Project description
Towards accurate diagnosis and treatment of cardiac device-related bacterial infections
Because of the world’s ageing population, more and more cardiac devices are being implanted. However, life-threatening bacterial infections can occur on these devices. Currently, such infections are mainly diagnosed using ultrasound imaging. Unfortunately, this method is not specific or sensitive enough, making accurate diagnoses challenging. A targeted, non-invasive treatment is also desperately needed, but currently unavailable because of the complex disease. Advanced ultrasound imaging and therapy using targeted ultrasound contrast agents called targeted microbubbles to detect and treat bacterial infections is needed to solve the challenges. Building on previous research on targeted microbubbles, the EU-funded BUBBLE CURE project aims to develop innovative detection, analysis and modelling methods to accurately determine which tMB vibrations are needed to diagnose and eradicate bacterial biofilm infections on cardiac devices. The project’s achievements will enable precise diagnosis and treatment of cardiac device-related bacterial biofilm infections.
Objective
Due to an aging population, increasingly more cardiac devices are implanted (pacemaker/ICD/CRT/ prosthetic valve/LVAD; worldwide ~2 million yearly). Life-threatening bacterial infections (1-60% infection and 29-50% mortality rate) associated with these devices are a major healthcare burden and pose scientific challenges. Ultrasound imaging is currently the primary diagnostic modality. However, it lacks specificity and sensitivity because the signal from the bacteria is similar to the signal of healthy tissue or the cardiac device, thus making accurate diagnosis impossible. Recent developments in targeted ultrasound contrast agents (i.e. targeted microbubbles (tMB), 1-8 micron in size) allow ultrasound imaging of a specific tMB vibration signal resulting in exceptional sensitivity and specificity. Advancing tMB imaging to detect bacterial infections is needed to solve the challenges caused by the complex ultrasound field from these devices. I was the first to show that vibrating tMB induce vascular drug uptake, thereby showing the potential of tMB as a theranostic agent by combining imaging with drug delivery. Recently, my team and I were also the first to demonstrate which tMB vibrations kill vessel wall cells in vitro by developing analysis methods that link tMB vibrations to drug uptake patterns on a single cell layer. As this is the first time this technique will be applied to 3D bacterial biofilm infections on cardiac devices, I will go beyond the state-of-the-art in tMB-tissue interaction technology by developing novel detection, analysis, and modeling methods to accurately determine which tMB vibrations eradicate bacterial biofilm infections on devices.
The Bubble Cure project will result in a novel multidisciplinary technology that allows accurate diagnosis and treatment of cardiac device-related bacterial biofilm infections, thereby creating a whole new direction of tMB ultrasound imaging and therapy in the scientific field of cardiology and microbiology.
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.
- social sciences sociology demography mortality
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine cardiology
- natural sciences physical sciences acoustics ultrasound
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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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
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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.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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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-2018-STG
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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.
3015 GD Rotterdam
Netherlands
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