Sandra Jesus obtained in 2010 the Integrated Master Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciencies, and in 2016 the PhD Degree in the Specialty of Pharmaceutical Technology, with a dissertation entitled "Adjuvant nanocarriers for hepatitis B vaccine: Formulation design and mechanistic studies" (University of Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy). Sandra Jesus (h-index of 16, 799 citations) has published of 11 articles and 1 book chapter as first author and 11 articles and 2 book chapter as co-author. As main author, it should be highlighted her publications in top percentile journals in the area of Pharmaceutical Sciences, which comprise a 96th percentile journal (European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics), a 92nd (Molecular Pharmaceutics) and a 91st percentile journal (International Journal of Pharmaceutics). Currently, she is a professor at the Instituto Politécnico da Lusofonia - Lisboa. From 2019 to 2022, she was a contracted researcher in CIBB (University of Coimbra - POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030331) in a project for the development of a therapeutic vaccine against chronic hepatitis B using glucan based adjuvant nanocarriers. She has an experience of more than 10 years developing new polymeric nano-delivery systems (for protein/antigen and drug loading). She has gathered great knowledge producing nanoparticles through different production methodologies, characterizing them physicochemically, testing their biological activity using numerous in vitro assays with primary cells and cell lines and lastly, evaluating their performance in vivo (mice vaccination studies). From 2017 to 2019 she was a post-doctoral researcher in an international project (GoNanoBioMat - PROSAFE 001/2016), allowing her to work with an international panel of experts in the nanomedicine field. As part of this team she was involved in the creation of a Guideline for safe-by-design of nanomaterials (https://www.empa.ch/documents/56052/1370048/Guidelines+GoNanoBioMat/925f9053-17be-48c4-a985-6fe73aa98400).This knowledge, plus the one-year experience in 2016 in the Pharmaceutical industry, are highly valuable to strengthen her curricular path. In 2016, Sandra Jesus was involved in the creation of the Young scientists committee of the Spanish-Portuguese Local Chapter of the Controlled Release Society (SPCL-CRS). For 4 years, she has collaborated with the SPLC-CRS board in the organization of the SPLC-CRS Conferences (2018 and 2020) and Young scientists meetings (2017 and 2019). In her curriculum Ciência Vitae the most frequent terms in the context of scientific and technological output are: Health Sciences - Pharmaceutical sciences; Polymeric; nanoparticles; chitosan; vaccine; exosomes; hepatitis; therapeutic; prophylactic; safety-by-design; quality-by-design; immune response; in vivo; in vitro. In sum, her scientific and laboratory experience comprises two main areas: nanotechnology and immunology/immunotoxicology, attempting to be at the meeting point between basic biology and the world of translation to clinical science. Detailed technical expertize includes: Production of polymeric nanoparticles; DLS; ELS; SEM; TEM; FTIR; DSC; TGA; DNA expansion, purification and quantification; Protein content determination; Immunoblot; Cell line culture and primary cell culture (mice spleen cell, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), generation of dendritic cells from PBMCs and mice femoral bone marrow dendritic cells culture); Cell viability assays; Cell uptake studies (quantitative and qualitative); Cellular activation studies and immunotoxicity studies (ROS generation, NO generation, cytokine production, phenotypic markers assessment); Cell transfection; SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; Immunoblot; Agarose gel electrophoresis; ELISA assays; Flow cytometry; Mice vaccination techniques (oral, nasal, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal); Mice biological sample collection; eCTD evaluation and elaboration.
Faria, Clarissa; Jesus, Sandra; Ferreira, Bárbara; Lourenço, Ágata; Sebastião, Ana Isabel; Mateus, Daniela; Neves, Bruno M.; et al. (2026). Unraveling the Potential of Giardia Extracellular Vesicles as a Vaccine Candidate. Pharmaceutics. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics18040461
João Panão-Costa; Mariana Colaço; Sandra Jesus; Filipa Lebre; Maria T. Cruz; Ernesto Alfaro-Moreno; Olga Borges. (2025). Yeast-Derived Glucan Particles: Biocompatibility, Efficacy, and Immunomodulatory Potential as Adjuvants and Delivery Systems. Pharmaceutics. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17081032
Jesus, Sandra; Panão Costa, João; Borges, Olga. Corresponding author: Borges, Olga. (2024). Exploring the Immunomodulatory properties of Glucan particles in Human Primary Cells. International Journal of Pharmaceutics.
Matilde Maia; Sandra Jesus; Olga Borges. (2024). Optimizing insulin therapy: Are microneedles a viable alternative to subcutaneous insulin injection?. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2024.106229
Bernardi, Natalia; Jesus, Sandra; Borges, Olga. (2023). Synthetic and Natural Polymeric Drug Delivery Systems - A Comprehensive Overview of Polycaprolactone and Glucan Particles. Journal of Biomimetics, Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/p-ns8294
Costa, João Panão; Jesus, Sandra; Colaço, Mariana; Duarte, Alana; Soares, Edna; Borges, Olga. (2023). Endotoxin contamination of nanoparticle formulations: A concern in vaccine adjuvant mechanistic studies. Vaccine. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.04.063
Jesus, Sandra; Marques, Ana Patrícia; Duarte, Alana; Soares, Edna; Costa, João Panão; Colaço, Mariana; Schmutz, Mélanie; et al. (2020). Chitosan Nanoparticles: Shedding Light on Immunotoxicity and Hemocompatibility. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2020.00100
Colaço, Mariana; Marques, Ana P.; Jesus, Sandra; Duarte, Alana; Borges, Olga. (2020). Safe-by-Design of Glucan Nanoparticles: Size Matters When Assessing the Immunotoxicity. Chemical Research in Toxicology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00467
Schmutz, Mélanie; Borges, Olga; Jesus, Sandra; Borchard, Gerrit; Perale, Giuseppe; Zinn, Manfred; Sips, Ädrienne A. J. A. M; et al. (2020). A Methodological Safe-by-Design Approach for the Development of Nanomedicines. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2020.00258
Jesus, Sandra; Bernardi, Natalia; da Silva, Jessica; Colaço, Mariana; Panão Costa, João; Fonte, Pedro; Borges, Olga. (2020). Unravelling the Immunotoxicity of Polycaprolactone Nanoparticles—Effects of Polymer Molecular Weight, Hydrolysis, and Blends. Chemical Research in Toxicology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.0c00208
Chatzitaki, Aikaterini-Theodora; Jesus, Sandra; Karavasili, Christina; Andreadis, Dimitrios; Fatouros, Dimitrios G.; Borges, Olga. (2020). Chitosan-coated PLGA nanoparticles for the nasal delivery of ropinirole hydrochloride: In vitro and ex vivo evaluation of efficacy and safety. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119776
Bento, Dulce; Jesus, Sandra; Lebre, Filipa; Gonçalves, Teresa; Borges, Olga. (2019). Chitosan Plus Compound 48/80: Formulation and Preliminary Evaluation as a Hepatitis B Vaccine Adjuvant. Pharmaceutics. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics11020072
Costa, João; Jesus, Sandra; Soares, Edna; Marques, Ana Patrícia; Carvalho, Sofia; Borges, Olga. (2019). Optimization of Chitosan-a-Casein Nanoparticles for improved gene delivery: characterization, stability and transfection efficiency. AAPS PharmSciTech
Jesus, S.; Schmutz, M.; Som, C.; Borchard, G.; Wick, P.; Borges, O.. (2019). Hazard Assessment of Polymeric Nanobiomaterials for Drug Delivery: What Can We Learn From Literature So Far. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85074657216&partnerID=MN8TOARS
da Silva, J.; Jesus, S.; Bernardi, N.; Colaço, M.; Borges, O.. (2019). Poly(D, L-lactic Acid) nanoparticle size reduction increases its immunotoxicity. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85068734643&partnerID=MN8TOARS
Jesus, Sandra; Soares, Edna; Cruz, Maria Teresa; Borges, Olga. (2018). Exosomes as adjuvants for the recombinant hepatitis B antigen: First report. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpb.2018.09.029
Soares, Edna; Jesus, Sandra; Borges, Olga. (2018). Chitosan:ß-glucan particles as a new adjuvant for the hepatitis B antigen. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpb.2018.07.018
Soares, Edna; Jesus, Sandra; Borges, Olga. (2018). Oral hepatitis B vaccine: chitosan or glucan based delivery systems for efficient HBsAg immunization following subcutaneous priming. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2017.11.009
Jesus, Sandra; Soares, Edna; Borchard, Gerrit; Borges, Olga. (2017). Poly-¿-caprolactone/chitosan nanoparticles provide strong adjuvant effect for hepatitis B antigen. Nanomedicine. http://dx.doi.org/10.2217/nnm-2017-0138
Jesus, Sandra; Fragal, Elizangela H.; Rubira, Adley F.; Muniz, Edvani C.; Valente, Artur J. M.; Borges, Olga. (2017). The Inclusion of Chitosan in Poly-e-caprolactone Nanoparticles: Impact on the Delivery System Characteristics and on the Adsorbed Ovalbumin Secondary Structure. AAPS PharmSciTech. http://dx.doi.org/10.1208/s12249-017-0822-1
Jesus, Sandra; Soares, Edna; Borchard, Gerrit; Borges, Olga. (2017). Adjuvant Activity of Poly-e-caprolactone/Chitosan Nanoparticles Characterized by Mast Cell Activation and IFN-¿ and IL-17 Production. Molecular Pharmaceutics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.7b00730
Jesus, Sandra; Soares, Edna; Costa, João; Borchard, Gerrit; Borges, Olga. (2016). Immune response elicited by an intranasally delivered HBsAg low-dose adsorbed to poly-e-caprolactone based nanoparticles. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2016.03.013
Santos, Ana C.; Pattekari, Pravin; Jesus, Sandra; Veiga, Francisco; Lvov, Yuri; Ribeiro, António J.. (2015). Sonication-Assisted Layer-by-Layer Assembly for Low Solubility Drug Nanoformulation. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5b02002
Gerola, Adriana P.; Silva, Danielle C.; Jesus, Sandra; Carvalho, Rui A.; Rubira, Adley F.; Muniz, Edvani C.; Borges, Olga; Valente, Artur J. M.. (2015). Synthesis and controlled curcumin supramolecular complex release from pH-sensitive modified gum-arabic-based hydrogels. RSC Advances. http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c5ra14331d
S, Jesus. (2013). Freeze Dried Chitosan/ Poly-e-Caprolactone and Poly-e-Caprolactone Nanoparticles: Evaluation of their Potential as DNA and Antigen Delivery Systems. Journal of Genetic Syndromes & Gene Therapy. http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2157-7412.1000164
Jesus, Sandra; Borges, Olga. (2011). Recent Developments in the Nasal Immunization against Anthrax. World Journal of Vaccines. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/wjv.2011.13008
Thesis / Dissertation:
Jesus, Sandra. (2016). PhD. Adjuvant Nanocarriers for Hepatitis B Vaccine: Formulation Design and Mechanistic Studies
Book chapter:
(2016). Poly-e-caprolactone/Chitosan and Chitosan Particles: Two Recombinant Antigen Delivery Systems for Intranasal Vaccination. Methods in Molecular Biology. Springer New York
(2012). Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles as a Hepatitis B Antigen Delivery System. Nanomedicine - Infectious Diseases, Immunotherapy, Diagnostics, Antifibrotics, Toxicology and Gene Medicine. Elsevier
(2016). Chapter 16 Short Communications: Updates on Nanomaterials Properties. Applied Nanotechnology. Apple Academic Press
Conference abstract:
2011. Effect of the inclusion of chitosan into poly-epsilon- caprolactone particles on adsorption efficacy of 4 different model antigens. 4th BBBB-Bled International Conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences - new trends in drug discovery, delivery systems and laboratory diagnostics
Conference poster:
2022-01-27. Inulin-PCL nanoparticles as an adjuvant delivery system for highly purified recombinant antigens. XIV SPLC-CRS 2022
2019-12-20. Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) vaccine: Shedding light on the immunotoxicity of chitosan as a nano-delivery system. Cibb meeting 2019
2019-09-24. Nanocapsules containing sucupira oil: cytotoxicity and hemolysis evaluation. 22nd International Symposium on Microencapsulation
2019-07-24. Polyester Nanoparticles: relationship between structure and activity. 2019 Controlled Release Society Annual Meeting & Exposition
2019-05-15. Polyester Nanoparticle Immunotoxicological Profile. SPI XLV Annual Meeting
2019-05-15. Safe-by-design of chitosan nanoparticles: the role of immunotoxicological properties. SPI XLV Annual Meeting
2019-01. Nanosized Glucan Particles as a Delivery System for Curcumin: the effect of size on immunotoxicity. 2nd SPLC-CRS Young Scientists Meeting
2019-01. Assessment of immunotoxicological features of chitosan nanoparticles. 2nd SPLC-CRS Young Scientists Meeting
2019-01. Evaluation of immunotoxicological properties of PCL and PCL/glucan nanoparticles. 2nd SPLC-CRS Young Scientists Meeting
2018-06. Glucan nanoparticle immunotoxicity: size matters. Sociedade Portuguesa de Imunologia XLIV Annual Meeting
2018-06. Evaluation of chitosan nanoparticles immunotoxicity. Sociedade Portuguesa de Imunologia XLIV Annual Meeting
2018-06. ß-glucan -based adjuvants for Hepatitis B vaccination: particulate design for prophylactic and therapeutic needs. Sociedade Portuguesa de Imunologia XLIV Annual Meeting
2018-01. Chitosan-based nanoparticles for gene delivery. XII Spanish-Portuguese Conference on Controlled Drug Delivery Tailoring drug delivery systems to the patients’ needs
2018-01. Nanosized glucan particles as a delivery system for curcumin. XII Spanish-Portuguese Conference on Controlled Drug Delivery Tailoring drug delivery systems to the patients’ needs
2018-01. Chitosan nanoparticles as drug delivery systems: focus on immunotoxicological features. XII Spanish-Portuguese Conference on Controlled Drug Delivery Tailoring drug delivery systems to the patients’ needs
2018. Polymeric NanoBioMaterials for drug delivery: developing and implementation of safe-by-design concept enabling safe healthcare solutions. XII Spanish-Portuguese Conference on Controlled Drug Delivery Tailoring drug delivery systems to the patients’ needs
2016-01. Hepatitis B vaccine: chitosan-based delivery system for efficient HBsAg oral immunization. XI Spanish-Portuguese Conference on Controlled Drug Delivery, “Revolutionary approaches in nanomedicine development”
2016. Hepatitis b antigen: adjuvant activity of polycaprolactone/chitosan particles characterized by mast cell activation, interferon-¿ and interleukine- 17 production. 10th Vaccine Congress
2014. Chitosan and PCL based nanoparticles as a delivery system for protein antigens on the nasal mucosa – characterization and in vitro experiments. 20th International Symposium on Surfactants in Solution
2014. PCL/chitosan NPs for nasal delivery of HBsAg presents immunostimulatory adjuvant effect in C57BL/6 mice. .XL Annual Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Immunology- From immune responses to immunotherapy
2012. Chitosan/PCL and PCL Nanoparticles as vaccine delivery systems: preparation and characterization. AAPS National Biotechnology Conference "Advancing Health through innovations in biotherapeutics"
2012. Citotoxidade de partículas acumuladas em folhas de plantas da cidade de coimbra, portugal central. GeoCPLP
2012. Potential of Chitosan/Poly-epsilon caprolactone Nanoparticles for protein and DNA nasal delivery. 17th Rencontre Pharmapeptides
2011. Effect of the inclusion of chitosan into poly-epsilon- caprolactone particles on adsorption efficacy of 4 different model antigens. 4th BBBB-Bled International Conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences - new trends in drug discovery, delivery systems and laboratory diagnostics
2011. Comparison of the adsorption of different model proteins to chitosan-based particles. III Congress of the Portuguese Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences and IX Spanish-Portuguese Conference on Controlled Drug Delivery - new trends in Pharmaceutical sciences
2011. Understanding the adsorption mechanism of model antigens onto chitosan-based particles. 38th Annual meeting & exposition of the Controlled Release Society
