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Biomarker Applications for Nanotechnology and Imaging in Diabetes

Final Report Summary - UROSENSE (Biomarker Applications for Nanotechnology and Imaging in Diabetes)

1. General UroSense background: Biomarker Applications for Nanotechnology and Imaging in Diabetes (286386) officially activated January 1st, 2012 to execute the program outlined in the Annex I with partners including Dublin City University (DCU; coordinator), University of Helsinki (to replace Luxembourg Clinical Proteomics Center (CRP) in July 2013); GE Healthcare (GEH) (to be replaced by BENCAR AB as of October 1st, 2013; finally rejected from project participation); Tethis (TET) ; and Guangzhou Koncen Biotech Corporation.

The fourth year of operation for UroSense has shown vigorous progress in the various research lines without functions of Bencar; these were divided to partners as accepted in the respective Amendment.

The work streams have been actively proceeding at partner unit Helsinki, in which researchers from partner unit Tethis have finalized the tasks of UroSense and, respectively, researchers from Helsinki to Tethis in Milano, Italy. The springboard for these studies and product development has been the novel vesicle isolation techniques, for which several parameters have been optimized in partner unit Dublin City University;
Respectively, active research has been proceeding between partner units DCU and GKB in respect to the systematics of process optimization for the vesicle isolation, their characterization in light-and electron microscopy and other means of imaging (like particle size assays). From DCU active secondment into China/Guangzhou has produced standardization of project measurable with initial human sample analytics (urines from normal volunteers) as well as preparing the Chinese market for introduction of vesicle analytical technologies.
Project outcomes have been either published or submitted for publication in international publication series or, for the results derived from collaborations between partner units Helsinki and Tethis, only in UroSense closed meetings as abstracts while patent protection is being searched. The respective manuscript are waiting to be sent when patentability searches are completed.

UroSense Project General Outcomes in summary:
- Robust isolation protocols for exosomes established
- Techniques established for subfractionating vesicles
- Efficient knowledge transfer mechanisms established
- Pathways for to commercial exploitation is being established; good knowledge of relevant gate keepers in China, as well as industrial partners relevant to UroSense outcomes identified
- Usefulness of nanoparticles for proteomics being established.
- Good internal communication channels and working relationships, internet page and management practices as well as support to secondee training established.
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Itemized outcomes:
- 1) Utilization of novel biomarker discoveries and their validation (DCU, GKB)
- 2) method optimization for extracellular vesicle isolation from the urine (DCU, Tethis)
- 3) Patient sample studies initiated for various diagnostic groups (cardiovascular, kidney diseases) from urinary vesicle fingerprints (DCU, Uhelsinki, GKB)
- 4) Full inclusion of the proprietary micro-nanoparticle techniques of Tethis into new diagnostic platforms (DCU,Tethis)
- 5) In depth analysis of glycosignature of the extracellular vesicles (from urine) with Mass spectrometry (DCU, GKB)
- 6) Development of MALDI-imaging techniques suitable for nano-scale imaging (Uhelsinki)
- 7) Development of market channels and identification of potential users, collaborators and competitors in China.

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