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Bioengineered hippocampal organoids for epilepsy treatment

Objective

Epilepsy is a life-threatening progressive disorder causing uncontrolled activity of the brain (seizure); it carries among the highest burden of disease and significant social stigma. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most frequent syndrome, the least responsive to medications and the most linked to severe psychiatric and cognitive co-morbidities. When drug resistance ensues, neurosurgery and deep-brain stimulation are invasive options to carefully consider. Thus, TLE treatment demands urgent innovative interventions.

Is it possible to generate ‘replacement parts’ to heal the diseased brain? The idea of repairing the brain using engineered transplants is nowadays more appealing than ever thanks to the ground-breaking advent of ‘mini-brains in a dish’ (brain organoids). Remarkably, brain organoids can be derived from human stem cells, thus carrying unique potential for targeted studies. However, their application in regenerative medicine has yet to thrive. Therefore, the interaction of brain organoids with mammalian brain tissue remains unexplored.

In this project, I engage in the challenge of generating surrogate brain areas as transplants for epilepsy treatment. Specifically, I will focus on the hippocampus, a central structure in learning and memory which is crucially involved in TLE. I will push an unprecedented biohybrid design based on the synergetic exploitation of organoid technology and innovative neural engineering tools to pursue, for the first time ever, the establishment of a dialogue between engineered and mammalian brain tissue.
The foundation of NEUROTILES stems in the emerging concept that brain repair strategies from regenerative medicine and neural engineering are distinct yet complementary. In the era of artificial intelligence and nanotechnology, NEUROTILES will promote a revolutionary framework for brain repair strategies and ultimately ignite the establishment of the novel field of ‘enhanced’ regenerative medicine.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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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.

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.

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2017

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Coordinator

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 177 598,80
Address
GROENE LOPER 3
5612 AE Eindhoven
Netherlands

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Region
Zuid-Nederland Noord-Brabant Zuidoost-Noord-Brabant
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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.

€ 177 598,80
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