The project
NanoStem is a multidisciplinary and innovative project based on a holistic approach to address brain delivery and specifically, to target neurogenic niches. It brings advanced NP formulations containing drugs that were never tested in the context of the brain (e.g. CRISPR system), advanced screening of NP formulations in a human BBB model developed recently by the partners of the consortium, and in vivo testing of the formulations in the NSC. This project brings together academic and industrial teams with a very interdisciplinary expertise ranging from NP synthesis and characterisation, in vitro BBB models and BBB transport, NSCs, animal testing and clinical expertise.
The scientific aim of this network is to develop and characterise a selected set of advanced nanomaterials, and to study their suitability as novel drug delivery systems to target NSCs to induce their differentiation and mobilisation to areas of disease. The project addresses current intersectorial barriers, fragmentation of efforts and lacking interdisciplinary skills – key essentials to achieve the scientific goals. The project will train a cohort of Early Stage Researchers in different scientific areas including: polymer chemistry and materials science, cell biology, pharmacology, neuroscience, nanobiotechnology and clinical sciences. The project will also provide a substantial training program in complementary skills, targeting both professional and personal development, and translation of research and entrepreneurship.
Project website : https://www.nanostem.qmul.ac.uk/
What we bring to the partnership
We work on the adaptation and development of human BBB model in a miniaturized format (96-well formats) and automatized way, allowing a higher, faster, and cheaper screening of compounds for BBB permeability.
List of partners
- Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), United Kingdom
- Centro Neurociencias e Biologia Celular (CNC), Portugal
- Universite d’Artois (UA), France
- Karolinska Institutet (KI), Sweden
- MJR PharmJet GmbH (MJR), Germany
- University of Birmingham (UB), UK
- Universität Innsbruck (UIBK), Austria
- Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU), Germany
- Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Portugal
- SANOFI (SARD), France
- Saarland University (USAAR), Germany
- Brains for Brain (B4B), Italy
- Instituto de Ciências Neares Aplicadas à Saude (ICNAS), Portugal
- HCS-Pharma (HP), France