Antonella Icardi is an Argentine geneticist who graduated from the National University of the Northwest of the Province of Buenos Aires (UNNOBA), Argentina.
She is currently pursuing a PhD in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the National University of San Martín, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Her most notable contributions are in the fields of cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, and biotechnology. In addition, she is involved in research dedicated to studying the relationship between hyaluronic acid and cancer, particularly breast tumors.
Icardi and her first steps in science
Icardi first began her connection with science through academic training and by obtaining the Scientific Vocations Incentive Fellowship.
This fellowship is awarded by the National Interuniversity Council (CIN), which brings together various university institutes and seeks to promote academic and scientific activities.
Subsequently, the Argentine researcher joined the Tumor Microenvironment Laboratory, which is supported by institutions such as UNNOBA and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET).
She initially worked there as a research intern and later as an undergraduate thesis student.
She then continued as a doctoral fellow in the same laboratory, with the position awarded by CONICET, and also served as a teaching assistant at UNNOBA.
Currently, she is also the co-founder and chief technology officer of MesencHyal-T, a recently established company focused on conducting research and developing allogeneic cell therapies.
Cell therapies are characterized by the isolation and use of cells that may come from either autologous or allogeneic sources. Allogeneic therapies involve the patient receiving healthy stem cells from a donor.
Allogeneic cells are defined as cells derived from individuals of the same species but with different genetic backgrounds, making them suitable for cell-related treatments.
At the company Icardi co-founded, such therapies are being developed to treat bone lesions that are difficult to heal.
Hyaluronic acid in research
The Research and Transfer Center of the Northwest of the Province of Buenos Aires, which houses Icardi’s laboratory, carries out various lines of research and is connected to multiple scientific disciplines, including biotechnology and genetic improvement.
In her studies related to medical sciences and oncology, Icardi is part of a research group focused on the role of hyaluronic acid in relation to tumors, especially breast cancer.
Studying hyaluronic acid is relevant in cancer and tumor research because it influences angiogenesis.
Angiogenesis is the process through which new blood vessels are formed, a process tumors rely on to grow and spread.
Icardi also conducts studies on sulfated hyaluronic acid—a substance tolerated by the body—and its role in modulating the behavior of self-renewing cells.
These cells, known as mesenchymal stem cells or multipotent cells, are unspecialized cells capable of differentiating into specialized cells.
Once specialized, they perform specific functions and can give rise to various types of cells.
Oncological studies
Regarding cancer cells, treatment, the effects of hyaluronic acid derivatives, and the action of sulfated hyaluronic acid, Icardi is the co-author of several scientific articles addressing these topics.
Additionally, the Argentine researcher is involved in studies focused on the tumor microenvironment and the effects of hyaluronic acid on it.
The tumor microenvironment is defined as the area surrounding the tumor, including the cells, molecules, and blood vessels present.
Since the tumor microenvironment nourishes the tumor, understanding it is key to learning how it interacts with the tumor itself.
With regard to oncology studies—particularly those aimed at the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer—research continues both nationally and internationally due to the high incidence and mortality rates among women.
The importance of focusing research on this disease lies in the possibility of achieving a deeper understanding and early detection, which in turn increases the likelihood of successful treatment.
When breast cancer is detected early, effective treatment is more likely. Conversely, if detected late, curative treatment options tend to be limited.
In Argentina, Antonella Icardi is one of the researchers bridging the fields of medicine, genetics, biochemistry, and biology to study variables associated with oncology—especially breast cancer.
