Wojciech Chrzanowski

Short presentation

Professor Wojciech Chrzanowski is an expert in nanomedicine, extracellular vesicles (EVs), nanosafety, biomanufacturing and bioprocessing. He leads a research program on programming cells to promote functional tissue regeneration, with a major focus on producing multifunctional biologicals - EV‑based therapeutics for tissue repair and the treatment of rare diseases i.e. epidermolysis bullosa. His work also spans longevity medicine, developing therapeutics aligned with Medicine 3.0 principles.

Keywords

• Extracellular vesicles
• longevity medicine
• regenerative medicine
• biomanufacturing
• bioprocessing
• mechanobiology
• rare diseases
• personalised medicine.

Research

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) as multifunctional therapeutics & longevity medicine

Focus:

• Design and production of specialised/bespoke EVs to repair and regenerate tissues and to treat rare diseases (e.g. epidermolysis bullosa).
• EVs engineered to modulate immune responses (immuno-regulatory EVs) with repurposing pathways for veterinary applications, functional foods, and cosmeceutical active ingredients.
• EVs targeted towards longevity medicine, aimed at counteracting ageing, supporting healthspan, and promoting healthy ageing in line with Medicine 3.0 principles.

Biomanufacturing & Bioprocessing:

• Development of scalable biomanufacturing/bioprocessing strategies for EVs (upstream cell programming, downstream isolation, enrichment, and formulation).
• Integration of cutting‑edge characterisation tools (e.g., single‑EV profiling, nano‑IR, advanced biophysical/biochemical analytics) to build appropriate quality‑control (QC) procedures and ensure safety, potency and efficacy.
• Establishment of release criteria (identity, purity, function) and in‑process controls aligned with translational standards.

Translational impact:

• EVs as multifunctional therapeutics for immune modulation, anti‑inflammatory repair, anti‑fibrotic remodelling, and precision targeting in tissue regeneration.
• Cross‑sector impact reflecting One Health through human and animal health applications and nutraceutical/cosmeceutical innovation.

New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) with advanced multi‑organ systems

Focus:

• Development of microphysiological systems (MPS) and multi-organ models that replicate human pathophysiology for mechanism-rich, non-animal testing.
• Organ models: lung, gut, immune system, infection models (including host–pathogen dynamics).
• Combined systems: lung–gut–immune integrated platforms for systems-level evaluation of therapeutics, delivery routes (aerosols, oral), and cross-organ signalling.

Age appropriateness:

• Age-appropriate models to reflect paediatric and aged populations, enabling investigation of age-related conditions, immunosenescence, and tissue-specific ageing trajectories.

Real-time quality control & readouts:

• Aligned QC toolsets to continuously assess model functionality and state changes in real time (barrier integrity, mechano‑phenotype, cytokine flux, metabolic status, EV trafficking).
• Use of high‑content imaging, multi-omics, label-free biophysics, and sensor-integrated chips to provide actionable, longitudinal endpoints for efficacy and safety.

Application:

• Therapeutic efficacy screening, dose optimisation, safety assessment, and mechanistic studies in NAMs that reduce reliance on animal models while increasing human relevance.

Nanomedicine & nano‑bio‑characterisation

Focus & capability:

• Comprehensive nano‑bio‑characterisation suite for pioneering single‑particle and single‑EV assessment, including nano‑IR (AFM‑IR), advanced AFM modalities, SPR, qNano, IGC, ATR‑FTIR, high‑resolution fluorescence, live‑cell imaging (IncuCyte), and qPCR.
• Mechanobiology research capability, using cellular and tissue mechanics as key biomarkers of function and for tracking ageing and disease progression.

Innovation:

• Single‑nanoparticle and single‑EV profiling to delineate biophysical fingerprints, cargo composition, surface functionality, and targeting performance.
• Correlative bio-nano analytics (structure–function–mechanics) to understand nanomaterial–cell interactions, biomaterial interfaces, and drug‑delivery performance.

Outcomes:

• Creation of stimuli-responsive drug‑delivery systems and multifunctional biologicals that precisely regulate cell responses.
• Robust nanosafety frameworks backed by functional tissue models (healthy and diseased) to inform safe-by-design nanomaterials and theranostics for controlled, targeted delivery.

Media

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/apr/11/australian-scientists-grow-replica-human-lungs-and-call-for-end-to-animal-testing

https://amp-theaustralian-com-au.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/potent-new-cures-emerge-from-the-world-of-the-very-small/news-story/b461e2d8fb36e50de17c5c916664861e

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-12/associate-professor-wojciech-chrzanowski-nanoparticles-food/9249038

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/health-concerns-over-nanomaterials-spark-call-for-safety-body

http://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/scientists-call-for-national-body-to-regulate-nanoparticles/9248522

https://nano-magazine.com/news/2017/12/12/australia-needs-a-nanosafety-authority-say-experts

https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2017/12/12/why-australia-needs-a-nanosafety-authority.html

https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2017/03/23/3d-liver-model-to-test-nanoparticle-safety.html