Descrizione del progetto
Tecnologia basata su cerotti cutanei per la diagnosi della fibrosi cistica
La fibrosi cistica è un disturbo genetico che interessa soprattutto i polmoni, ma che coinvolge anche pancreas, reni, fegato e intestino. Le problematiche a lungo termine comprendono infezioni polmonari frequenti, infezioni della cute, difficoltà di crescita e, in alcuni casi, infertilità maschile. Essa è collegata a mutazioni nella proteina regolatrice transmembrana che controlla il sistema esocrino della produzione di saliva, sudore, lacrime e muco. Il test del sudore è oggi l’esame standard per la conferma della malattia ma richiede l’utilizzo di una sofisticata procedura analitica che viene condotta in unità mediche specializzate. Nell’ambito di questo progetto, finanziato dall’UE, i ricercatori valuteranno la convalida tecnica di un test del sudore di facile utilizzo basato su un cerotto, per un’efficiente diagnostica precoce nei neonati, utilizzabile nei centri di assistenza primaria. Dopo la convalida tecnica in volontari sani e non, il team elaborerà strategie per la commercializzazione e lo sviluppo futuro del prodotto.
Obiettivo
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.
Campo scientifico
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsmutation
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- engineering and technologymedical engineeringmedical laboratory technologylaboratory samples analysis
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum PilotIstituzione ospitante
28006 Madrid
Spagna