Project description
Breast milk biomimetic nanoparticles for effective oral drug delivery
In therapeutics, oral delivery is preferred as it is less invasive. However, large molecules such as RNA and proteins often degrade in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, whereas only intact cells can survive transit and enter the body. The ERC-funded MILKOSOMES project aims to engineer biomimetic nanoparticles inspired by human breast milk cells. These ‘milkosomes’ will protect therapeutic cargo as it crosses the GI tract. The project will investigate how breast milk cells naturally traverse the GI tract, use these insights to engineer milkosomes and evaluate their ability to bypass biological barriers for effective drug delivery. The findings will deepen our understanding of cellular transport in the GI tract and advance the development of non-invasive oral drug delivery.
Objective
We propose to use human breast milk cells to engineer breast milk biomimetic nanoparticles (NP), “MILKOSOMES,” to shuttle medicines orally into the body that, under other conditions, would not be able to distribute properly. MILKOSOMES are cellular membrane protein-functionalized phospho-lipid NP (i.e. liposomes), and they are hypothesized to cross the gastrointestinal (GI) tract while protecting their therapeutic cargo and serve as a novel way to improve oral therapy outcomes. Unfortunately, although oral delivery of therapeutic agents is the most patient-preferred route of administration because it is painless and convenient, it entails enormous challenges. Specifically, large molecules, such as messenger RNA and proteins, cannot be delivered orally due to their chemical and enzymatic degradation in the GI tract and poor intestine's permeability to these molecules. Interestingly, cells, which are a thousand times bigger than these large molecules, remain intact. Therefore, they can get out of the GI tract due to membrane protein-mediated biological processes and make their way into our bodies. Herein, we aim to: (1) Identify and assess the breast milk cell populations which cross the GI tract into the infant body after breastfeeding in vivo, (2) Fabricate and characterize MILKOSOMES, (3) Evaluate MILKOSOMES’ ability to cross the GI tract biological barrier using in vitro and ex-human models, and (4) Test MILKOSOMES’ therapeutic efficacy in vivo using two diverse in vivo models. Thus, we will harness the specific and unique biological function of these GI tract-crossing native cells while protecting their therapeutic cargo from degradation using the phospho-lipid NP backbone. Our findings will increase our fundamental understanding of cellular and NP trafficking through the GI tract and lay the foundations for designing a next generation and non-invasive nano-biomimetic oral drug delivery technology that may affect public health worldwide.
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 biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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) ERC-2023-STG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
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.
32000 Haifa
Israel
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.