Project description
Reversing heart damage with nanomedicine
Myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as heart attack, occurs when the heart’s blood supply is interrupted. A major consequence of MI is the formation of fibrotic tissue, which compromises the heart’s contractile ability and can lead to heart failure. Current therapeutic options provide only modest improvements, highlighting the need for new innovative strategies. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MyoNanoCell project proposes a new regenerative strategy based on multifunctional nanohybrids. These tiny carriers will deliver molecules that reprogramme scar-forming fibroblasts into functional heart muscle cells while also improving the heart’s microenvironment. This dual-action approach aims to restore contractility and prevent heart failure. Researchers will undertake preclinical testing and evaluate tissue-level regeneration in advanced 3D models.
Objective
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting roughly for 45% of all deaths in Europe and costing billions of euros to the European Union economy. Among these, most cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction, lead to the formation of heart scarring, which is the formation of fibrotic tissue that impairs contractility and cardiac function, ultimately causing heart failure. Despite the prevalence and serious consequences of heart fibrosis, current benchmark therapies have low long-term efficacy, and alternative novel therapies that have reached clinical testing still present severe limitations or lead to little improvement in cardiac function. Thus, there is still an urgent unmet need for the development of novel and efficient therapies for cardiac fibrosis. Cutting-edge research regarding the use of stem cells or delivery of molecules to induce cardiomyocyte proliferation are yet to be successful, as most of these therapies present challenges regarding immunogenicity, efficiency, and long-lasting effect. Thereby, MyoNanoCell project aims at developing a radically new platform for heart fibrosis and cardiac regeneration. By using a combinatory approach, where the MyoNanoCell nanohybrids incorporate not only the ability to carry different cardiomyogenic molecules, but also the ability to modulate the cardiac microenvironment and recognize cardiac fibroblasts, MyoNanoCell will radically increase therapeutic efficiency. Moreover, the simultaneous modulation of cardiac microenvironment and its repopulation with cardiomyocytes by fibroblast reprogramming will directly impact contractility and heart function, representing a paradigm shift in cardiac fibrosis therapy. MyoNanoCell will be fully characterized in vitro to have a full biological fingerprint on the process of cell identity shift, and also tested in advanced 3D in vitro models, to evaluate its overall effects at tissue level.
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.
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
9713 GZ Groningen
Netherlands
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.