Nano-Imaging, a project to develop safe, tissue-specific MRI contrast agents with no side effects

Ikerbasque professor and scientific director of CIC biomaGUNE Aitziber López-Cortajarena has received one of the prestigious ERC Proof of Concept grants amounting to €150,000 to develop the Nano-imaging project. Professor Cortajarena's project is one of 166 European projects that have secured the support of the European Research Council (ERC), designed to develop ideas emerging from cutting-edge fundamental research and bring them closer to industry.

The Nano-imaging project is seeking to address "the heavy demand for magnetic resonance recognitions worldwide, the side effects of current contrast agents, and the limited supply of tissue-specific contrast agents available to clinicians", explained Cortajarena. The proposed solution, based on a patented technology to stabilize small metal nanoclusters (or clusters of metal atoms) on a dedicated protein scaffold, allows the properties of the nanomaterial to be monitored, and elements that can be localized in the desired tissue to be added. "Nano-Imaging sets out to elucidate the potential of this technology as a platform for developing contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that are safe, tissue-specific and without side effects," added the professor.

Having observed the basic principles of the technology, having formulated the concept on which the idea is based, and having conducted initial experiments on cultures that demonstrate the consistency of this proposal, CIC biomaGUNE's Biomolecular Nanotechnology Lab now wants to transition the technology and assess it in animal models. "By taking advantage of the versatile nature of the proposed solution and our ability to tailor the properties of the nanostructure, we aim to provide a platform that can be developed simply, rapidly and affordably for MRI contrast agents that are biocompatible and specific for the desired tissues. So the success of this project will help to achieve an array of specific contrast agents for magnetic resonance. This project therefore addresses a current social challenge in healthcare by meeting the current demand for efficient, safe, specific diagnostic contrast agents," she pointed out.

ERC Proofs of Concept are prestigious grants awarded by the European Research Council for proofs of concept that aim to explore the commercial or social potential of previous pieces of work and bring them closer to the market. In Cortajarena's opinion, this grant "means having funding available to give a boost to this technology, which we believe has a promising future in the biomedical field, and to speed up the development of products based on this knowledge, their validation and transfer to the clinical market".

Combining proteins with nanomaterials to take advantage of each of their functionalities

The research carried out by Aitziber L. Cortajarena's group is based on the following: biomolecular engineering and its interface with nanotechnology; the development of molecular tools and protein-based materials; systems that combine biomolecules, particularly proteins, with nanomaterials by taking advantage of the functionalities of both components. They are seeking to exploit the potential of these systems mainly in biomedical applications (diagnostic therapy).

About CIC biomaGUNE

The Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials CIC biomaGUNE, member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), conducts state-of-the-art research at the interface between Chemistry, Biology and Physics, devoting particular attention to studying the properties of biological nanostructures on a molecular scale and their biomedical applications. It was recognized in 2018 as a "María de Maeztu" Unit of Excellence for meeting requirements of excellence, which are characterized by a high impact and level of competitiveness in its field of activity on the global scientific stage.

More information:
erc.europa.eu/news/erc-2021-pr … ncept-grants-results

Provided by CIC biomaGUNE