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Non-Animal Platform for Nanoparticle-Based Delivery across the blood-brain barrier Interface with Vehicle Evolution

Project description

Drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier

Treating central nervous system (CNS) diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and brain cancer is hindered by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which prevents over 95 % of drug candidates from effectively reaching the brain. The EU-funded NAP4DIVE project is addressing this challenge by developing advanced, non-animal alternatives for testing nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery across the BBB. The project will create two complementary tools: a high-throughput BBB-on-Chip and a machine learning-based NP design simulator. These tools will identify the most promising nanoparticle designs, reducing animal testing by up to 95 % and cutting costs by 30 %. NAP4DIVE offers a sustainable solution for more efficient CNS drug development and new, effective treatments for millions.

Objective

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a major obstacle in treating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Schizophrenia and brain cancer, affecting 180 million Europeans with less than 5% of current candidate drugs effectively reaching the brain. NAP4DIVE strives to revolutionize the traditionally expensive and inefficient drug development for these diseases by establishing advanced non-animal alternatives for testing and predicting nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery across the human BBB. This approach aligns with EU and global initiatives to reduce animal testing and advance human-based biomedical research models. The project will develop two complementary non-animal tools: a high-throughput BBB-on-Chip and an in silico model based on machine-learning (“NP Design Simulator”). A digital repository of optimized nanoparticle designs “NP Design Library” will be created to gather publicly available and newly obtained NP characterisation data, specialised for BBB delivery. The Design simulator screens thousands of NP designs to recommend the most promising ones, which will be tested in vitro on the microfluidic BBB-on-Chip with real-time measurement of barrier integrity. The accuracy and physiological relevance of both tools will be validated by the pharmaceutical partner through comparison with clinical and pre-clinical data. NAP4DIVE tools will reduce animal use in CNS drug development by up to 95% while saving 30 % of costs. By identifying nanoparticles for cross-BBB drug delivery and offering avenues for new effective treatment options, NAP4DIVE addresses one of the most pressing healthcare challenges of the century. A comprehensive HTA will demonstrate market readiness and cost-effectiveness of the tools, an ethical assessment will analyse harm reduction and engagement with regulators and policy makers will promote non-animal alternatives in preclinical testing on a larger scale.

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HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-HLTH-2024-TOOL-05-two-stage

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Coordinator

ABO AKADEMI
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.

€ 2 388 108,93
Address
DOMKYRKOTORGET 3
20500 Abo
Finland

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Region
Manner-Suomi Etelä-Suomi Varsinais-Suomi
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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No data

Participants (10)

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