Project description
Theranostic nanoplatforms combining temperature-based diagnosis with targeted drug release
Early cancer diagnosis is vital for effective treatment, but current imaging techniques often miss small lesions. New tools like luminescent thermometers may improve detection. Combining diagnostics and therapy, known as theranostics, offers a promising approach for early and minimally invasive cancer treatment. The ERC-funded HEAT-CAMERA project aims to design and develop theranostic nanoplatforms that combine temperature-based diagnosis with targeted drug release. Since anti-cancer drugs are highly toxic, delivering them directly to diseased cells minimises overall toxicity. This technology merges the thermometric properties of Ag2S thermometers with biocompatible periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) materials. The PMO shell incorporates photoswitching moieties, allowing for controlled drug release upon near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation. These Ag2S@HPMO-azo systems could pave the way for new clinical applications.
Objective
Early cancer diagnosis gives best chance for successful treatment. However, the currently available imaging techniques (CT, MRI, ultrasound) are limited in detecting very small cancerous lesions. Also, the location of the tumor may play a role in how big it must grow before it is visible. This is resulting in a rising interest from the medical community in new diagnostic tools. Luminescent thermometers could be an excellent new approach for early cancer detection. However, diagnosis alone is not enough. Immediate, minimally invasive treatment is needed to attack the cancer cells. It is ideal if these two modalities (diagnosis and therapy) can be combined in one technology. The concept of theranostics concerns the combination of both diagnostics and therapeutics in one “package” and is unquestionably a great option for an early stage and minimally invasive approach to cancer.
Project HEAT-CAMERA aims at the design and development of theranostic nanoplatforms combining diagnosis through temperature and an on-demand drug release. Anti-cancer drugs are highly toxic and therefore it is desired that the drug is released directly to the diseased cells to reduce the overall toxicity to the body. This technology building on the best of currently available knowledge – merging the excellent thermometric properties of well-established Ag2S thermometers, with biocompatible, highly tuneable periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) materials. The porous PMO shell allows for incorporating photoswitching moieties. Once the nanoplatforms are loaded with an anti-cancer drug the photoswitching moieties yield controlled, on-demand drug release after near infrared (NIR) light irradiation. These Ag2S@HPMO-azo NIR light-controlled thermometry-drug delivery systems will open new avenues for clinical applications.
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.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- engineering and technology medical engineering medical laboratory technology diagnostic technologies
- natural sciences physical sciences acoustics ultrasound
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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)
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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
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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-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept 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-POC
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9000 Gent
Belgium
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