Nanomedicine based approaches for the treatment and diagnostic of different Lung diseases (LungCare)

Programme

Horizon Europe

Project coordination

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique CNRS (FR)

Cooperation partners

• Danube Private University (AT)
• Bogazici Universitesi (TR)
• Linxens France (FR)
• E-Diagmetrics Gmbh (AT)
• Rs Arastirma Egitim Danismanlik Ilac Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Sirketi (TR)
• Naukovo Vyrobnychyj Kooperatyv Lectinotest (UA)
• Universidad Nacional De La Plata (AR)
• Gisens Biotech (AR)
• Universite De Lille (FR)
• Consejo Nacional De Investigaciones Cientificas Y Tecnicas (Conicet) (AR)

Researchers involved at DPU

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Youbin Zheng
• Assist. Prof. Dr. Juan Allegretto 
• Dipl. Ing. Dr. Dr. Rosmarie Bajlitz
• Ioannis Lazarou, PhD

Abstract

Nanotechnology has found numerous applications in the biomedical sector, particularly in drug delivery, diagnostics, and treatment monitoring. Nanomaterials offer precise and targeted solutions, enhance therapies, and enable remarkably accurate early disease detection. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions program, the LungCare project will leverage nanotechnology to develop nanovaccines and inhalable treatments against lung infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Researchers will also develop sensors for lung cancer diagnosis and portable tests for the early detection of tuberculosis. The project is a collaborative effort with partners from the EU and associated countries, fostering knowledge exchange and supporting high-level research.

Project objective: Nanotechnology concepts have integrated into almost all aspects of current research and the present research area is recognized to be one of nanoscience. Nanomaterials are promising materials to develop new technologies in every branch of science and technology. This is also true when it comes to the biomedical field, where nanotechnology in the form of nanomedicine has a great potential to overcome some of the current limitations using conventional analytical and therapeutic approaches. 

The focal point of the LungCare project is to turn nanotechnological potentials into tangible outcomes with benefits for patients and the society at large. The philosophy behind LungCare is to provide improvement to the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infections via nanovaccines and inhalable therapeutics. It also focuses on the pending question for early and accurate diagnoses of tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer via the development of sensitive point of care testing devices. In case of lung cancer, sensor development will be accompanied by quantitative image analysis to increase diagnostic accuracy and improve our understanding of the disease characteristics. 

The LungCare project aims at training of the next generation of students in this rapidly advancing field at the interface between chemistry-physics-biology-medicine and to up-date and improve the know-how of senior researchers and PIs in important parts of nanomedicine such as clinical assay development, state-of the art of organoid developments to limit in vivo testing via and the implementation of artificial intelligence in diagnostics. The different intersectoral secondments to 2 European countries (France, Austria), 2 associated countries (Turkey, Ukraine) and one associated partner (Argentina) will strengthen nanomedicine on the EU level, will encourage knowledge gain and will insure preserving.

Read more about the project