Objective
Stem cell therapy is believed to be the most viable method for restoration of cardiac function after Myocardial Infarction (MI), the leading cause of death in Europe. Despite numerous attempts at injecting stem cells into post-MI heart to affect regeneration, the consensus is that anoikis (cell death) induced by the lack of contact between the cells and the tissue scaffold during injection, the harsh environment at the injection site, and powerful myocardial contractions cause massive cell loss rendering the therapy ineffective. The goal of this project is to enhance treatment efficacy by individual cocooning of bone marrow stem cells in bioengineered collagen-based microspheres. The cocoon provides the tissue support for cell survival, promotes integrin upregulation for better engraftment of the cells onto the heart tissue, and protect the cells from the harsh post-MI environment. The spheres will be grafted with recognition moieties for the infarct areas, e.g. NGR peptide to enhance targeting. They will also contain growth factor VEGF to promote re-vascularization of ischaemic areas, and gold-coated silicon nanoparticles for in vivo tracking. The cocooned cells will be tested in vitro for their safety and efficacy (e.g. spheres degradation rate, cytotoxicity), and in vivo in MI mice models for their effectiveness in restoring heart functions by echocardiography, and for their traceability by dual-energy CT. As a Canadian researcher, I already joined the Liedberg group at Linkoping University, Sweden, in March 2011 as an Assistant Professor on a temporary, short-term basis to establish this project. My expertise in biomaterials and cell encapsulation combined with peptide, nanoparticle, and imaging expertise of the host laboratory are an excellent match for the success of the project. If the funding is granted, it enables me to extend my stay in Sweden to meet the goals of this beneficial project that will enhance collaborative research between Europe and Canada.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology cells technologies stem cells
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry metalloids
- engineering and technology industrial biotechnology biomaterials
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IIF
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
581 83 Linköping
Sweden
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.