Project description DEENESFRITPL Neutralising nanoshells for broad virus targeting Viral infections affect millions of people every year, yet no treatment is available for 70 % of known pathogenic viruses. The EU-funded VIROFIGHT project is proposing a new radical approach to fight viral infections by constructing synthetic nanoshells that can specifically recognise and engulf entire viruses, neutralising them by occlusion. The interdisciplinary project integrates chemistry, molecular nanoengineering and virology with the mission to develop and test prototypes of engulfing nanoshells that have the principal capacity to neutralise any given virus. VIROFIGHT has the potential to become a revolutionary achievement as shell prototypes can be developed and produced in the course of weeks after the discovery of a viral pathogen, and the drug concept can be adapted for a wide variety of viruses. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Viral infections affect millions of people every year and cause tremendous human suffering and costs to society. For approximately 70% of all WHO listed viruses, no treatment is available and the antiviral drugs that do exist typically must be applied very early after infection to be effective. The VIROFIGHT consortium proposes a radically new approach to fight viral infections, to help reduce the scale and sheer impact of viral infections, to address the problem of a lack of broadly applicable antiviral treatments, and to create means for combating emerging pathogens. Instead of targeting virus-specific proteins or enzymes by small molecules as current antivirals do, we will construct synthetic nano-shells that can specifically recognize and engulf entire viruses to efficiently neutralize the pathogen by occlusion. To achieve this technological target, our interdisciplinary project integrates supramolecular chemistry, molecular nanoengineering, and virology with the mission to develop and test prototypes of engulfing nano-shells that have the principal capacity to neutralize any given virus. We will fabricate biocompatible nano-shells through DNA origami and protein design and attach modularly virus-specific molecules to them in a multivalent fashion, to exploit avidity effects for strong virus binding. The virus binders will be identified through rapid in vitro selection processes designed to be applicable to any target virus. Neutralization assays will be used to test our concept on a variety of viruses. VIROFIGHT has the potential to attain revolutionary properties: shell prototypes can be developed and produced in the course of weeks after discovery of a viral pathogen, and the drug concept can be used and adapted for a wide variety of viral pathogens, without having detailed knowledge about the virus. The VIROFIGHT concept aimed at eradicating multiple viruses thus has great potential for decreasing the burden for patients and saving costs to society. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNAnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsenzymesmedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsantivirals Keywords DNA nanotechnology Protein design Aptamers Multivalency Virus neutralization Nanomedicine 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 TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN Net EU contribution € 1 642 882,36 Address Arcisstrasse 21 80333 Muenchen Germany See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt 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 (5) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all AARHUS UNIVERSITET Denmark Net EU contribution € 648 450,00 Address Nordre ringgade 1 8000 Aarhus c See on map Region Danmark Midtjylland Østjylland 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 KEMIJSKI INSTITUT Slovenia Net EU contribution € 630 957,50 Address Hajdrihova 19 1000 Ljubljana See on map Region Slovenija Zahodna Slovenija Osrednjeslovenska Activity type Research Organisations 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 UNIVERSITAET REGENSBURG Germany Net EU contribution € 686 437,50 Address Universitatsstrasse 31 93053 Regensburg See on map Region Bayern Oberpfalz Regensburg, Kreisfreie Stadt 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 ARTTIC France Net EU contribution € 139 162,00 Address 39 rue des mathurins 75008 Paris See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris 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 ARTTIC INNOVATION GMBH Germany Net EU contribution € 133 053,14 Address Oskar-von-miller-ring 29 80333 Munchen See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) 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