Project description
Revolutionising neurological disorder treatment with robotics
The treatment of neurological disorders (ND) through the use of robotics and imaging can improve the efficacy and safety of treatments. Funded by the European Innovation Council, the SoftReach project aims to revolutionise the clinical practice of ND treatments by developing image-guided minimally invasive robotic technology for localised delivery of therapeutics to deep-brain regions involved in ND pathology. To this end, SoftReach will develop a flexible robotic endoscope equipped with an μl-sized tissue construct payload, which will be guided through the spine up to the brain ventricles. There, the robot will perform precise control over the delivery of therapeutics to the brain ventricles tissue, enabling the implementation of promising cell and gene therapies, targeting adult hippocampal neurogenesis as a novel pharmacological approach.
Objective
Robotics and imaging can revolutionize healthcare by overcoming limitations of existing practice and enabling the clinical translation of emerging treatments. Along this direction, SoftReach focuses on improving the treatment of neurological disorders (NDs), a major unmet healthcare challenge. Despite the devastating impact of NDs to millions, existing treatments have poor efficacy. SoftReach aims to radically improve treatments by providing localized delivery of therapeutics in deep-brain regions involved in ND pathophysiology. The proposed platform can enhance the efficacy of pharmaceutical treatments by bypassing limitations of systemic delivery, and provide means to implement promising cell therapies.
Our paradigm-shifting ambition will be realised through two major innovations: 1) a submillimeter soft-growing steerable robotic platform, the first of its kind, which will utilize real-time MRI feedback to navigate through the spine subarachnoid space and the Ventricular System (VS), where it will attach μl-sized payloads (carriers of therapeutics) at specific locations. 2) Novel μl-sized tissue construct payloads (TCPs), built around precisely microfabricated deployable porous scaffolds so that they can attach stably on VS walls and deliver therapeutic factors to adjacent brain regions.
The platform will be demonstrated via two parallel efforts. 1) The ability of the soft-growing robot to extend via the VS and safely deliver TCPs under real-time MRI feedback will be demonstrated in high-fidelity phantoms of the human VS. 2) TCP-mediated localised delivery of treatments (compounds, cells) via the VS will be demonstrated stereotactically in mice.
By providing minimally-invasive access to deep-brain regions of major clinical importance that lie beyond the reach of existing procedures, SoftReach can revolutionize the clinical practice of ND treatments and provide disrupting tools that can impact multiple fields such as gene therapy, neurosurgery and oncology.
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.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineeringgene therapy
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinephysiologypathophysiology
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncology
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurology
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologycells technologies
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Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC GrantsCoordinator
70013 Irakleio
Greece