Objective
Regenerative therapies involving stem cells are now beginning to realise their potential. Their use for bone marrow transplantation is already a reality and their potential for the treatment of other degenerative diseases is being studied in clinical trials throughout the world. One of the challenges in stem cell therapy is the possibility to monitor the fate of stem cells once they are transplanted to a patient. This is of relevance given the need of stem cells to localise at the target tissue only, as their migration to other parts of the body can lead to adverse consequences. In this project, we aim at developing the technology which is necessary for long-term stem cell tracking. This will be based on the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in combination with contrast agents based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION). Although contrast agents based on SPION are commercially available, none offer the potential for long-term tracking of stem-cells. This limitation is based on the observations that after a few weeks, these contrast agents are not retained by stem cells anymore. Additionally, the SPION tend to be slowly degraded in the cells, limiting the time frame in which they can be used. As potential adverse effects caused by stem cells would likely arise in a time scale of months or years, the need for monitoring them for such periods is of importance. Here, we aim at developing new SPION with multifunctional surface properties that will address these limitations. SPION will be designed and synthesised in order to exhibit targeting moieties that allow their internalisation and long-term retention within stem cells. The developed SPION will be evaluated in vitro in order to assess their cytotoxicity, internalisation dynamics and retention. Nanoparticles which are shown to be suitable for long-term tracking via MRI in vitro will be finally studied in vivo by monitoring bone marrow stem cells implanted in mice displaying a renal injury.
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 cells technologies stem cells
- engineering and technology medical engineering diagnostic imaging magnetic resonance imaging
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine transplantation
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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.
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.
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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG
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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.
Coordinator
L69 7ZX LIVERPOOL
United Kingdom
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.