Project description
Single-cell studies of tumour blood flow dynamics and cell migration
Positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) enables tracking of a single radiolabelled particle in 3D space in real time. This advanced technique is used extensively in industries including pharmaceuticals, chemicals and food. The ERC-funded NanoFLOW project intends to strengthen its use in biomedicine and implement PEPT to study blood flow dynamics and cell migration in tumour microenvironments. Integrating single nanoparticle-based nanomedicines with advanced imaging, NanoFLOW will: engineer long-circulating, tumour-targeting nanoparticles; produce highly specific radiolabelled nanoparticles; enable microfluidic quantification and isolation of single nanoparticles; and validate PEPT in a fibrosarcoma mouse model. The pioneering application of PEPT will advance research and understanding of tumour growth and metastasis, precision diagnostics, drug delivery and image-guided therapy.
Objective
The tumour microvasculature consists of a disorganised network of immature blood vessels with aberrant dynamics and high permeability, which play a critical role in tumour growth, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. Despite its importance, studying blood flow dynamics and cell migration within this environment remains challenging due to the microvasculature's complexity, minute size, and structural irregularities.
Positron emission particle tracking (PEPT), a technique that tracks a single particle radiolabelled with a positron emitter in real-time and 3D, offers a transformative solution to investigate such intricate systems. Widely used in industry to study complex flow dynamics, PEPT´s potential for biomedical applications remains untapped due to the lack of compatible single-particle tracers with sufficient radioactivity, nanoscale dimensions, and the ability to evade rapid sequestration. I hypothesise that by overcoming these barriers, PEPT will provide unprecedented insights into blood flow dynamics and cell migration in tumour microenvironments.
NanoFLOW aims to bridge this gap by integrating finely tuned single nanoparticle-based nanomedicines with advanced imaging technology. This project has four main objectives: i) To engineer nanoparticles with extended circulation times and tumour cell-targeting capabilities; ii) To achieve exceedingly high specific activity radiolabelled nanoparticles; iii) To develop microfluidic-based methods for accurate quantification and isolation of single nanoparticles; and iv) To validate PEPT in a fibrosarcoma mouse model. By addressing critical challenges in the application of nanomedicines, NanoFLOW will provide ground-breaking insights into tumour progression and metastasis, redefining the boundaries of nanomedicine and setting a new benchmark in cancer imaging and diagnostic precision with far-reaching implications for related fields including drug delivery, molecular imaging and image-guided therapy.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine radiology nuclear medicine
- natural sciences chemical sciences nuclear chemistry radiochemistry
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
- engineering and technology medical engineering diagnostic imaging
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.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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) ERC-2025-COG
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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.