Descripción del proyecto
Una tecnología implantable para la regeneración neuronal tras una lesión medular
Cada año, cerca de medio millón de personas reciben un diagnóstico de lesión medular. La capacidad reducida para generar un nuevo crecimiento axonal, acompañada de un entorno no permisivo, da lugar a parálisis. A fin de regenerar la función neuronal tras una lesión medular, el proyecto financiado con fondos europeos RISEUP desarrollará una tecnología implantable, biodegradable, biocompatible y electrificada que introduce pulsaciones eléctricas controladas inalámbricas para estimular las células madre neuronales y las células estromales multipotentes trasplantadas. Estas pulsaciones eléctricas facilitan la maduración celular y la actividad neuronal, lo que desencadena la reconexión de neuronas endógenas. La visión a largo plazo de RISEUP es ofrecer un tratamiento innovador para la lesión medular que mejorará la calidad de vida de los pacientes.
Objetivo
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), a major cause of paralysis, currently has no effective therapies. Every year almost 500.000 people are diagnosed with SCI worldwide. In Europe, the average investment is up to 2 M€ per patient in health care. The difficulty on the neuronal restoration after SCI is based on the complex cascade of events that inexorably cause a degenerative chronic stage mainly favored by the non-permissive environment and limited capacity for axonal regrowth. Multifaceted strategies are considered the unique solution for functional restoration by including cell substitution, neuroprotection and axonal growth promotion. RISEUP proposes to attain neuronal functional regeneration after SCI by an unprecedented and unique bio-hybrid-compatible electro-activated and wireless-rechargeable implantable technology. RISEUP introduces high voltage microsecond electric pulses (micropulses) stimulations and low amplitude direct currents on a combination of stem cells (induced neural stem cells and multipotent stromal cells), whose transplantation is facilitated by an innovative scaffold biomaterial. The RISEUP concept is that micropulses, being able to impose and control cytosolic Calcium oscillations, will facilitate cell maturation, survival and neurotrophic factors secretion. Because Calcium signaling is essential for neuronal activity, endogenous neuronal re-connections will also be favored. RISEUP goal, even if ambitious, is concrete due to the multidisciplinary partners’ competences, initiating from TRL1 a radically new line of technology (electro-activated, remotely controlled, biocompatible, biodegradable cell-containing implants for the repair of neuronal lesions) establishing its proof-of-principle (TRL3). The long-term vision of RISEUP is the radical change in SCI treatment modality to assure the cure delivery without any machinery connection, dramatically improving patients’ quality of life.
Ámbito científico
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryalkaline earth metals
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologycells technologiesstem cells
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinetransplantation
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterials
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologyimplants
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaConvocatoria de subcontratación
H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01
Régimen de financiación
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinador
00196 Roma
Italia