Project description DEENESFRITPL Revolutionary approach to treat drug-resistant epilepsy Around 30 % of patients with epilepsy have a drug-resistant form of the disease. In this condition, even two anti-epileptic drugs are unable to achieve freedom from seizure when prescribed as mono-therapies or in combination. Currently, there is no approach that has produced meaningful improvement in such patients. This EU-funded consortium is developing a totally new approach to manipulate neuronal cell excitability – applying neuronal firing by direct ionic actuation at the microscopic scale and monitoring cell responses by nanoscale transistors. This multidisciplinary consortium aims to establish proof-of-principle for breakthrough neuromodulation technology by enabling future brain implants for epilepsy treatment through in vitro testing of special polymers and ultra-sensitive ion sensor arrays. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective There is a need for a paradigm shift in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. Several routes have been explored to modulate or silence dysfunctional neural circuits, through genetic, electrical, magnetic or optical means. All have serious limitations due to the unphysiological mechanisms used to regulate neuronal activity. In IN-FET, we address this issue by manipulating the elementary building blocks of cell excitability: ions. IN-FET tackles the visionary idea of altering neuronal firing and synaptic transmission by direct ionic actuation at the microscopic scale, while monitoring cell responses by arrays of nanoscale transistors. We will develop and test, in vitro, the use of active polymers to trap or release electrochemically specific ions in the extracellular milieu surrounding neurons. These will be integrated with ion sensors and ultra-sensitive nanowire arrays, offering closed-loop regulation of cellular electrical activity. We will deliver for the first time a device that can physiologically modulate the neuronal membrane potential, the synaptic release probability, and glutamatergic NMDA receptors activation by altering potassium, calcium, and magnesium ionic concentrations in a controlled and spatially-confined manner. High-resolution simultaneous probing of cell activity will be performed by Si-nanowire vertical transistors, penetrating the membranes and detecting the cell electrical activity at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions. In conclusion, IN-FET's multidisciplinary consortium brings together state-of-the-art electrochemistry, 3-d nanofabrication, nanoelectronics, and numerical simulations, and combines neuronal biophysics to device modeling. IN-FET will thus establish the proof-of-principle for a breakthrough biocompatible neuromodulation technology, with a clear impact for future brain implants for epilepsy treatment, advancing neuroscience, biomedical microsystems engineering, and nano-neurotechnology. Fields of science medical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologyepilepsynatural scienceschemical scienceselectrochemistrynatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryalkali metalsnatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryalkaline earth metalsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiophysics Keywords neurotechnologies iontronics neuromodulation nanotechnology epilepsy micro-fabrication Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.2. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Main Programme H2020-EU.1.2.1. - FET Open Topic(s) FETOPEN-01-2018-2019-2020 - FET-Open Challenging Current Thinking Call for proposal H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2020 See other projects for this call Sub call H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01 Funding Scheme RIA - Research and Innovation action Coordinator SCUOLA INTERNAZIONALE SUPERIORE DI STUDI AVANZATI DI TRIESTE Net EU contribution € 847 812,49 Address Via bonomea 265 34136 Trieste Italy See on map Region Nord-Est Friuli-Venezia Giulia Trieste Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Participants (8) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITE DE GENEVE Participation ended Switzerland Net EU contribution € 276 160,13 Address Rue du general dufour 24 1211 Geneve See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Genève Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 IBM RESEARCH GMBH Switzerland Net EU contribution € 880 562,50 Address Saeumerstrasse 4 8803 Rueschlikon See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD United Kingdom Net EU contribution € 569 238,75 Address Firth court western bank S10 2TN Sheffield See on map Region Yorkshire and the Humber South Yorkshire Sheffield Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LA NANOELETTRONICA Italy Net EU contribution € 1,00 Address Via toffano 2 40125 Bologna See on map Region Nord-Est Emilia-Romagna Bologna Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Third-party Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure. UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI UDINE Italy Net EU contribution € 215 000,00 Address Via palladio 8 33100 Udine See on map Region Nord-Est Friuli-Venezia Giulia Udine Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Third-party Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure. UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIA Italy Net EU contribution € 214 999,00 Address Via universita 4 41121 Modena See on map Region Nord-Est Emilia-Romagna Modena Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 MULTI CHANNEL SYSTEMS MCS GMBH Germany Net EU contribution € 143 855,00 Address Aspenhaustrasse 21 72770 Reutlingen See on map Region Baden-Württemberg Tübingen Reutlingen Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 UNIVERSITEIT MAASTRICHT Netherlands Net EU contribution € 222 129,88 Address Minderbroedersberg 4 6200 MD Maastricht See on map Region Zuid-Nederland Limburg (NL) Zuid-Limburg Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
