Project description
Skin patch technology for cystic fibrosis diagnosis
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder affecting mostly the lungs but also involving the pancreas, kidneys, liver and intestine. Long-term issues include frequent lung infections, skin infections, poor growth, and in some cases, male infertility. It is linked to mutations in the transmembrane regulator protein that controls the exocrine system of saliva, sweat, tears and mucus production. Sweat test is currently the golden standard for disease confirmation but it requires the use of a sophisticated analytical procedure that is carried out within specialized medical units. Within this EU-funded project, researchers will asses the technical validation an easy-to-use patch-based sweat test for efficient early diagnostics in new-borns that can be used in primary care centers. After technical validation in healthy and non-healthy volunteers, the team will develop strategies for commercialisation and future product development.
Objective
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic autosomal recessive disease, which induces mutations on a conductance transmembrane regulator protein (CFTR) that controls the exocrine system responsible or producing saliva, sweat, tears and mucus. The protein malfunction affects severely the lungs and digestive system. Patients with CF present also higher chloride contents in sweat than healthy subjects, so chloride testing in sweat has become the gold standard test for CF confirmation after new-born screening blood tests. However, tests on new-borns are not 100% sensitive and not universally stablished along European territory, which leads to patients with a late diagnostic that decreases their life quality and expectancy. The ‘sweat test’ requires either sophisticated analytical procedures or costly commercial analyzers and consumables that restrict the availability of the test to few specialized units scattered along the European territory.
POWER-PATCH aims to evolve and promote the value of a novel, market disruptive patch that enables an affordable and easy-to-use sweat test for the screening of cystic fibrosis. The patch has been conceived to be applied on the forearm of the patient and yield a “positive” result in case of an abnormal conductivity level of sweat is detected. It combines the low cost and easy handling of paper that is associated with the filter paper-based diagnosis technique and at the same time allows obtaining a digital response with no further handling or treatment of the sample. Moreover, as it already contains a “battery sensor”, sweat collection and testing does not require additional equipment and can be easily taken to any clinical environment. Within this ERC PoC project, we aim to achieve (i) Technical validation and Clinical testing in a specialized CF unit and (ii) a business proposition in the form of a Business Plan containing strategies for commercialization, fundraising, IP management and future product development.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsmutation
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- engineering and technologymedical engineeringmedical laboratory technologylaboratory samples analysis
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum PilotHost institution
28006 Madrid
Spain