Project description
Targeted retinal delivery for eye disease
Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic disorder associated with progressive deterioration of photoreceptor cells and vision loss. The only approved gene therapy that restores one of the non-functional genes benefits fewer than 1 % of patients. Since protein aggregation is a common feature in all forms of the disease, repurposing existing drugs that counteract this process could speed up treatment development. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the RENASCENT project focuses on the drug tideglusib, developed for neurodegeneration including supranuclear palsy. Researchers propose creating a new formulation of Tideglusib for delivery directly to the retina through a minimally invasive injection. This route is expected to improve treatment tolerance compared to intraocular therapies.
Objective
Retinitis pigmentosa is one of the main causes of irreversible blindness worldwide, yet the only intraocular approved treatment, Luxturna®, is suitable for less than 1% of patients. A promising way to tackle this disease is by targeting protein aggregation, a process involved in all forms of retinitis pigmentosa and other brain-related disorders. Most potential treatments are still in early stages, so repurposing existing drugs with known safety records can speed up the development of effective therapies.
Tideglusib, a drug initially approved for the treatment of progressive supranuclear palsy, has shown promise in reducing protein aggregation, thereby offering protection against neurodegeneration. However, it needs to reach the retina, its therapeutical target, to be effective. The RENASCENT project aims to create a new treatment for all retinitis pigmentosa patients by developing a cutting-edge formulation to deliver tideglusib to the retina via subconjunctival injection, bypassing the challenges of current intraocular treatments that are poorly tolerated.
This MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship will be conducted over two years at the University of Parma in Italy, under the guidance of Prof. Silvia Pescina, a leading expert in eye drug delivery. The project also includes a collaboration with the University of Alicante (Spain) and a visit to the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (France) to explore the physical properties and neuroscience aspects of the designed formulation. Alongside the scientific work, there will be communication activities to engage the public and share the findings also to an academic audience, providing valuable experience in Ophthalmology and Pharmaceutical Technology for Dr. Marco Brugnera. This project is a significant opportunity for his career, bridging academic research and industry innovation, and has the potential to make a meaningful impact on the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa.
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 neurobiology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine ophthalmology
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.1.2 - 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-2024-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.
43121 PARMA
Italy
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.