Drug Bioavailability Optimisation – DRUGBIOP
The group has developed different research projects, both public and private, which endorse its trajectory. As visible results, in the last 5 years, 15 articles have been published in first quartile journals in the area of Pharmacy and Pharmacology of the JCR. The research activity has focused on studies of drug absorption through different routes (eye, intestine and skin, fundamentally), both from the point of view of the underlying mechanism and the possibilities of modifying it. In this sense, tools have been investigated to increase bioavailability (drugs that are not very soluble or have a significant first-pass effect) and, more recently, resources have been developed to reduce bioavailability by increasing the topical effect, in order to reduce the systemic toxicity of the drug. To achieve these objectives, several strategies have been tested, including the use of solubility-enhancing excipients, microneedles, polymeric films and nano- and microparticles of different structure. Studies have been developed using in silico (computer modelling and statistical techniques) and in vitro (cell culture, diffusion cells and legal reference models) techniques to reduce the use of animals. Also, infrastructure and training is available to evaluate in vivo results in mice and rats.
CV Prof. Ana Melero Zaera
Ana Melero is an Associate Professor at the University of Valencia. She obtained her PhD in Pharmacy in 2009 with a dissertation on a nortriptyline hydrochloride transdermal patch for smoking cessation, supervised by Dr. Teresa María Garrigues and Prof. Claus-Michael Lehr within the European Galenos Network doctoral programme. After three years of postdoctoral research at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Germany, she joined the University of Valencia in Pharmaceutical Technology. Her research focuses on advanced drug delivery systems, particularly micro- and nanotechnology-based approaches to enhance drug absorption and targeted delivery. She leads the DrugBiOp research group, supported by public and private projects, with fifteen publications in the last five years. Since 2018, she has actively contributed to the Controlled Release Society, chairing its Young Scientist Committee in 2023. Her achievements include three CRS awards and mentoring the winning team of the 2022 Alfathon hackathon with the innovative SituGel project.
Research Lines
Design of materials for drug targeting and cosmetic use.
In vivo models of skin inflamation (dermatitis and psoriasis) and colonic inflamation (IBD).
Drug absorption through intestinal mucosae, lung epitelia, eye and skin.
Excipient influence. Biopharmaceutical assessment.
Latest Funding
Nanopartículas biomiméticas y vesículas extracelulares para tratamiento tópico de enfermedades inflamatorias de la piel y cicatrización de heridas: retos y soluciones. (BIONPS&EVS@SKIN). PID2023-149611NB-I00. Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI). 2024-2027. Ana Melero Zaera
Extensión del protocolo estándar para la realización de estudios por sonoforesis -solución de retos y desarrollo clínico hacia mercado. CPP2024-011430. Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI). 2025-2028. Ana Melero Zaera
Latest Publications
Guillot, A.J; Martínez-Navarrete, M.; Giner, R.M. et al. Cyanocobalamin-loaded dissolving microneedles diminish skin inflammation in vivo. Journal of Controlled Release. 2024. 375, 537-551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.09.032
Martínez-Navarrete, M.; Guillot, A.J.; Lobita, M.C. et al. Cyclosporin A-loaded dissolving microneedles for dermatitis therapy: Development, characterisation and efficacy in a delayed-type hypersensitivity in vivo model. Drug Delivery and Translational Research. 2024. 14, 3404-3421. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13346-024-01542-9
Martínez-Navarrete, M.; Guillot, A.J; Giner, R.M. et al. Ultraflexible lipid vesicles loaded with cyanocobalamin or cyclosporin A downregulate acute and chronic immuno-inflammatory skin states. Journal of Controlled Release. 2026. 389, 114461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2025.114461
Tashiro, F.M.; Lobato Duarte, J.; Martínez Navarrete, M. et al. Preparation, Characterization, and Keratinocyte Cell Viability of a β-Cyclodextrin–Myrcene Complex Intended for Skin Application. ACS Omega. 2026. 11, 25, 37454-37466. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.6c01078
Prof. Rosa María Giner Pons
Prof. Mª Carmen Recio Iglesias
Miquel Martínez Navarrete