Objective Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), a neurodegenerative disease of the retina, is a major cause of blindness in elderly people. Due to the aging population, AMD has been referred to as a “time bomb” in society. In the exudative form of AMD, high levels of vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) and low levels of pigment-epithelial derived factor (PEDF), an inhibitor of vascularization and a neuroprotective factor produced by retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells result in subretinal neovascularization and retinal pigment cell degeneration. The current treatment by monthly injections of anti-VEGF antibodies is only effective for ~30% of patients. To avoid the severe side effects, high costs and the overall continuing burden on health care associated with monthly antibody injections, inducing a higher level of PEDF expression to inhibit neovascularization would be a viable therapeutic alternative. TargetAMD will subretinally transplant genetically modified, patient-derived, Iris Pigment Epithelial cells that overexpress PEDF to provide a long-lasting cure of AMD. Stable PEDF gene delivery will be based on the non-viral Sleeping Beauty transposon system, which combines the efficacy of viral delivery with the safety of naked DNA plasmids. Academic scientists and SME partners will produce innovative gene delivery technologies, reagents and devices to be translated into a simple and safe gene therapeutic treatment for exudative AMD. Experienced clinicians will perform one clinical trial, comprising isolation and PEDF-transfection of a patient’s pigment epithelial cells and implantation of transfected cells into the patient during a single, 60-minute surgical session. This project will bring a significant enhancement on quality of life to AMD patients, highlight the synergistic power of academic, clinical and industrial cooperation to the scientific arena, and open new markets for novel products for clinical applications of transposon-based gene therapy to industry. Fields of science medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineeringgene therapynatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNAmedical and health sciencesclinical medicineophthalmology Programme(s) FP7-HEALTH - Specific Programme "Cooperation": Health Topic(s) HEALTH.2012.1.4-4 - Targeted nucleic acid delivery as an innovative therapeutic or prophylactic approach Call for proposal FP7-HEALTH-2012-INNOVATION-1 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme CP-FP - Small or medium-scale focused research project Coordinator UNIVERSITE DE GENEVE Address Rue du general dufour 24 1211 Geneve Switzerland See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Genève Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Gabriele Thumann (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data Participants (14) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHEN Germany EU contribution € 279 980,32 Address Templergraben 55 52062 Aachen See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Städteregion Aachen Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Ernst Schmachtenberg (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data MAX DELBRUECK CENTRUM FUER MOLEKULARE MEDIZIN IN DER HELMHOLTZ-GEMEINSCHAFT (MDC) Germany EU contribution € 282 004,18 Address Robert rossle strasse 10 13125 Berlin See on map Region Berlin Berlin Berlin Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Iwan Meij (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data BUNDESINSTITUT FUR IMPFSTOFFE UND BIOMEDIZINISCHE ARZNEIMITTEL Germany EU contribution € 301 336,00 Address Paul-ehrlich-strasse 51-59 63225 Langen See on map Region Hessen Darmstadt Offenbach, Landkreis Activity type Public bodies (excluding Research Organisations and Secondary or Higher Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Stefanie Prokopp Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data UNIVERSIDAD DE NAVARRA Spain EU contribution € 709 162,26 Address Campus universitario edificio central 31080 Pamplona See on map Region Noreste Comunidad Foral de Navarra Navarra Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Cristina Patsouris Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data IGEA SPA Italy EU contribution € 526 291,30 Address Via parmenide 10a 41012 Carpi mo See on map Region Nord-Est Emilia-Romagna Modena Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Giuditta Scuotri (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data UD-GENOMED MEDICAL GENOMIC TECHNOLOGIES KUTATAS-FEJLESZTESI ES SZOLGALTATO KFT Participation ended Hungary EU contribution € 347 379,67 Address Nagyerdei krt 98 4032 Debrecen See on map Region Alföld és Észak Észak-Alföld Hajdú-Bihar Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Gábor Zahuczky (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS France EU contribution € 445 411,71 Address Rue michel ange 3 75794 Paris See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Marine Moguen-Toursel (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data 3P BIOPHARMACEUTICALS SL Spain EU contribution € 297 114,62 Address Calle mocholi 2 poligono mocholi 31110 Noain navarra See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Pablo Aranda (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data GENOSAFE SAS France EU contribution € 291 901,00 Address Rue de l'internationale 1 91000 Evry See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Essonne Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Séverine Pouillot (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data STADT WIEN Austria EU contribution € 78 786,12 Address Rathaus 1010 Wien See on map Region Ostösterreich Wien Wien Administrative Contact Ulrike Stolba (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Other funding No data NOVARTIS PHARMA GMBH Participation ended Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Roonstrasse 25 90429 Nurnberg See on map Region Bayern Mittelfranken Nürnberg, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Stefan Scheidl (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data UNIVERSITAETSKLINIKUM AACHEN Germany EU contribution € 453 846,56 Address Pauwelsstrasse 30 52074 Aachen See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Städteregion Aachen Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Volker Legewie (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data HOTSWAP STOCKHOLM AB Participation ended Sweden EU contribution € 22 607,44 Address Landsvagen 39 172 63 Sundbyberg See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Oliver Trepte (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data AMSTERDAM BIOTHERAPEUTICS UNIT Netherlands EU contribution € 233 203,17 Address Louwesweg 6 1066EC Amsterdam See on map Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Bastiaan Nuijen (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Other funding No data
