Description du projet
Une technologie de patch cutané pour le diagnostic de la mucoviscidose
La mucoviscidose est une maladie génétique qui affecte principalement les poumons, mais qui touche également le pancréas, les reins, le foie et l’intestin. Les problèmes à long terme comprennent des infections pulmonaires fréquentes, des infections cutanées, une mauvaise croissance et, dans certains cas, l’infertilité masculine. Elle est liée à des mutations de la protéine régulatrice transmembranaire qui contrôle le système exocrinien de la salive, de la sueur, des larmes et de la production de mucus. Le test de la sueur est actuellement la norme pour confirmer la maladie, mais il nécessite l’emploi d’une procédure analytique sophistiquée effectuée au sein d’unités médicales spécialisées. Dans le cadre de ce projet financé par l’UE, les chercheurs évalueront la validation technique d’un test de la sueur basé sur des patchs facile à utiliser pour des diagnostics précoces efficaces chez les nouveau-nés, pouvant ainsi être utilisés dans les centres de soins primaires. Après validation technique chez des volontaires sains et non sains, l’équipe développera des stratégies de commercialisation et de développement de produits futurs.
Objectif
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.
Champ scientifique
- 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)
Régime de financement
ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum PilotInstitution d’accueil
28006 Madrid
Espagne