new EU-funded Integrated Project, with a total budget
of 26 million euro has become the largest ever project
to deal with nanotechnologies. It seeks to develop
a new generation of nano-biotechnological devices
with therapeutic applications in the field of tissue
The four-year project, entitled
cellPROM (cell programming by nanoscaled devices),
brings together 27 academic and industrial researchers
from 12 European countries.
CellPROM, which is financed
under the European Commission's Sixth Framework Programme
(FP6), will turn 'macro' medical devices into nano-tools,
while at the same time combining different expertise
to bridge the gap between biology and nanotechnology.
It is hoped those new nano-tools will help achieve
a technical breakthrough in regenerative medicine,
especially in terms of autologous cell therapy, cancer
treatment and medical implants.
Using human and animal adult
stem cells, the CellPROM device will treat single
cells and divide them into therapeutically and diagnostically
relevant cells in a non-invasive way. The aim is to
minimise the undesirable effects of artificial cell
imprinting and to re-programme individual cells on
an industrial scale.
According to the consortium,
'this technology will provide new options to the biologists
and physicians to fight a great number of diseases.'
Specifically, by producing
cell cultures and tissues that can be used for auto-transplants,
'the project will allow Europe to lead the development
in the new medical technology required to use stem
cells for regenerative therapies,' adds the consortium
in a statement.
subsequent applications will no doubt have a great
impact on the pharmaceutical industry and advanced
medical device manufacturers and help to establish
Europe in this key market.
For more information, please visit: http://www.cellprom.net
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