New frontiers of engineered nanovectors to improve treatment efficacy and safety in neurological disorders.
The coordinator of this project is IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi (FDG) . The Principal Investigator responsible of the project is Dr. Marzia Bedoni.
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Pathology of interest: |
Alzheimer’s disease and Glioblastoma |
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Area of research: |
neurological disorders |
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Start date: |
January 1, 2020 |
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End date: |
December 31, 2022 (extended until June 30, 2023) |
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Funding: |
€ 3.500.000,00 |
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Project partners: |
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi (FDG) – leading partner - Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca (UNIMIB) - IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas - IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele - Università degli Studi di Milano (UNIMI) |
PROJECT SUMMARY
NEVERMIND is an ambitious project that strives to couple state-of-art nanotechnologies with cutting edge advancements in neuroscience to develop innovative nanovectors that can reach the brain and selectively halt some detrimental processes occurring during Alzheimer’s disease and Glioblastoma. The involved hospitals have long standing experience in therapy and care of patients with these neurological disorders and their researchers have joined forces with the University partners to identify a common drug delivery strategy.
Up to now, for these three pathologies no effective therapy exists mainly because of failure to vehicle the appropriate dose of drugs to the brain, across the so-called blood brain barrier that makes the central nervous system unreachable for most molecules.
The project is specifically aimed at developing a nanoscaled vector able to cross the blood brain barrier, enter the brain and release its cargo where it is needed.
The NEVERMIND project starts from some molecules that proved their efficacy on a cellular level, but failed to achieve the required therapeutic levels. Their encapsulation within the nanovectors will be anticipated by extensive study of their chemical features and followed by accurate characterization and safety analysis. Experiments on complex cell models will be performed to verify the effective drug delivery. Both cells from healthy subjects and patients will be considered to avoid the overlook on inherited factors. Indeed, the analytical tests will be accompanied by the investigation of genetic modifications related to the diseases, especially Alzheimer’s, that might alter the response to the therapy. Later on, preclinical tests on animal models will be necessary to demonstrate the feasibility, efficacy and safety in real organisms.
If successful, NEVERMIND project will shed new light and hope on the therapeutic approach to neurological disorders, speeding up the translation of bench results to clinics.
NEWS
NEVERMIND COFFEE HOUR - webinars organized by the consortium: www.labion.eu/nevermind-coffee-hour/
IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi (FDG), coordinator of the project, has published the following news on its website: