Descripción del proyecto
El cáncer de estómago tiene un contrincante en una cápsula oral fotoactivada
En 2005, el descubrimiento de que casi todos los casos de la enfermedad de úlcera péptica estaban causados por una especie bacteriana anteriormente desconocida, «Helicobacter pylori», logró el Premio Nobel en Fisiología o Medicina el mismo año. Ahora sabemos que esta bacteria también es responsable de la mayoría de cánceres gástricos, y es muy difícil de eliminar con antibióticos. El proyecto Capsulight, financiado con fondos europeos, apoya a la pyme italiana PROBIOMEDICA en el desarrollo de una vanguardista terapia patentada que se basa en una cápsula oral y su activación mediante la luz. En comparación con la eficacia del 70 % de los antibióticos, los resultados preliminares sugieren que es casi un 100 % eficaz en la eliminación de la bacteria; por lo tanto, podría tratarse de la solución para detener el avance del cáncer de estómago.
Objetivo
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium of the stomach which affects on average 50% of the world population, reaching up to 70% in some European Countries. Once it is diagnosed, it has to be eradicated, since it is a carcinogen agent and around 90% of all gastric cancers can be attributable to its infection. The only available treatment is a pharmacological therapy based on the assumption of proton-pump inhibitor and a mix of 2-3 antibiotic drugs. Unfortunately, due to increasing antibiotic resistance, up to 30% of the affected population cannot be cured, despite several cycles of antibiotic therapy and usually endoscopic biopsy to determine antibiotic-resistance. Probiomedica is a spin-off of the University of Florence and Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna specialized in photobiology and robotics applied to medicine, which has developed and patented CapsuLight, the first ingestible capsule able to eradicate H. Pylori infection through intragastric photodynamic therapy, that is through the power of light. The device is based on the established technology and safety of endoscopic capsules for diagnostic use, and our preliminary in vitro tests showed 97% efficacy in killing the bacterium. The advantages for infected population are unparalleled: the possibility to eradicate the bacterium for those who cannot be cured due to antibiotic resistance (our first target market); the higher efficacy rate, no side effects due to antibiotic cycles, and easy posology for all the infected population (secondary market). CapsuLight will also provide high economic savings to National Healthcare Systems, by reducing drug therapies cycles and endoscopic biopsies and related costs for hospitalization. Probiomedica has already presented the product to several gastroenterology and microbiology centers and will optimize the capsule design for further miniaturization and mass production, and to undergo the necessary clinical validation for getting the CE mark during the Phase 2 project.
Ámbito científico
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsantibiotics
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug resistanceantibiotic resistance
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinephysiologyhomeostasis
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinegastroenterology
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaConvocatoria de subcontratación
H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1
Régimen de financiación
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinador
50124 FIRENZE
Italia
Organización definida por ella misma como pequeña y mediana empresa (pyme) en el momento de la firma del acuerdo de subvención.