No fewer than twelve consortia will be able to start their research projects aimed at developing technological innovations thanks to the Perspective program. Two of these will contribute to the transition to animal-free innovations. The FEMCHIP project focuses on improved diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis and adenomyosis using human in vitro models. The SPARC project aims to make tumors more recognizable for immunotherapy and to test this without the use of laboratory animals.
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Boost for the innovation power of the Netherlands
A crucial factor in these Perspective projects is their societal and economic impact. They receive a total of 46.4 million euros in funding from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and NWO. Industry and other partners add an additional backing of 19.6 million euros. The Perspectief programme hereby gives a major boost to the technological innovation power of the Netherlands.
Controlling uterine lining
Endometriosis and adenomyosis are conditions in which uterine lining grows in places where it should not, such as in the bladder, in the ovaries, and deep within the uterine wall. These conditions, which affect 10 and 30 percent of women respectively, cause heavy bleeding, pain, and infertility. They are poorly understood, difficult to diagnose, and there are few treatment options. FEMCHIP is developing new imaging techniques to improve diagnosis, and advanced 3D models of the conditions themselves to increase understanding. The consortium is using these models to find treatments that reduce pain and disease burden and improve fertility. Programme leader is prof. dr. R.K. (Roman) Truckenmüller of the Maastricht University.
Making tumours recognizable
Immunotherapy is a promising new treatment in cancer care. It teaches the patient’s immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. However, in some tumours, often called “cold tumours”, immunotherapy does not trigger a strong immune response, because they are harder to detect and target for the immune system. SPARC is developing personalized nanomedicines that can transform these insensitive “cold tumours” into “hot tumours” that do respond to immunotherapy. In addition, the project is developing new technologies for the precise delivery, animal-free testing, and production of the drugs. In this way, the consortium aims to improve patient survival and quality of life, limit side effects, and reduce healthcare costs. Dr. A.Y. (Alina) Rwei of the TU Delft is programme leader.
Source: NWO