Project: MoleculAr harvesTing with electroporation, microfluidics and nanoparticles for dIagnoSticS and thErapy of heterogeneous solid tumours.
| Acronym | Matisse (Reference Number: EURONANOMED2020-124) |
| Duration | 01/01/2021 - 01/01/2024 |
| Project Topic | Intratumor heterogeneity is a major challenge preventing the adaptation of personalized medicine. The objective of this proposal is to develop nanotechnology-driven tools for effective diagnostics of intratumor heterogeneity and subsequent therapy with tailored nanoparticles. The methods include (i) collection of molecular biopsies at improved spatial resolution by tissue permeabilisation with electroporation, (ii) automation of sample preparation on electroporated extracts (RNA and proteins extraction) using centrifugal microfluidics and (iii) application of therapeutic gold and silica nanoparticles addressing the tumor subclonality. The hypothesis behind the MATISSE project is that the combination of the proposed technologies will enable dissecting heterogeneity of solid tumours addressable by nanoparticle drugs. This hypothesis is based on our recent results that electroporation-based extracts of RNA and proteins yield differential signatures for liver and 4T1 tumours models in mice and our expertise in microfluidics, electroporation, clinical oncology and development of cell-specific nanoparticles. To test the hypothesis, international consortium of experts in engineering, nanotechnology, medicine, biochemistry, and machine learning will jointly tackle the following specific challenges: 1) development of a novel e-biopsy device for molecular harvesting in vivo; 2) determination of the electric pulse parameters for RNA and protein extraction; 3) development of a microfluidic technology for interfacing e-biopsy devices and laboratory instrumentation that ensures integrity of data collection during biopsies analysis; 4) development of nanoparticles combinations to address the heterogeneity of the 4T1 model tested in vivo. Solving these challenges will allow to rapidly translate the technological advances in the areas of electroporation, microfluidics and nanoparticles into the applications of high relevance in cancer diagnostics and therapy. |
| Network | EuroNanoMed III |
| Call | Joint Transnational Call (2020) |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tel Aviv University | Coordinator | Israel |
| 2 | Meir Medical Center | Partner | Israel |
| 3 | Izmir Institute of Technology | Partner | Türkiye |
| 4 | SINTEF AS | Partner | Norway |
| 5 | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Partner | Lithuania |
| 5 | Vytautas Magnus University | Partner | Lithuania |