Pathogen-responsive hydrogels release antimicrobial vesicles for local infection treatment

Project Information

Gels4Bac

Grant agreement ID: 945602

DOI

10.3030/945602

EC signature date 3 November 2020

Start date 1 September 2021

End date 31 August 2027

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 499 333,00

EU contribution

€ 1 499 333,00

Coordinated by

FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER-UNIVERSITAET ERLANGEN-NUERNBERG
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Gels4Bac (Pathogen-responsive hydrogels release antimicrobial vesicles for local infection treatment)

Reporting period: 2023-03-01 to 2024-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Bacterial infections are a major global healthcare thread. In Europe alone, up to 33,000 people die each year from infections with resistant bacteria and these numbers are projected to increase in the upcoming years. To prevent a post antibiotic era – during which simple infections may become life threatening – we need to develop new treatment options. Gels4Bac aims to create new options for efficiently treating infectious dispositions by developing bacteria-derived entities as an on-demand customisable, quick and cost-effective treatment avenue.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the first 30 months of this project, we focussed on setting up the appropriate culture conditions for bacteria to test the antimicrobial activity of our therapeutic systems. In addition, we set up simple in vitro models to study their toxicity towards human cells, which is important during developing new treatment options. Starting from project year 3 (Jan 2024), we have implemented additional experiments on hydrogel preparation, which are envisioned to become the application form of our antimicrobial therapy.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Until the end of Gels4Bac, we hope to provide proof-of-concept results on the antimicrobial activity of our new therapeutic systems. We hope to show better antibiotic activity in both cell culture and appropriate in vivo models. We believe our platform technology is imperative to equip Europe in its fight against the rise of infections with resistant bacteria, and will boost Europe's scientific competitiveness in infection therapy.

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