SEMB

The objective of the SEMB project is to propose (i) new strategies based on innovative chelating hybrid materials, (ii) diagnostic methods using metal ions as biomarkers and (iii) treatments for neurodegenerative diseases correlated to dysregulation of metallic homeostasis. The project will focus on the proof of concept for Parkinson’s disease. In addition, the technology developed in this proposal can also be applied to other diseases where the role of metal accumulation in the pathophysiological process is already well known such as Wilson Disease or other neurodegenerative diseases where it is highly suspected like Azheimer’s disease or Huntington’s disease. SEMB project is a multidisciplinary proposal including 3 academic partners, 1 SME and 1 hospital. The aim of the project is to gather enough data to validate a first clinical trial. Our project aims at proposing a new approach against neurodegenerative diseases through the restoration of metal homeostasis by selectively extracting metals from cerebrospinal fluid or from selective area of the brain. To this effect, we will couple two strategies already used in clinic: (i) chelation therapy with hybrid materials and (ii) microdialysis. This new medical device has the advantage to bypass intravenous or oral routes and avoid classical pitfalls of chelation therapy (i.e. lack of targeting, difficulty to pass the blood brain barrier, eventual toxicity of the chelates, lack of selectivity of the chelates, saturation of the chelates before reaching the targeted lesion,…). At the end of the project, the industrial partner MexBrain will provide a completed medical device composed by a microdialysis apparatus associated with a chelating dialysate fluid. All benchmarks data will allow us to start regulatory compliance production of dialysate fluid with cGMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and also regulatory in vitro and in vivo studies (including biocompatibility, efficiency, etc). The gathered data (PoC, regulatory studies) will enable us to obtain the approval of medical device to begin phase Ib of clinical trial.