Periodic Reporting for period 3 - ANGIE (MAgnetically steerable wireless Nanodevices for the tarGeted delivery of therapeutIc agents in any vascular rEgion of the body)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31
Most strokes occur when a blood vessel in the brain is occluded by a clot. This clot then prevents areas in the brain from being supplied with oxygen, resulting in the sudden death of brain tissue. Strokes are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, and stroke cases are expected to rise in the coming years.
The most common treatment for this kind of stroke involves injecting a thrombolytic drug (usually rtPA) into the blood, which then dissolves the clot. Unfortunately, while rtPA effectively dissolves these clots, it has many side effects, including internal bleeding, swelling, and many more. In stroke treatment, the doctor has to find a trade-off between administering a sufficient amount of rtPA to dissolve the clot in the brain and reducing its dosage to avoid its side effects. Unfortunately, these side effects also limit the time rtPA can be used to a few hours after the first symptoms. Thus, many strokes are not treated at all.
The ANGIE project has pioneered a revolutionary approach to precision medicine, developing magnetically guided nanodevices capable of navigating the human vascular system for highly targeted therapeutic interventions.
The most common treatment for this kind of stroke involves injecting a thrombolytic drug (usually rtPA) into the blood, which then dissolves the clot. Unfortunately, while rtPA effectively dissolves these clots, it has many side effects, including internal bleeding, swelling, and many more. In stroke treatment, the doctor has to find a trade-off between administering a sufficient amount of rtPA to dissolve the clot in the brain and reducing its dosage to avoid its side effects. Unfortunately, these side effects also limit the time rtPA can be used to a few hours after the first symptoms. Thus, many strokes are not treated at all.
The ANGIE project has pioneered a revolutionary approach to precision medicine, developing magnetically guided nanodevices capable of navigating the human vascular system for highly targeted therapeutic interventions.
Over the course of the ANGIE project (2020–2024), the consortium successfully developed a first-in-class platform for magnetically guided, targeted drug delivery to any vascular region of the human body. Key technical achievements include the fabrication of biodegradable drug-carrying capsules, a magnetic navigation system, automated control algorithms, and a catheter-based release mechanism, all validated in vitro and in vivo. Clinically relevant proof-of-concept demonstrations showcased navigation through complex vasculature and site-specific delivery of thrombolytic agents. Dissemination efforts included high-impact publications, public workshops, podcasts, and direct engagement with policymakers and healthcare stakeholders. The ANGIE ecosystem fostered interdisciplinary collaboration, public engagement, and early-stage commercialization, resulting in two spin-offs. The project laid the groundwork for future clinical translation and market adoption of microrobotic drug delivery technologies.
The ANGIE project represents a significant step beyond the current state of the art in targeted drug delivery, micro-robotics, and interventional medicine. Unlike existing systemic delivery approaches or catheter-based interventions with limited reach and specificity, ANGIE introduces a paradigm-shifting platform: fully biodegradable, magnetically steerable microcapsules guided by external electromagnetic fields to precisely deliver drugs in deep and tortuous vasculature.
Key innovations include:
• A clinically compatible electromagnetic navigation system (eMNS) with real-time control over both position and orientation of microdevices inside flowing blood.
• Biodegradable, drug-loaded capsules with tunable release profiles and visibility under fluoroscopy.
• Robust control algorithms and tracking systems, enabling automated navigation through bifurcations and complex vascular geometries.
• Integration with clinical tools, such as custom-designed catheters and angiographic imaging, allowing seamless translation to clinical workflows.
By the end of the project, ANGIE has already demonstrated proof-of-concept in benchtop, ex vivo, and in vivo environments.
The expected impacts are multi-dimensional:
• Clinical impact: ANGIE enables site-specific delivery of thrombolytic or cytotoxic agents, potentially reducing systemic side effects, improving therapeutic efficacy, and enabling intervention in previously inaccessible regions (e.g. distal neurovascular clots).
• Economic impact: By decreasing reliance on systemic therapies and surgical interventions, ANGIE can reduce hospitalization times, treatment costs, and complications—yielding savings for healthcare systems.
• Technological impact: The project has set new benchmarks in microrobotic design, navigation, and drug delivery systems, which will catalyze innovation in both academia and industry.
• Societal impact: ANGIE addresses major health burdens such as ischemic stroke and cancer, offering precision, minimally invasive therapeutic options that improve quality of life and long-term outcomes.
Socio-economically, ANGIE fosters high-tech job creation, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, and strengthens Europe’s leadership in medical robotics and nanomedicine. By forming startups, engaging with public stakeholders, and training early-stage innovators, ANGIE has already initiated a ripple effect in research, industry, and public awareness that will persist beyond the project’s lifetime.
Key innovations include:
• A clinically compatible electromagnetic navigation system (eMNS) with real-time control over both position and orientation of microdevices inside flowing blood.
• Biodegradable, drug-loaded capsules with tunable release profiles and visibility under fluoroscopy.
• Robust control algorithms and tracking systems, enabling automated navigation through bifurcations and complex vascular geometries.
• Integration with clinical tools, such as custom-designed catheters and angiographic imaging, allowing seamless translation to clinical workflows.
By the end of the project, ANGIE has already demonstrated proof-of-concept in benchtop, ex vivo, and in vivo environments.
The expected impacts are multi-dimensional:
• Clinical impact: ANGIE enables site-specific delivery of thrombolytic or cytotoxic agents, potentially reducing systemic side effects, improving therapeutic efficacy, and enabling intervention in previously inaccessible regions (e.g. distal neurovascular clots).
• Economic impact: By decreasing reliance on systemic therapies and surgical interventions, ANGIE can reduce hospitalization times, treatment costs, and complications—yielding savings for healthcare systems.
• Technological impact: The project has set new benchmarks in microrobotic design, navigation, and drug delivery systems, which will catalyze innovation in both academia and industry.
• Societal impact: ANGIE addresses major health burdens such as ischemic stroke and cancer, offering precision, minimally invasive therapeutic options that improve quality of life and long-term outcomes.
Socio-economically, ANGIE fosters high-tech job creation, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, and strengthens Europe’s leadership in medical robotics and nanomedicine. By forming startups, engaging with public stakeholders, and training early-stage innovators, ANGIE has already initiated a ripple effect in research, industry, and public awareness that will persist beyond the project’s lifetime.