Project description
Artificial erythrocytes as blood substitutes
Blood transfusion is a common procedure that can save lives, yet it can be fatal if the appropriate controls are not in place. This highlights the need for a universal blood substitute, but the complex nature of blood components has hampered efforts so far. To address the unmet medical need of safe blood transfusions, the EIC-funded SynEry project proposes to generate synthetic erythrocytes using lipid vesicles. Researchers plan to mimic the erythrocyte cytoskeleton, its lipid asymmetry, functional proteins and response to the environment among others. Results will pave the way towards the synthesis of artificial cells with a long-term vision to develop an effective blood substitute.
Objective
Blood is a precious and vital resource for many clinical interventions. Erythrocytes, its key component, are used to save thousands of lives every day worldwide. Yet, in low- and middle-income countries, its scarcity and unsafe control are endemic burdens that cost lives. In spite of several decades of attempts to develop a safe and universal blood substitute, this goal has yet to be achieved. Beyond the mere transport of gasses, erythrocytes have evolved together with their host organisms to perform very specialized functions. It is now clear that much of their complexity is indispensable to establish effective cardiovascular regulation. Yet, reproducing this complexity in a synthetic, functional facsimile is a challenging endeavour that requires new methods and multidisciplinary approaches. The ambitious goal of SynEry is to reproduce, in an advanced lipid vesicle, the following key features of erythrocytes: adequate lipid asymmetry with raft-like nanodomains; integration of essential functional proteins (both cytosolic and transmembrane) and a biomimetic cytoskeleton (conferring durability, flexibility and biconcavity); enhanced immune tolerability; responsivity to environmental cues (such as under deformation and hypoxia). These goals will be tackled by an interdisciplinary consortium bringing expertise on: droplet-based microfluidics combined with interfacial self-assembly of biofunctionalized nanoparticles (to build complex biomimetic membranes with ordered cytoskeletal nanodomains); DNA origami and self-assembling peptide technologies (to reconstruct a biomimetic cell cortex); and in-vivo testing models (to verify biocompatibility and functionality). The knowledge gained by producing a synthetic erythrocyte, is envisioned to enable the production of artificial cells with in-vivo applicability and it will pave the way towards the future development of an effective blood substitute that can remedy pervasive global blood availability and safety issues
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: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences classical mechanics fluid mechanics microfluidics
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.3.1.1 - The Pathfinder for Advanced Research
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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.
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.
HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC Grants
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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.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2021-PATHFINDEROPEN-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3000 Leuven
Belgium
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.