Descrizione del progetto
Il cancro allo stomaco trova pane per i propri denti in una capsula orale fotoattivata
Nel 2005 la scoperta che quasi tutti i casi di ulcera peptica erano provocati da una specie batterica precedentemente sconosciuta, l’Helicobacter pylori, ha fatto vincere lo stesso anno il premio Nobel per la fisiologia o la medicina. Ora sappiamo che questo batterio è responsabile anche della maggior parte dei tumori gastrici ed è molto difficile da eliminare con gli antibiotici. Il progetto Capsulight, finanziato dall’UE, sostiene la PMI italiana PROBIOMEDICA nell’elaborazione di una terapia pionieristica brevettata che si basa su una capsula orale e sulla sua attivazione tramite la luce. Rispetto all’efficacia del 70 % degli antibiotici, i risultati preliminari suggeriscono che questa terapia sia efficace quasi al 100 % nell’uccidere i batteri, quindi potrebbe essere la soluzione che fermerà la corsa del cancro allo stomaco.
Obiettivo
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.
Campo scientifico
- 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
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Invito a presentare proposte
Vedi altri progetti per questo bandoBando secondario
H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1
Meccanismo di finanziamento
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinatore
50124 FIRENZE
Italia
L’organizzazione si è definita una PMI (piccola e media impresa) al momento della firma dell’accordo di sovvenzione.