Project description DEENESFRITPL An innovative approach for localised drug delivery in the vascular system Localised treatment of vascular disease usually entails the use of metallic stents or localised injection of drugs, such as thrombolytic drugs to remove clots. However, solid metallic implants can cause injury or other medical problems over time while drugs can travel through the body to distant sites causing off-target side effects. The EU-funded VasoSurfer project is exploring a trapping approach that confines the injected material or drug to the disease site. The strategy is based on the property of surface tension and will be tested for the treatment of brain aneurysms. Results are of great clinical significance and will advance the field of intravascular treatment. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Intravascular medical treatments for cardiovascular diseases are progressing to include the ability to navigate to distal disease sites. However most approaches for localized treatment rely on the use of solid implants, such as stents and metallic coils for embolizing aneurysms, or on direct injection of the therapeutic agent, such as a clot-busting agent, which can further disperse away from the required site of action reducing the therapeutic effect and causing off-target side effects. Thus, there is a need for new approaches to localize treatment that can allow confining a therapeutic agent, such as a potent drug or an injectable biomaterial, to the disease site. The goal of this proposal is to engineer a novel localized intravascular treatment strategy that leverages surface tension to gently isolate and focally treat diseased sites. Fluid confinement and immiscible fluids dynamics have not been explored so far in physiological systems, such as the cardiovascular system. The development of such an approach can be used to locally treat life-threatening conditions such as: clots, plaques, tumours and aneurysms- blood filled saccular lesions. Here we develop the proposed strategy while demonstrating it on treatment of brain aneurysms, where current approaches using metallic implants, carry a significant risk of procedural morbidity and increased risk of thrombolytic complication. In this research which will advance understanding in fundamental transport phenomena and work towards translation to the clinic, we aim to: 1) Fundamentals: Test and optimize the fluid trapping phenomenon in silico and in vitro in reconstructed models of aneurysms 2) In vitro to in vivo: remotely embolize aneurysms using injectable biomaterials 3) From Bench to Bed: explore a universal surface tension ‘Glider’ for sealing and localized treatment while allowing continuous blood flow. Fields of science medical and health sciencesclinical medicineangiologyvascular diseasesnatural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsfluid mechanicsfluid dynamicsmedical and health sciencesclinical medicinecardiologycardiovascular diseasesengineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsmedical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologyimplants Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2020-COG - ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS Call for proposal ERC-2020-COG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant Host institution TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Net EU contribution € 1 982 440,00 Address SENATE BUILDING TECHNION CITY 32000 Haifa Israel See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 982 440,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Israel Net EU contribution € 1 982 440,00 Address SENATE BUILDING TECHNION CITY 32000 Haifa See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 982 440,00
