Project description
Nanoparticle-based treatment of neuropathic pain
Chronic neuropathic pain, which results from nerve damage or a malfunctioning nervous system, affects 60 million people worldwide. As current pain killers are only partially effective, new therapies are desirable. The EU-funded PIANO project proposes that local targeted delivery to the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) can optimise pain management and allow monitoring changes of pain transmission under neuropathic pain conditions. PIANO focuses on pain mechanisms at the DRG which contain the cell bodies of specialised neurones that transmit noxious signalling from the periphery to the central nervous system, where pain is perceived. Researchers will identify the DRG involved in pain signalling by the aid of targeted nanoparticles to enable visualisation of pain and inflammation and the delivery of analgesic compounds.
Objective
Chronic pain is a debilitating disease, which affects approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide, and of those, approximately
4% suffer from neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain is often described as a shooting or burning pain that can come and then
disappear but equally it may become chronic, where the pain may become unrelenting and severe. It often is the result of
nerve damage or a malfunctioning nervous system. Additionally there is the impact upon society where the costs related to
disability allowance, treatment, lost wages and productivity impacts the economy. Current treatments for chronic pain are not
fully reliable and there is a severe lack of tools to diagnose or visualise the pain process within the dorsal root ganglia
(DRG). Humans have 62 DRGs which are the first relay stations in the pain pathway. Local targeted treatment at the level of
those DRGs involved in the pain process is the solution to circumvent side effects and optimise treatment. We aim to identify
involved DRGs by visualising cells or molecules in the DRG which are directly or indirectly associated with the generation of
pain. We will use a novel method of nanoparticles targeted towards pain-associated cells or molecules in the DRG. A vast
amount of neuropathic pain studies have shown an eminent infiltration of macrophages into affected DRGs. These
nanoparticles will be specifically designed to target initially the macrophages in the DRG, encapsulating both therapeutic
payloads and imaging contrast reagents to monitor pain-associated activities. The goal of PIANO is therefore to facilitate a
state-of-art approach to visualisation of neuropathic pain / inflammation at DRG sites as well as to simultaneously release
analgesic molecules from the nanoparticles.
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.
- social sciences economics and business economics production economics productivity
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
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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.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.1. - Fostering new skills by means of excellent initial training of researchers
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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.
MSCA-ITN - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN)
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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-MSCA-ITN-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.
WC2R 2LS London
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.