Project description
Enlightened treatment approach to brain disorders
Afflicting around 83 million Europeans, the cost of brain disorders in Europe is enormous. Brain disorders include neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and other disorders like epilepsy, depression, stroke and migraine. These health challenges require a new approach and new technology. The EU-funded NEUROPA project is addressing this need. It will develop a new phytoptogenetics technology – phytochromes will enable modulation of expression of specific genes that are selectively and non-invasively delivered to targeted cortical neurons in specific cortico-subcortical loops. Compact laser sources and a diffusing wave spectroscopy monitoring system will be developed to enable non-invasive bidirectional control of the phytochromes by two-photon excitation.
Objective
Europe faces an enormous human toll of brain disorders, with an estimated 83 million people affected, and economic costs amounting to approximately €800 billion. Drug treatments for brain disorders prove often less than effective with a lack of selective cell targeting. A failure to develop new drugs has led major Pharmaceutical companies to withdraw from CNS drug development in recent years. Methods such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or Deep Brain Stimulation have displayed some therapeutic efficacy, however they are non-selective and/or invasive. It is therefore clear that with a failure of conventional therapy, a new approach is necessary, and development of new technology.
NEUROPA will directly tackle this issue. An ideal treatment would be one where activity in specific implicated neuronal networks could be selectively modulated. To be relevant to human disorders the therapy should enable the long-term modulation of dysfunctional networks. For potential widespread use in patients the intervention and monitoring of effects on network activity should also be non-invasive. NEUROPA will develop a new Phytoptogenetics technology: novel Phytochromes that will enable modulation of expression of specific genes, selectively and non-invasively delivered and targeted to cortical neurons in specific cortico-subcortical loops. Novel compact laser sources and a Diffusing Wave Spectroscopy monitoring system will be developed to enable non-invasive bidirectional control of the phytochromes by two-photon excitation.
NEUROPA will achieve in-lab technology validation of long-term network activity modulation and behavioural symptom alleviation in Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s disease mouse models. To achieve this, we have assembled a consortium of phytochrome engineering, gene delivery, laser photonics and detection experts, cellular, in vivo and behavioural neuroscientists, together with drug discovery expertise. We envisage progress to human use within 15 years.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.2. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.2.1. - FET Open
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
RIA - Research and Innovation action
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
B4 7ET Birmingham
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.