Project description
Biocompatible multifunctional nanomaterials for Alzheimer’s photothermal treatment
Neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are marked by memory loss and cognitive decline caused by amyloid-β (Aβ) protein accumulation. Ultra-small gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) have emerged as a promising tool for early AD diagnosis and treatment due to their biocompatibility and ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PERSONA project will develop biocompatible, multifunctional nanomaterials for the high-resolution detection and non-invasive degradation of amyloid aggregates. Leveraging the unique properties of Au NCs, these materials will enable nanoscopic imaging and two-photon photothermal ablation of amyloids. Additionally, they will function as drug delivery vehicles, capable of penetrating cell membranes and the BBB to deliver targeted anti-amyloid treatments.
Objective
Neurodegenerative diseases are a global epidemic with significant health, social and economic implications and despite intensive research, there is still no cure for them. Alzheimers disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurological disorder having symptoms of the progressive memory loss, neuronal cell death, loss of immune response and cognitive function, eventually leading to patient death. Amyloid- (A) protein is the main neuropathic agent in AD and aggregation of A plaques are found in the brain tissue of patients suffering from this disease. The application of nanomaterials has emerged as a new frontier in nanomedicine for the treatment of AD. Among various nanomaterials, ultrasmall gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) may serve as a promising choice for the diagnosis and treatment of AD from the very early stage which can be well justified by the advantages of Au NCs in terms of their diverse physicochemical properties, biocompatibility and biodistribution, high surface to volume ratio, ease for functionalisation and drug loading, bloodbrain barrier (BBB) translocation and the possibility of two-photon excitation. The main objective of our research is to advance in the development of new, biocompatible multifunctional nanomaterials for the detection of amyloids with high spatial resolution and the subsequent degradation of amyloid aggregates using a non-invasive approach. In this regard, the blinking and non-linear optical properties of the Au NCs enable its potential for nanoscopic imaging of amyloid and two-photon photothermal ablation of amyloid aggregates. Another advantage of the proposed multifunctional nanomaterials is that they can also be used as drug delivery vehicles to penetrate the cell membrane and BBB to deliver anti-amyloid drugs that exhibit effective imaging-guided photothermal efficacy. This research will use state-of-the-art technology to develop a multifunctional phototheranostic nanomedicine for the detection and treatment of amyloid diseases.
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.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology neurodegenerative diseases dementia alzheimer
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology nanomedicine
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
75794 Paris
France
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.