Objective
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are rapidly emerging as a next-generation therapeutic modality in regenerative medicine and immunomodulation. However, a major translational limitation is their rapid dispersion and clearance following administration. Existing hydrogel delivery systems typically rely on physical encapsulation in gels developed for other biomedical applications, or chemical/ genetic modification of EVs to tether them to hydrogels to achieve retention. Such approaches lack control over EV release, or can alter EV surface properties, complicate manufacturing, and restrict compatibility to specific EV types. To address this problem, GelEV aims to validate a novel hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogel that enhances EV retention without requiring EV surface modification or encapsulation. This bio- and cyto-compatible platform incorporates hydrogel modifications to prolong local EV availability while preserving native EV structure and function. By avoiding EV modification steps, the system is designed to be compatible with diverse EV sources and manufacturing pipelines. Thus far, this novel hydrogel demonstrates increased retention of murine MSC-derived EVs. This project will de-risk the technology by verifying hydrogel manufacturability and by validating compatibility with clinically relevant human, lyophilised, and commercially available EV formulations. Functional assays will confirm preservation of bioactivity following sustained release. The development of an EV-agnostic hydrogel delivery platform will create an enabling technology for the expanding EV therapeutics sector. If successful, the licensable platform will allow EV developers to enhance therapeutic performance by having a controlled EV delivery tool, without altering their EV products, thereby accelerating clinical translation across multiple regenerative and inflammatory indications for patients, positioning it for commercial adoption in research and pharmaceutical contexts.
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 medical biotechnology genetic engineering
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology
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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)
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-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-2026-POC
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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.
H91 Galway
Ireland
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.