Project description
Ultrasound-Responsive “Nanoglues” for Targeted Gene Delivery in Glioblastoma Therapy
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of malignant brain cancer. Gene therapies, particularly those using CRISPR/Cas technology, are emerging as a promising avenue for GBM treatment. However, delivering therapies across the blood-brain barrier is difficult. There is also the risk of off-target effects and immune responses. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CRISPRGlue project aims to address these challenges. It will develop ‘nanoglues’. These are engineered nanogels designed to deliver CRISPR tools directly to the tumour, with release triggered by ultrasound. The project will assess the effectiveness of these tools using a knock-down approach in the GFP-expressing U87MG cell line, focusing on EGFR genes, which are commonly overexpressed in GBM.
Objective
"Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), constituting 50.1% of CNS tumors, is the most frequent malignant brain cancer with a median survival of 14.6 months, highlighting the urgent need for more effective treatment strategies. The rise of effective gene therapies especially CRISPR/Cas (“clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/associated protein 9”) based gene editing technology has sparked optimism for treating GBM. Given the ongoing challenges with CRISPR-Cas gene therapy, such as effective delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), off-target effects, and immune responses associated with Cas9, this research proposal (CRISPRGlue) aims to develop ""nanoglues,"" a novel class of engineered nanogels for targeted delivery of CRISPR tools followed by ultrasound triggered release to address GBM treatment challenges at a European level. The gene editing efficacy of the CRISPR/Cas tools delivered by “nanoglues” will be preliminary investigated as a “proof of concept” by knock-down approach with GFP expressed U87MG cell line followed by targeting EGFR genes which are highly overexpressed in GBM sites. The project unites a dynamic researcher, Dr. Soumen Ghosh, with expertise in synthetic organic chemistry and protein science, alongside POLYMAT, an innovative institute focused on biomedical solutions utilizing nanogels for the controlled release of the CRISPR/Cas9 complex. Prof. Marcelo Calderón, the host supervisor, is a globally recognized researcher leading the “Responsive Polymer Therapeutics Group (RPTG),” a top team specializing in drug delivery using nanogels (NGs). The multidisciplinary expertise required for CRISPRGlue will be complemented by the Smart Bio-Interfaces group led by Prof. Gianni Ciofani. CRISPRGlue will advance the researcher’s career in both academic and non-academic fields by developing non-viral gene delivery systems to facilitate curative gene editing, empowering him to drive the translation of laboratory findings to pre-clinical trials."
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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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.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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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.
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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
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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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.
48940 Leioa
Spain
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.