Descrizione del progetto
Rallentare il morbo di Alzheimer con la luce lampeggiante
I trattamenti disponibili per il morbo di Alzheimer sono inefficaci e non riescono ad arrestare il danno cerebrale progressivo e irreversibile. Prove recenti indicano che la luce lampeggiante non invasiva può eliminare l’amiloide-beta, una delle caratteristiche patogene chiave del morbo di Alzheimer, e offrire una protezione neurale. Il progetto BRIGHT, finanziato dall’UE, condurrà uno studio di fattibilità per una nuova terapia a luce bianca lampeggiante in grado di stimolare i recettori visivi e la corteccia di elaborazione. La luce bianca si forma combinando diversi LED colorati e non provoca affaticamento come la luce stroboscopica. L’intervento proposto ha il potenziale di ritardare l’insorgenza della malattia, ridurre la prevalenza e i costi associati.
Obiettivo
While Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a global pandemic, it has been estimated that a five-year delay in the disease onset could reduce the disease prevalence – and its costs – by up to 33% over the next decades, representing potential savings over €100bn in EU alone. However, there are still significant roadblocks ahead as current drugs do not untap sizeable improvements in AD patients. This is primarily due to the challenge of minimizing the impact of irreversible brain damage in later dementia stages, which accentuates the need for early intervention. However, recent evidence shows that non-invasive flashing (stroboscopic) light at the appropriate frequency (40 Hz) promotes clearance of beta-amyloid – whose accumulation is believe to be one of the key triggers to the neurodegenerative cascade leading to dementia states.
Instead of using fadigue-inducing stroboscopic flashing light (i.e. on-off), the founding members of OptoCeutics have devised a unique, patent-protected method to stimulate the human visual receptors and processing cortex through alternating white light composed of different wavelengths. The two variants of the white light are formed by different combinations of coloured LEDs. When flickering between the two LED sets, the colours fusion together and appear as one, resulting in approximately the same white colour, avoiding experiencing light flashing, but the brain is capturing the blue component flashing with 40 Hz – thus still promoting neuro-protective beta-amyloid clearance.
OptoCeutics will leverage from BRIGHT as a vital stepping stone to prepare the company’s business strategy, serving also to significantly de-risk its route-to-market by enabling to liaise with major industrial and clinical players to define both the optimal productization and maturation of Optoceutics core technology, as well as the setup for its full-scale demonstration and certification, prior market roll-out.
Campo scientifico
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Invito a presentare proposte
Vedi altri progetti per questo bandoBando secondario
H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1
Meccanismo di finanziamento
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinatore
1610 KOBENHAVN V
Danimarca
L’organizzazione si è definita una PMI (piccola e media impresa) al momento della firma dell’accordo di sovvenzione.