Descrizione del progetto
Verso il primo «cervello» al mondo completamente funzionale e impiantabile
L’anatomia grossolana del cervello può assomigliare a un groviglio di spaghetti spessi, che tradiscono tuttavia i numerosi tipi di cellule e tessuti e la loro vasta rete interconnessa, evidente a livello microscopico. Questa sorprendente complessità è ciò che ci rende umani e rappresenta il motivo delle difficoltà di ricostruzione, che si tratti di riparazione o simulazione artificiale. L’ambizioso progetto 4-DBR, finanziato dal CEI, si propone di fornire un cervello ricostruito impiantabile in 4D che soddisfi tutte le funzioni cerebrali. 4-DBR sfrutterà la biostampa di neuroni e vascolarizzazione pre-differenziati, la ricostruzione della cruciale barriera emato-encefalica e un chip optoelettrico di stimolazione controllato senza fili e integrato al tessuto. La ricostruzione del cervello profondo in 4D sarà testata in un modello animale di malattia di Huntington.
Obiettivo
The 4-Deep Brain Reconstruction, 4-DBR consortium aims at generating a brand-new technological approach to regenerate brain affections that occurs in neurological disorders. With 180 million affected people and an economic burden of 798 billion euros/year, Europe needs a radical leap in the future. The complexity of the human brain has condemned every past attempt at regeneration because incomplete technologies did not allow for a full recapitulation of the brain properties and any one of them missing jeopardized the functionality of the whole. There can't be any incremental solution for brain damage, the technology must be all-in. 4-DBR will focus on developing an implantable 4D reconstructed brain able to recapitulate all brain properties: a complex architecture of neuronal cells integrated in a complete blood circuitry, that will be complemented with an integrated opto-stimulator to induce correct specification and integration of neurons. 4-DBR integrates 6 technological leaders from complementary fields who will unite to develop the components of reconstructed-brains: laser-assisted bioprinting of pre-differentiated neurons with their native decellularized brain matrix, extrusion bioprinting of vascular system, in vitro blood-brain-barrier reconstruction and a tissue integrated wireless-controlled stimulating optoelectrical chip. These 4 components will then be combined into a transplantable reconstructed brain that will be tested in a small animal model of Huntington’s disease. While a first prototype will be delivered in 36 months, the vision unifying 4-DBR expands way further. Therefore, the project will put into action a strong dissemination and exploitation plan: horizontally, 4-DBR will ensure the uptake of the generated methods to strengthen Europe’s technological actors; vertically, 4-DBR will thrust the reconstructed brain approach up in the development ladder to potentially generate in a 10-year span a therapy to change the lives of many patients.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Invito a presentare proposte
HORIZON-EIC-2021-PATHFINDEROPEN-01
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