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Research & Development Request

Eurostars 2: Personalized analytical tool for immune monitoring in liver transplant patients

Country of Origin: Spain
Reference Number: RDES20180212002
Publication Date: 12 February 2018

Summary

Spanish SME looks for partners in Europe for the development of a clinical analytic system,which enables periodic immune monitoring in liver transplant recipients through a simple blood test.The role of the partners sought is related to microfluidic system design (manufacturing and validation)and experimental results validation.They also seeks partners in the health sector(clinicians) with access to liver transplant biopsies,and partners with experience developing&commercializing analytical kit

Description

This biotechnology company is focused on the development of biotechnological tools for the identification of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets as well as for the discovery of new drugs.

The core technology is based on cell membrane microarrays. These microarrays consist of multiple microdots of membranes isolated from different organs and tissues. This single miniaturized assay allows characterizing the action of drugs in several organs simultaneously, with consequent savings in time, reagents, experimental animals and pollutants.

The host immune system monitoring after a transplant is crucial to ensure the survival not only of the graft but also of the transplant patient, owing to the fact that the chronic immunosuppression is linked to a higher risk for having a wide swath of health problems including neoplasia “de novo”, which are present in the 25% of the patient treated for 5 years. However, currently available “in vitro” assays exhibit limited predictive and diagnostic capacities, mainly due to the inherent constraints of the analysed biomarkers and to the availability of donor’s samples. As an alternative to these techniques, our company proposes the development of a clinical analytic system, which enables periodic immune monitoring in liver transplant recipients through a simple blood test.

This diagnostic tool will be comprised of an analytical fungible cartridge and a reading device. The cartridge will be a customized microfluidic chip in which cell membranes isolated from the blood and the organs of both, the donor and the recipient will be immobilized. As the disposable chip developed

will be customized with the cell membranes isolated from the donor and the recipient, all the characteristic antigens of both will be present, including those exposed by the HLA (Human

Leukocyte Antigen) complexes. To do that, the microfluidic technology will be combined, on one hand, with microarrays methodology, which allows the production of a large number of chips with the reduced amount of sample obtained at time of surgery, and on the other hand, with our company’s

technology that enables the immobilization of cell membranes over supports preserving the structure and function of their proteins. Each chip could be subsequently incubated with the blood of the transplant recipient using the reading device which automatically performed the evaluation of the humoral immune response, increasing, in this way, the frequency of the recipient’s immune function monitoring.

Therefore, the proposed system will allow both, early detection of rejection episodes and fine adjustment of immunosuppressant doses, contributing to minimize drug toxicity and treatment related pathologies such as neoplasia. In conclusion, the diagnosis provided with this tool will increase the cost-effective ratios of transplant surgery as well as the patients´ expectancy and quality of life.

The company is looking for EU SME's or research organisations with expertise in microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip techniques, as well as clinicians in the health sector with access to liver transplant biopsies,  as well as partners with experience in development and commercialization of analytical kits/assays (e.g ELISA and other immunoassays).



Deadline for call: 01/03/2018 20:00 CET

EOIs deadline: 23/02/2018

Project duration: 3 year

Advantages and Innovations

Easier and more simple immune monitoring in patients through a blood test.

Early detection of rejection episodes.

Adjustment of medical doses leading to less toxicity and derived pathologies such as neoplasia.

Higher cost-effective ratios of transplant surgery as well as patients' expectancy and quality of life.

Expertise sought

The partners sought should have experience in microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip techniques, as well as partners in health sector (clinicians) with access to liver transplant biopsies to carry out the following tasks:

a) microfluidic chip design, development and validation.

b) sample acquisition and processing, immune monitoring results validation.

c)bioassay kit development and commercialization (ELISA, immunoassays, HLA typing, etc..)

Stage Of Development

Concept stage

Stage Of Development Comment

The project is at is concept stage, with prototypes at TRL (technology readiness level) 6-7. The technology in which is supported is fully tested and reliable. Time to market will be within 24 months after project completion.

The proposal and project organization is also at its final stage regarding milestones, work packages and tasks definition.

Requested partner

A company is sought, with expertise in microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip techniques with experience in the development and manufacturing of microfluidic devices (chips) in different plastic materials. Is desirable that this biochips are compatible with colorimetric/fluorometric readers in the market, and/or the capability to develop and manufacture a tailored colorimetric/fluorometric reader for this biochip. The tasks assigned in the project will be related to microfluidic chip design, development and validation.

A company is sought, with expertise in bioassay (ELISA, immune assays, HLA typing, and transplant compatibility related) development and with experience in commercialization. The tasks assigned in the project will be related to bioassay development, validation and market research/access.

Clinicians are sought with expertise in liver transplantation and related immune monitoring, in a company, university or hospital with access and authorization to manipulate (for research activities) human liver transplant biopsies. Experience in immune monitoring of patients is highly desired, as the tasks assigned in the project will range from sample/biopsies acquisition and processing, to validation of immune monitoring results obtained in the project vs. conventional/existing techniques.