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Dynamic Peptide-Phosphate-based Hydrogels for Modelling Diseases and Therapeutic Interventions

Project description

Advanced biomaterials for cancer therapy

Hydrogels are three-dimensional network structures composed of hydrophilic polymers that have the ability to absorb and retain large amounts of water. Their biocompatibility, porous structure and tunable mechanical properties make them ideal for a wide range of applications, including regenerative medicine and drug delivery. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the D-PhosMate project goes a step further and aims to generate self-assembling hydrogels with time-dependent mechanical and degradation properties. These hydrogels will serve as vehicles for delivering living therapeutics and modeling disease progression in vitro. Specifically, they will be applied for treating glioblastoma multiforme, with the ultimate goal of enhancing therapeutic options and patient quality of life.

Objective

Supramolecular biomaterials represent a promising solution to address complex challenges in advanced therapies and disease modelling platforms. D-PhosMate’s overarching aim is to explore different formulation strategies and molecular designs based on enzymes, natural phosphate-containing units, and peptide amphiphile building blocks, to generate self-assembling hydrogels with time-dependent mechanical and degradation properties as vehicles for the delivery of living therapeutics (generated in situ) and in vitro extracellular matrix models along disease progression.

These biocompatible hydrogels will exhibit enzyme-instructed biomechanical and chemical tuneability, which represent versatile platforms that will be leveraged for two applications. First, for the post-operative treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (the most aggressive malignant brain tumour), and second, for understating the molecular mechanisms responsible for ectopic calcifications (the mineralisation of the extracellular matrix of soft tissues like kidneys, joints, heart valves, and arteries, among others).

Outcomes from the project will benefit several communities, including peptide and supramolecular chemistry, biomaterials science, bioengineering, cancer, and cardiovascular medicine, among others. All of this, while providing advanced training and career development opportunities for a young researcher at the intersection of advanced biomaterials design, peptide nanotechnology, and precision medicine. Molecular tools provided by D-PhosMate will increase available cancer therapeutic choices and will contribute to improving the translation of preclinical research, enhancing success rates of clinical trials (with a consequent multibillion-dollar impact) and the life quality improvement of patients in need of innovative therapies.

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01

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Coordinator

I3S - INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACAO E INOVACAO EM SAUDE DA UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO
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.

€ 156 778,56
Address
RUA ALFREDO ALLEN 208
4200-135 PORTO
Portugal

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Region
Continente Norte Área Metropolitana do Porto
Activity type
Research Organisations
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Total cost

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