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Next Generation Glioma Treatments using Direct Light Therapy

Project description

Cheaper and more effective glioma treatment

About one third of all brain tumours are gliomas, originating from brain glial cells. Gliomas are usually extremely deadly, as they are very hard to treat due to their diffuse nature in the brain. One approach to specifically kill cancer cells without harming normal cells is to generate toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the tumour. However, this methods currently requires the use of expensive photosensitiser drugs that limit treatment application in various ways. Funded by the European Innovation Council, the GlioLighT project will explore a novel direct light therapy (DLT) approach to treat glioma, generating ROS without any drugs. GlioLighT aims to determine how DLT works and produce a system for applying it that may one day reach the clinic.

Objective

Glioma is an extremely lethal cancer, due largely to the inaccessible nature of the brain and diffusion of cells from the tumour site. These diffuse cells are usually too deeply embedded in the brain to safely remove by current means. Targeted Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation is a promising form of glioma treatment to selectively eliminate glioma, including diffuse cells. However, the only current means of targeted ROS generation is photodynamic therapy (PDT) which generates ROS using expensive and potentially toxic photosensitisers (PS) which are ineffective against distant diffused cells and introduce many treatment limitations. GlioLighT proposes a novel alternative form of targeted ROS generation: Direct Light Therapy (DLT). DLT uses 1267nm light to generate 1O2 species in glioma cells without dependency on a PS. The removal of PS will revolutionise glioma treatment, enabling novel treatment modalities to vastly improve efficacy, earlier intervention options, all at reduced cost and complexity. However, whilst the principles of DLT have been demonstrated, little is known about how DLT achieves its anti-cancer effects, or the extent of its therapeutic benefits. Leveraging decades of accumulated PDT knowledge and technology development, GlioLighT will study DLT technology both independently and compared to PDT. The effect of DLT on glioma and the brain, focusing on immunogenicity, will be studied to determine DLT’s efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action. Novel ultrashort pulse (USP) light sources will be developed to maximise optical penetration and minimise safety risk, ensuring DLT is suited for clinical adoption. Lastly, the development of the preclinical GlioLighT delivery and sensing system (pcGlio-DSS) ready for the next steps of clinical translation, will bring DLT a leap closer to vastly improving glioma treatment in Europe and worldwide.

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HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDEROPEN-01

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Coordinator

JOHANNES GUTENBERG-UNIVERSITAT MAINZ
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 828 463,30
Address
SAARSTRASSE 21
55122 MAINZ
Germany

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Region
Rheinland-Pfalz Rheinhessen-Pfalz Mainz, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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.

€ 828 463,30

Participants (5)

Partners (2)

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