization with special focus on synthesis procedures, which completely conserve the ionic functionality of the carboxyl groups along the backbone. Recent advances in analytical techniques and instrumentation supported the goal-directed modification and functionalization.

27 March 2024 in Pharmaceutics
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Journal Article
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AKAlireza Kavand
Alireza Kavand
FNFrançois Noverraz
François Noverraz
Sandrine GerberSandrine Gerber
Sandrine Gerber
With its exceptional biocompatibility, alginate emerged as a highly promising biomaterial for a large range of applications in regenerative medicine. Whether in the form of microparticles, injectable hydrogels, rigid scaffolds, or bioinks, alginate provides a versatile platform for encapsulating cells and fostering an optimal environment to enhance cell viability. This review aims to highlight recent studies utilizing alginate in diverse formulations for cell transplantation, offering insights into its efficacy in treating various diseases and injuries within the field of regenerative medicine.

27 June 2017 in ACS Nano
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Journal Article
Closed access
LDLaurence Dubreil
Laurence Dubreil
ILIsabelle Leroux
Isabelle Leroux
MLMireille Ledevin
Mireille Ledevin
CSCindy Schleder
Cindy Schleder
LLLydie Lagalice
Lydie Lagalice
KRKarl Rouger
Karl Rouger