European Commission logo
italiano italiano
CORDIS - Risultati della ricerca dell’UE
CORDIS

Inhalable Aerosol Light Source for Controlling Drug-Resistant Bacterial Lung Infections

Descrizione del progetto

Nuovo trattamento per le infezioni polmonari batteriche farmacoresistenti

La crescente resistenza a molti antibiotici e l’insorgenza dei batteri multifarmaco-resistenti richiede lo sviluppo di terapie antibatteriche alternative. Oggi, la resistenza batterica al farmaco è la principale causa di morbilità e mortalità nei pazienti con infezioni polmonari da fibrosi cistica e acquisite in ospedale. Il progetto, finanziato dall’UE, svilupperà un nuovo trattamento per le infezioni polmonari batteriche utilizzando sorgenti luminose inalabili che stimolano i fotosensibilizzanti batterici endogeni (porfirine), uccidendo i batteri mediante l’effetto fotodinamico (produzione locale di ossigeno citotossico reattivo). Il trattamento sarà sicuro per i tessuti ospiti ed efficace contro gli agenti patogeni farmacoresistenti. La ricerca comporta lo sviluppo di particelle luminescenti inalabili, del metodo di somministrazione nei polmoni e della valutazione dei parametri di trattamento nei modelli clinici rilevanti.

Obiettivo

Light4lungs addresses the problem of antimicrobial resistance in the treatment of chronic lung infections, which are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diseases such as cystic fibrosis and hospital-acquired lung infections. The goal is to develop a novel therapeutic scheme for the treatment of the infections, whereby antibiotics will be replaced by inhalable light sources that will excite bacterial endogenous photosensitisers (e.g. iron-free porphyrins), eliminating the pathogenic bacteria by the photodynamic effect (local production of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species by the combined action of light, a photosensitiser and oxygen) irrespective of its multidrug resistance profile. The treatment will be safe for the host tissue because of its lack of self-photosensitising ability.
Light4Lungs departs from current paradigms: (1) bacterial infections will be treated without antibiotics, which will be replaced by breathable light sources; (2) bacteria will be eliminated without any externally-added drug, taking advantage of endogenous photosensitisers; (3) a breathable light source will be used to elicit the therapeutic action, avoiding the use of invasive physical tethers to deliver light to the lungs. The project encompasses the development of particles with persistent luminescence, the aerosol technology for activation and delivery to the lungs, and the definition of the treatment parameters through toxicity and efficacy tests in clinically relevant models of respiratory infections. The project combines several different scientific expertise from photonics to medicine. The results will be useful for patients with recalcitrant respiratory tract bacterial infections and will eventually be extended to other diseases in the lungs and in other internal organs. The impact reaches beyond antimicrobial resistance itself and will affect many other fields such as healthcare, nanomedicine, materials science and nanotechnology and lightning

Invito a presentare proposte

H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2020

Vedi altri progetti per questo bando

Bando secondario

H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01

Meccanismo di finanziamento

RIA - Research and Innovation action

Coordinatore

INSTITUT QUIMIC DE SARRIA
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 714 375,00
Indirizzo
CALLE VIA AUGUSTA 384-394
08017 Barcelona
Spagna

Mostra sulla mappa

Regione
Este Cataluña Barcelona
Tipo di attività
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Collegamenti
Costo totale
€ 714 375,00

Partecipanti (8)