Project description
Novel treatment of drug-resistant bacterial lung infections
The growing resistance to many antibiotics and the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria calls for the development of alternative antibacterial therapies. Currently, bacterial drug resistance is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis and hospital-acquired lung infections. The EU-funded project will develop new treatment for bacterial lung infections using inhalable light sources that excite bacterial endogenous photosensitisers (porphyrins), killing the bacteria via the photodynamic effect (local production of reactive cytotoxic oxygen). The treatment will be safe for host tissues and effective against drug-resistant pathogens. Research involves the development of inhalable luminescent particles, the method for delivery to the lungs, and evaluation of the treatment parameters in relevant clinical models.
Objective
Light4lungs addresses the problem of antimicrobial resistance in the treatment of chronic lung infections, which are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diseases such as cystic fibrosis and hospital-acquired lung infections. The goal is to develop a novel therapeutic scheme for the treatment of the infections, whereby antibiotics will be replaced by inhalable light sources that will excite bacterial endogenous photosensitisers (e.g. iron-free porphyrins), eliminating the pathogenic bacteria by the photodynamic effect (local production of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species by the combined action of light, a photosensitiser and oxygen) irrespective of its multidrug resistance profile. The treatment will be safe for the host tissue because of its lack of self-photosensitising ability.
Light4Lungs departs from current paradigms: (1) bacterial infections will be treated without antibiotics, which will be replaced by breathable light sources; (2) bacteria will be eliminated without any externally-added drug, taking advantage of endogenous photosensitisers; (3) a breathable light source will be used to elicit the therapeutic action, avoiding the use of invasive physical tethers to deliver light to the lungs. The project encompasses the development of particles with persistent luminescence, the aerosol technology for activation and delivery to the lungs, and the definition of the treatment parameters through toxicity and efficacy tests in clinically relevant models of respiratory infections. The project combines several different scientific expertise from photonics to medicine. The results will be useful for patients with recalcitrant respiratory tract bacterial infections and will eventually be extended to other diseases in the lungs and in other internal organs. The impact reaches beyond antimicrobial resistance itself and will affect many other fields such as healthcare, nanomedicine, materials science and nanotechnology and lightning
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- social sciences sociology demography mortality
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- engineering and technology nanotechnology
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology nanomedicine
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs antibiotics
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
H2020-EU.1.2. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme -
H2020-EU.1.2.1. - FET Open
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
RIA - Research and Innovation action
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2020
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
08017 Barcelona
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.