Contrast agents (CAs) are used in over 40% of the tens of millions of MRI clinical examinations performed each year. All CAs approved for clinical use are complexes based on the metal ion Gd(III).
Approximately 50 tons of this element, which belongs to rare earths, are administered to patients every year.
However, the production of rare earths is only 1% in the EU but 90% in China. In addition, these elements are challenging to extract usign environmentally sustainable processes and to recover after use.
To correct these imbalances and strengthen its value chains, the EU aims to find viable alternatives based on metals with low environmental impact and widely available.
Our project explores the possibility of replacing Gd(III) with endogenous ions such as Fe(III) or Mn(II).
Recent results indicate that Fe(III) chelates have properties suitable for this purpose, but there are multiple challenges to overcome.
Dr. Nucera, a researcher in Prof. Botta's research group (DISIT-UPO) within the flagship project INNDIANA, has been selected for an oral presentation at an important scientific congress and he will discuss the chemical and magnetic characterization of two model compound, Fe(III) complexes with derivates of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) containing 1 or 2 benzylidene-methoxy-methylene (BOM) arms: EDTA-BOM1 and EDTA-BOM2.
This study represents an initial basis for the future design of system thta combine high efficacy, stability, kinetic inertia and the ability to engage in non-covalent interactions with proteins.
Elderly deaf patients are known to be fragile: there is an increased risk of falls and depressive states linked to social isolation. They often have a reduced physical functionality that lead to a decline in daily activities.
Hearing rehabilitation can alleviate these weaknesses and in case of severe to profound hearing loss, cochlear implants provide an optimal solution. These implants directly stimulate the auditory nerve and they need proper control and installation.
In particular, the cochlear implant is mapped (adjustement of the intensity and electrical current for each electrode that stimulates the cochlea) and, especially in the first year, frequent appointments are required to monitor the rehabilitation protocol.
Sometimes this can be a problem for patients, having to undergo frequent hospital checks.
Recognizing the need for a new model of care delivery to alleviate the burden on both patients and healthcare facilities, an innovative solution based on remote monitoring of hearing remediation devices thorugh teleassistance has been conceptualized and will be developed.
This innovative method has been designed to increase clinical efficiency by evaluating the management needs of each individual patient and identifying those who truly require an in-person appointment.
At the same time, patients benefit from a more convenient care option that keeps them in touch with their healthcare provider and ensures the possibility of requesting a hospital visit only when necessary,
In particular, parents can be reassured that their child's device works well without the necessity to go to the hospital.
It is online the ranking of companies that have expressed interest in co-financing doctoral positions for the XXXIX cycle, a.a. 2023-2024 for Spoke 5 - Health Industry and Silver Economy.
The call, published in May 2023, provided for the activation of 6 research doctoral positions of three years funded by the PNRR-NODES project and by companies interested in establishing collaborations with universities.
The project proposals received were examined by the Evalutation Commission, made up of 3 experts, passing thorugh various evaluation stages.
The impact of the projects on the career prospects and employability of doctoral students was one of the key evaluation criteria, in line with one of the main objectives of NODES project such as increasing youth employment.
The 4 eligible and funded projects are focused on the innovation needs of the Ecosystem's territory and they are aligned with the research and innovation themes of Spoke 5. PhD students will be employed in research based on experimental medicine and persolized therapies, territorial medicine, clinical and pre-clinical experimentation in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields (for both human and veterinary use).
Ranking
The doctor Simona Casarella, PhD student at the laboratory of Human Anatomy led by Professor Francesca Boccafoschi, together with the master student Federica Ferla, deal with the project ''Identification of laminin-binding oligopeptides in cardiac development: a possible use in functionalized dECM-based biomaterials to restore cardiac functionality in late phase of acute-Myocardial Infarction (MI)'', which aims to study cardiac functional regeneration after a heart attack through the use of innovative biomaterials.
Myocardial infarction affects approximately 3 million people worldwide and it is associated with modifiable risk factors (e.g. lifestyle habits, cigarette smoking, etc.) and non-modifiable factors (e.g. gender, family history, etc).
One of the main causes is atherosclerosis, which is the formation of atherosclerotic plaques that lead to vascular occlusion resulting in cellular death due to inadequate or absent vascularization of the tissue and necrosis of the damaged area.
The functional restoration of damaged tissue or its replacement is made complex also by the fact that cardiomyocytes (cardiac muscle cells) lack regenerative capabilities.
The main clinical therapies for heart attack include drug therapies and implantantion of the ventricular assistance device (VAD). However, none of these strategies is capable of restoring the cardiac phenotype of cells and avoiding the functional loss of the affectes area.
Due to the high incidence of the pathology and the inadequacy of current therapeutic solutions, cardiovascular engineering is a field of particular interest for basic and traslational research.
In this regard, biomaterials, composed of synthetic and/or natural materials, would represent a potential solution for cardiac regeneration.
The Higher Institute of Health estimates that by 2050, the percentage of elderly people will double increasing from 11% to 22%.
This means that health facilities may have to handle a number of people that we had never seen before.
In this context, every action aimed at preventing health problems, especially for the most vulnerable people such as the edlerlt, could avoid the congestion of health facilities.
Among the most frequent problems for this type of populatio, falls are a frequent concern, often leading to incomplete recovery of motricity and, in some cases, proving to be fatal.
Thanks to the use of wearable devices that constanlty monitor the hiking of the person wearing the device and the use of artificial intelligence algorithms, it is possible to evaluate the quality of a person's hiking and therefore try to predict a potential fall.
In fact, once the system detects that a situation is potentially dangerous (e.g. ''high probability of a fall in the next 1-5 days), the doctor can intervene, for example, by changing the therapy or prescribing specific visits in order to minimize the risk of a fall event.
Dr. Giuseppe Cappellano, researcher at UPO-DISS in the Immunomics laboratory led by Professor Annalisa Chiocchetti, is responsible for the project entitled ''Autologous synovia-on-chip: a sustainable preclinical model for drug discovery and clinical trials on chip for Rheumatoid arthritis'', which aims to develop a synovial-on-chip for personalized medicine in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
RA is an autoimmune disease (AD) in which the immune system, whose role is to defend us against pathogens, makes a mistake and attacks out joint, recognizing them as foreign. ADs are constantly increasing, and there is the necessity to identify specific therapies ad hoc for patients.
Organs-on-chip represent one of the news frontiers of modern medicine and are based on the idea of recreating a miniature human organ on a small chip.
The different tissues that constitute it are connected by a fluidic system made up of small tubes that allow the arrival of nutrients and drugs to the tissues. Despite the fact that today the drug portfolio for the treatment of autoimmune diseases is extensive, not all patients respond to therapies, and for clinicians it is not easy to identify the ''right'' one immediately.
Therefore, the patient who does not respond to drug ''1'' is treated with the drug ''2'', etc. Finding the right drug not only represents a stressful situation for the patient but also carries the risk of adverse reaction.
One solution could be to recreate in the laboratory on a small chip the tissue affected in the MA, constructed from the patient's cells (isolated from biopsies) and then treat it with various drugs: once the ''ideal'' candidate is identified, it can ben administered to the patient.
The project I'm working on, continues Dr. Cappellano, is to recreate a synovium on a chip that, once ''inflamed'', will be treated with the different drugs available for RA.
This project relies on the advice and collaboration with the start-up AI-TWIN (https://www.aitwin.it/) whose mission is to develop next generation clinical trials on chip.
As life expectancy increases, so does the average age of the global population. In recent years, the research world has been looking for innovative solutions to design effective and sustainable care pathways for elderly patients suffering from neurological disorders.
Neurocognitive rehabilitation, essential for countering the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, is particularly effective when systematically repeated over time and for many months. But for elderly patients moving home-to-hospital can be an obstacle.
In this case, Telemedicine proves the be highly suitable but unfortunately, experts report a high drop-out rate (abandonment of the treatment protocol) among patients who follow at distance these protocols.
Drop-out if often linked to motivational or emotional factors: neuropsychological exercise can be challenging and frustrating, making it difficult for a patient it can be difficult to proceed in the rehabilitation path without the constant presentation of a therapist.
But what would happen if a standard therapeutic process were replaced with a game?
As suggested by other ongoing research, serious games could be used to encourage motivation and engagement.
These would be ad hoc video games created for the rehabilitation of specific cognitive function, playable from home and with a simplified interface designed for an elderly user.
Preliminary studies demonstrate high involvement and reduced drop-out rates among patients involved in this innovative therapeutic strategy, opening the perspective to the creation of real therapies based on games.
Ceramic nanoparticles play a key and significant role in this technological evolution. In fact, they show exceptional capabilities that allow them to amplify their effect when they encounter a biological substrate (e.g. human skin) through the intrinsic property of FIR. They thus represent an innovative resource compared to traditional additives and materials, transferring energy in the form of heat.
This context includes tissues with FIR properties: a new category of functionalized tissues made of fibers impregnated with nanoparticles that emit FIR playing an important role in health and daily well-being.
In addition, this technology has promoted an extension of biomedical benefits because the beneficial effects of FIR affect their ability to reflect the infrared that the body normally dissipates; this mechanism can be used to increase local temperature, resulting in vasodilation and localized increment in blood microcirculation.
Moreover, there is also the ability to promote tissue regeneration, with activation of the immune system and increase of cellular and tissue metabolism. There are some of advantages of these modern innovative resources as useful strategies directed towards specific pathological conditions, including arthritis, muscle pain, muscle stiffness, and muscle spasm.
Instrumental analysis of movement is fundamental important in various disciplines and sectors, ranging from biomechanical modeling to early diagnosis and prevention of neuro-muscular pathologies. It assists specialists to develop individual therapy programs and monitoring the effectiveness of adopted strategies.
In particular, wearable sensors are becoming increasingly important because the collection of a wide range of data on human body movement directly in real life conditions. Recent scientific studies have also shown that wearable sensors play a fundamental role in the early detection of neuro-muscular diseases, thus facilitating early and more effective treatment.
Thanks to the NODES project, the groups of the Politecnico di Torino led by Professor Andrea Cereatti (Department of Electronics and Telecommunications) and Professor Gabriella Olmo (Department of Automation and Computer Science), have sinergically started to develop a new generation of innovative solutions for monitoring patients in real-life conditions.
All this is possible thanks to the complementary skills of the two research groups that integrate various technologies such as magneto-inertial sensors, pressure insoles and infrared distance sensors together with deep learning algorithms.
This multi-sensor technology allows to obtain parameters that can characterize the stability of patients and therefore predict the risk of falls as well as to recognize and identify early freezing of gait in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease.
Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome associated with disabling symptoms that worsen the quality of life and lead to frequent hospitalizations.
In recent years, medical advances in the management of heart failure have extended life expectancy but have also made the treatment regimen more complex. To prevent episodes of flare-up, for example, the person must learn to limit fluid intake, reduce salt consumption, strictly adhere to therapy and monitor weight daily.
An educational program managed by an experienced nurse, in collaboration with specialist physicians, which involves the active involvement of the patient in their treatment plan, including through a tele-monitoring system of vital parameters, could reduce hospital service utilization and improve people's quality of life and well-being.
The nurse, in fact, for his extensive expertise in the clinical and educational field, plays a crucial role in improving the ability to identify symptoms and self-manage of the disease.
After an initial mutual knowledge, the patient who will participate in the research will be contacted by phone by healthcare every two weeks. He will be supported in recognizing any episodes of disease exacerbation and educated onn the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle. In addition, it will be equipped with a kit for tele-monitoring of weight, blood pressure, heart rate and bood oxygen saturation.
Thanks to the technology, the vital signs measured by the patient will be automatically sent to the nurse who, remotely, can monitor person's health status and, if needed, implement the necessary actions to prevent aggravation.
A biomaterial as a new fronties in medicine, extremely innovative and in step with scientific progress.
Increasingly, over time, there is a need to repair, regenerate of replace tissues or organs damaged by diseases, traumas, or due to defects present at birth or aging.
The list of diseases that can benefit from regenerative medicine is growing. This field of research allows to stimulate the body's repair mechanisms to guide and support the healing of tissues and remodeling processes. In fast, it does not treat trauma or pathology synthoms but aims to accelerate and promote the natural regeneration of tissue by stimulating autologous cells to guide processes of self-repair.
Today, tissue engineering is a type of renerative medicine making significant progress, thanks, for example, to the use of highly biocompatible biomaterial suitable for supporting and guiding the functional regeneration of tissues. This goes beyond simple wound healing, achieving true functional repair. The term ''biomaterial'' refers to any substances of synthetic or natural origin that can be used to speed up the healing process.
One of the main treatments for wound healing involves the use of hydrogel-based products derived from decellularized matrices. The term ''hydrogel'' refers to a group of three-dimensional polymeric cross-linked materials with good absorption capacity, allowing gas exchange and enhancing the granulation process of damaged tissue.
The choice of polymer is aimed at reproducing a favorable environment, thanks to its high compatibility, for applications such as cell growth and differentiation, drug administration or the release of growth factors useful in reparative processes.
On May 9, the presentation event for the cascade calls of Spoke 5 (Industry of Health and Silver Economy) and Spoke 3 (Industry of Tourism and Culture) of NODES project took place in Lecce, that make available 2.5 million euros available to Southern enterprises.
The purpose of the cascade calls is to stimulate research, development and innovation investments by enterprises (especially SMEs) to promote the creation of new technologies, products and production processes, in strategic sectors for the economica and industrial growth of the country.
Professor Fabio Pollice, the Magnificient Rector of the University of Salento, warmly welcomed the researchers from the Spokes and the entrepreneurs interested in the calls in the Conference Hall within the evocative Rectorate located in the historic center of Lecce.
Representing the Universities and the Ecosystem were the Magnificient Rector of University of Piemonte Orientale, Professor Gian Carlo Avanzi and the General Director of the NODES Hub, Engineer Chiara Ferroni; but also, the Projects Manager of Spoke 3 and 5, Professor Barbara Pozzo and Professor Marco Invernizzi and finally the Project Area Manager of Unioncamere Piemonte, Dr. Micol Crostelli.
At the end of the presentations, an interesting exchange took place with the participating companies, highlighting the significant interest generated and the importance of strengthening the relations between the business world and the University.
The Cascade Call for Line A - Mezzogiorno - Spoke 5 is open starting from today, May 15, and can be accessed at the following link.
Proposals must be submitted through the WebTelemaco portal.
Click on the Compilation Guide to view the information material to support the upload.
Relive the presentation
On May 5, 2023, the second session of a webinar series organized by Confindustria Piemonte, Confindustria Lombardia - partners Enterprise Europe Network italia - in collaboration with Confindustria Valle D'Aosta and NODES - North West Digital and Sustainable took place. The webinar aimed to deepen the theme of cascade calls for enterprises located in Piemonte, Valle D'Aosta and provinces of Como, Pavia and Varese.
The NODES ecosystem was presented by Raffaella Di Nardo (Research and Innovation Manager),Cristina Prandi (University of Turin) illustrated the characteristics of Spoke 2, and Marco Invernizzi (University of Piemonte Orientale) those of Spoke 5. Finally, Edoardo Braccio has clarified exhaustively the initiative of cascade calls.
The aim was to encourage enterprises in the Piedmont region to partecipate in the funding opportunities by presenting the research and innovation themes of the 7 Spokes. In particular, the cascade calls relevant to Spoke 5 were discussed and the respective modalities of partecipation in the calls for proposals of Line A and Line B were explained by Unioncamere Piemonte.
Click here to rewatch the webinar recording ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIJEuGdbQTA
On April 18, 2023, Ph.D candidate Irene Preet Bhela, affiliated with Professor Tracey Pirali's laboratory, presented a seminar at the Department of Drug Sciences on Store-Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE).
SOCE is a complex mechanism based on two key proteins, STIM and Orai, which contribute to the regulation of calcium homeostasis.
Being crucial for numerous cellular functions such as inflammation, platelet activation, and muscle contraction, an alteration in this mechanism is linked to various pathologies.
Among these, the UPO laboratory is particularly active in researching both ultra-rare diseases, such as tubular aggregate myopathy (TAM) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
During this seminar, Dr. Bhela presented the chemical-pharmaceutical contirbution in the design and synthesis of negative modulators of SOCE which led to the identification of a preclinical candidate, in collaboration with the start-up Chemlcare, and prodrugs based on its structure of the latter.
She then discussed the fortuitous discovery of a promising hit compound with dual inhibitory activity on dihydrooratate dehydrogenase- involved in pyrimidine byosinthesis - and SOCE, as a potential therapeutic approach for treating autoimmune pathologies.
The role of Stakeholder Committe and how to join.
The NODES project includes Stakeholder Committes among the bodies for managing the Ecosystem. In these initial months of the project, Spoke 5 has been actively engaging representatives from the territory belonging to different areas (innovation, sustainability and digitalization) with a decisive impact on every aspect of human life - from health to the environment, from interpersonal relationships to democracy.
Associations, venture capital firms, chambers of commerce, professional orders, Invitalia, and incubators have been invited and involved.
The Stakeholder Committe of Spoke 5 currently consists of 13 members. The Committe has held two meetings to discuss flagship projects and educational needs.
