Description du projet
Des outils innovants pour analyser le cerveau profond
Notre compréhension de l’étiologie et des modifications fonctionnelles des maladies cérébrales est limitée par la nature inaccessible du cerveau. Afin de répondre à ces limitations technologiques, le projet DEEPER, financé par l’UE, propose de générer des outils d’imagerie et de manipulation de l’activité neuronale dans le cerveau profond. Ces outils en cours de développement incluent des capteurs moléculaires à efficacité élevée, des sondes pour la surveillance cellulaire, ainsi que des microscopes et des micro-endoscopes fonctionnant à des résolutions, des niveaux de sensibilité et des profondeurs de champ sans précédent. DEEPER fournira des données sur les dysfonctionnements cellulaires et moléculaires associés à des troubles neurologiques et psychiatriques spécifiques, tels que la schizophrénie, l’autisme et la maladie d’Alzheimer.
Objectif
While brain disorders have different etiology and stem from distinct molecular and cellular dysfunctions, due to limitation in current technology they all share an incomplete understanding of the anatomical and functional alterations occurring in hard-to-access deep regions of the brain. DEEPER aims at tackling this fundamental challenge by developing an entire new class of photonic tools for imaging and manipulating neuronal activity in the deep brain with unprecedented penetration depth, resolution, sensitivity, specificity and depth of focus. Technology development in DEEPER will be driven by medical expertise and market requirements and it will be organized in three pillars focusing on: i) novel high-efficiency molecular sensors and actuators; ii) minimally invasive probes for monitoring and perturbing large populations of cells; iii) next generation multiphoton microscopes and microendoscopes. In a fourth pillar, this technological platform will enable a number of clinically relevant experiments which will contribute to reveal the molecular and cellular dysfunctions underlying the pathogenesis of specific neurological (addiction, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s disease) and psychiatric disorders (depression, schizophrenia, and autism). By shedding new light on the pathogenesis of disorders, which dramatically touch the lives of millions, DEEPER has the potential to profoundly impact our society. Moreover, in DEEPER technologists, neuroscientists, clinical and pre-clinical experts will bring the results from laboratory research to market supported by the SMEs in the consortium and by the companies and experts in the advisory board. This will make the translation and exploitation of the DEEPER technologies fast and effective, building a value chain with strong translational appeal that will strengthen Europe’s industrial position in the biophotonics market for optical neural interfaces, microscopy, and microendoscopy.
Champ scientifique
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologydementiaalzheimer
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopy
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinepsychiatryschizophrenia
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RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinateur
16163 Genova
Italie