Descrizione del progetto
Approccio rivoluzionario per il trattamento dell’epilessia farmacoresistente
Circa il 30 % dei pazienti affetti da epilessia presenta una forma farmacoresistente della malattia. In questa condizione, neanche con due farmaci antiepilettici, prescritti in monoterapia o in combinazione, si è in grado di liberare il paziente dalle crisi epilettiche. Ad oggi, nessun approccio ha prodotto un miglioramento significativo in questi pazienti. Questo consorzio, finanziato dall’UE, sta sviluppando un approccio completamente nuovo per manipolare l’eccitabilità delle cellule neuronali, applicando il firing neuronale attraverso l’attivazione ionica diretta su scala microscopica e il monitoraggio delle risposte cellulari mediante transistori su nanoscala. Questo consorzio multidisciplinare si propone di stabilire la prova di principio per la rivoluzionaria tecnologia di neuromodulazione, attraverso l’attivazione di impianti cerebrali futuri per il trattamento dell’epilessia tramite test in vitro su speciali polimeri e serie di sensori ionici ultra-sensibili.
Obiettivo
There is a need for a paradigm shift in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. Several routes have been explored to modulate or silence dysfunctional neural circuits, through genetic, electrical, magnetic or optical means. All have serious limitations due to the unphysiological mechanisms used to regulate neuronal activity. In IN-FET, we address this issue by manipulating the elementary building blocks of cell excitability: ions. IN-FET tackles the visionary idea of altering neuronal firing and synaptic transmission by direct ionic actuation at the microscopic scale, while monitoring cell responses by arrays of nanoscale transistors. We will develop and test, in vitro, the use of active polymers to trap or release electrochemically specific ions in the extracellular milieu surrounding neurons. These will be integrated with ion sensors and ultra-sensitive nanowire arrays, offering closed-loop regulation of cellular electrical activity. We will deliver for the first time a device that can physiologically modulate the neuronal membrane potential, the synaptic release probability, and glutamatergic NMDA receptors activation by altering potassium, calcium, and magnesium ionic concentrations in a controlled and spatially-confined manner. High-resolution simultaneous probing of cell activity will be performed by Si-nanowire vertical transistors, penetrating the membranes and detecting the cell electrical activity at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions. In conclusion, IN-FET's multidisciplinary consortium brings together state-of-the-art electrochemistry, 3-d nanofabrication, nanoelectronics, and numerical simulations, and combines neuronal biophysics to device modeling. IN-FET will thus establish the proof-of-principle for a breakthrough biocompatible neuromodulation technology, with a clear impact for future brain implants for epilepsy treatment, advancing neuroscience, biomedical microsystems engineering, and nano-neurotechnology.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Invito a presentare proposte
Vedi altri progetti per questo bandoBando secondario
H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01
Meccanismo di finanziamento
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinatore
34136 Trieste
Italia