Editorial EJPB - Biobarriers 2018.

Edi o ial EJPB – Bioba ie s 2018 This special issue ea u es manusc ip s and concep s p esen ed a he 12 h In e na ional Con e ence on Biological Ba ie s which was held again a Saa b ücken, Ge many om 27-29 Augus 2018. This ime, we made i a ound dozen o “Bioba ie s” con e ences wi h a ocus on modelling o biological ba ie s and nanomedicine. Fo he i s ime, he con e ence was aking place in summe , in con as o p e ious symposia held in ea ly Sp ing. This new iming was well ecei ed wi h 220 pa icipan s and a new eco d numbe o 124 abs ac s submi ed, 50 o hese o o al p esen a ions. No only ha , he mee ing also saw a jazzy opening ea u ing he band “Niklas Mülle T io” and some spon aneous d um solo by con e ence chai Claus-Michael Leh . Di ing in o he scien i ic session, he e was a b oad assemblage o opics anging om new modelling a enues o nano oxicology and new deli e y sys ems. In he a ea o models, he skin and lung ba ie s we e discussed in dep h. Resea che s a e asking inc easingly o simple app oaches o e lec he ye complex physiological sys ems o hese ba ie s. Decellula ised models and biop in ed mic ochips appea o be a p omising a enue in his ield. In he a ea o nanodeli e y, s imuli- esponsi e and bioinspi ed sys ems could be o bigge in e es . Bo h app oaches ake ad an age o (pa ho)physiological cons i u ions o a ge issue and aim o ecapi ula ing na u al en i ies. Fo he i s ime, Bioba ie s held a session dedica ed o ex acellula esicles which was o ganised oge he wi h he Ge man Socie y o Ex acellula Vesicles (gse .o g). Ex acellula esicles a e a g oup o cell-de i ed, phospholipid-bound nanopa icles which ha e been isola ed om almos all ypes o cells and issues so a . These esicles a e in ol ed in cell-cell communica ion which has spa ked subs an ial scien i ic in e es in he pas yea s. Fi s examples o EVs ha e al eady eached clinical es ing, mainly in he ield o egene a i e medicine as i was p esen ed a Bioba ie s. Ne e heless, he EV- ield is also acing a ew challenges including upscale p oduc ion and loading and a be e unde s anding o hei a e upon sys emic adminis a ion. Some o hese ques ions we e add essed in he 2018s mee ing. We o esee he ui ul coope a ion wi h GSEV also o he nex Bioba ie s. In addi ion o he scien i ic sessions, an open-ai , moonligh dinne wi h li e music and cock ails was o ganised o allow social in e ac ion o pa icipan s and he es ablishmen o new collabo a ions. Mo eo e , his 12 h Edi ion also saw he i s Bioba ie s Audience Awa d – a p ice o he bes p esen a ion selec ed by all Pa icipan s. These wen o P o Da e Ca e (Ox o d B ooks Uni e si y) o his alk abou he ole o ex acellula esicles in s ess esponse and Tho ben Fische (Saa land Uni e si y) o his con ibu ion on speci ic a ge ing o human mac ophages using asphe ical mic opa icles as gene deli e y sys em. The manusc ip s in his special issue ange om ad anced in i o models o p o ein enginee ed and s imuli- esponsi e deli e y sys ems and ex acellula esicles. We hope ha hey nicely e lec he b oad scien i ic ange o opics discussed a he 2018s mee ing. Thanks o all con ibu o s who pu in ex ensi e e o in o making his special issue a success. All a icles unde wen a igo ous pee - e iew p ocess o e ain scien i ic quali y and sui abili y o EJPB. A e he mee ing is be o e he mee ing, so please sa e he da e o 2021: he 13 h Edi ion o he Bioba ie s Symposia will ake place om 6 un il 9 Sep embe (h p://bioba ie s.hips-wo dp ess.helmhol z-hzi.de/) and we look e y much o wa d o welcome e e ybody in Saa b ücken again! G ego Fuh mann* B igi a Lo e z Nicole Schneide -Daum Claus-Michael Leh *Helmhol z Ins i u e o Pha maceu ical Resea ch Saa land Uni e si y Campus E8.1, 66123 Saa b ücken Phone +49 (0)681 98806-1500 g ego . uh mann@helmhol z-hips.de