Project description
Plant-derived extracellular vesicles with magnetic nanoparticles for cancer treatment
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) hold great promise as therapeutic agents. However, EVs derived from mammalian sources raise safety concerns and are costly to produce. Plant-derived EVs offer a safer, more cost-effective alternative with strong therapeutic potential. With support from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the EMERGE project will develop hybrid nanomaterials for cancer treatment by combining plant-derived EVs with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). This strategy harnesses the natural safety and efficacy of plant EVs, using plant cell cultures as biofactories to produce them. MNPs will facilitate the selective purification of EVs and enhance their anticancer properties through magnetic hyperthermia. The overall aim is to improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients.
Objective
In recent decades, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as promising therapeutics in biomedicine due to their crucial role in intercellular communication and their capacity to deliver biomolecules such as proteins, lipids, and RNAs to recipient cells. Despite their potential, EVs derived from mammalian sources face several challenges, including safety concerns, high production costs, and inconsistent reproducibility. Plant-derived EVs, however, present a safer and more effective alternative, thanks to their non-toxic nature, lack of immunogenicity, and unique molecular biocargo.
The EMERGE project aims to create innovative hybrid nanomaterials for cancer treatment by combining plant-EVs with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). This novel approach not only exploit the inherent safety and therapeutic potential of plant-EVs but also addresses production challenges by employing plant cell cultures (PCCs) as biofactories for EV production. MNPs will serve a dual purpose: they will facilitate the selective purification of EVs from PCC-conditioned media and enhance their anticancer effects through magnetic hyperthermia (MHT).
The project will focus on refining EV purification and functionalization, optimizing the loading of anticancer agents, and assessing the effectiveness of MNP@eEVs in both traditional 2D cancer cell models and advanced 3D patient-derived tumor organoids (tumoroids). Tumoroids, as advanced models derived from patient samples, offer a cutting-edge approach to personalized medicine, providing more precise testing environments for therapeutic strategies. By integrating plant-derived EVs with MNPs and utilizing MHT, EMERGE aims to push the boundaries of drug delivery systems and enhance cancer treatment outcomes, marking a significant advancement in the field of nanomedicine.
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 biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology nanomedicine
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
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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.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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
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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
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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.
28006 Madrid
Spain
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.