Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : TIMELAPSE (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Milan-Bicocca — Pays : Italie — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : UniMiB
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 20000.0 €

Chemotherapy can involve lengthy treatment sessions, lasting up to several hours. Such a duration, spent in an overly medicalized setting, can induce in the patients a monopolizing focus on their pathology, which leads to a substantial decrease in their mental well-being. One way to alleviate the impact of long chemotherapy sessions would be accelerating subjective time passage as perceived by the patients, therefore making the treatment seemingly end more quickly. Stemming from the ERC Advanced Grant AN-ICON, the TIMELAPSE project proposes to prototype, test, and launch on the market a virtual reality (VR) application that will accelerate subjective time passage during chemotherapy. The idea, whose singular aspects were the object of previous scientific evidence, was so far not implemented comprehensively. TIMELAPSE will fill this R&D gap with unprecedented methods and targets, adopting a patient-centred approach to innovatively incorporate in the conception of the VR application the irreplaceable perspective of its end-users: the oncologic patients. TIMELAPSE will take this idea to proof of concept by means of five subsequent phases: 1. Theoretical elaboration, to shape a theoretical hypothesis concerning what types of VR content might accelerate subjective time passage during chemotherapy; 2. Participatory design, to refine this hypothesis by incorporating the users’ perspective; 3. Production, to develop the content for the VR application, to obtain a prototype ready to be tested. 4. Assessment, to demonstrate the tolerability and effectiveness of the VR application; and 5. Pre-commercialization, to prepare the launch of the VR application on the market. To ensure appropriate methodological tools for each phase, TIMELAPSE will rely on a collaboration between three actors: a core research group (part of the AN-ICON team); an industrial partner expert in VR applications (Khora); and a clinical partner with substantial expertise in cancer treatment (Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori).

Mots-clés : virtual reality time perception time passage judgement chemotherapy participatory design
Projet ERC : MUC2GO (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Göteborg — Pays : Suède — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The aim of this proof of concept is to develop novel therapies based on the discoveries made during the AdvERC grant on mucus and mucins in the lung and intestine. The discovery that the XX protein is absent or almost absent in healthy individuals and animals and heavily increased in human COPD and induced lung disease in animals made us study this. During the ERC grant we discoverd that XX is anchoring and attaching the lung mucus by forming a cap on the accumulated mucus. In the absence of XX the mucus is non-attached and transported even better than normal. We have now determined the detailed molecular structure of the XX and learnt how this protein can form long, large polymers by non-covalent interactions. We will now develop inhibitory peptides, proteins, antibodies or small organic molecules to be used as therapeutic drugs for detaching the attached mucus at Cystic Fibrosis, Chronic bronchitis, COPD, and other lung diseases with mucus accumulation.
Projet ERC : UNIDACT (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université polytechnique de Catalogne — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 76000.0 €

Within the ITUL project, funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant, we have developed a data compression algorithm based on circular context trees. The proposed algorithm is universal in that it can compress any type of data. The proposed compression algorithm offers unprecedented compression performance, and shows an average of at least 82% improvement over commercial algorithms like Lempel-Ziv (ZIP), Burrows-Wheeler transform compression (BZIP), and more complex state-of-the-art algorithms like prediction by partial matching (PPM) and context tree weighting (CTW). The proposed algorithm has linear decoding complexity. The proposed PoC is intended to extend the current binary implementation to arbitrary alphabets, provide fast encoder/decoder implementation, develop specific applications to compress satellite observation data and genomic data, develop an indexed version of the compression algorithm in order to access some of the data without full decompression, and investigate specific software licensing options and opportunities.
Projet ERC : VASCOLL (Horizon Europe, appel 2022, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Trinity College — Pays : Irlande — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Stroke is the leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death in the Western World. Over 50% of strokes occur in asymptomatic patients and therefore better indicators of the disease are required. These acute asymptomatic cerebrovascular events are due to vulnerable plaque rupture leading to thromboembolic events, stroke, and/or sudden death. From our work to-date as part of ERC Starting grant FibreRemodel, we have found that that most significant contributor to rupture strength of a plaque is the underlying collagen fibres within this tissue, particularly within the fibrous plaque cap. The underlying structure of the carotid plaque may therefore be used to determine the risk of vulnerable plaque rupture. However, a non-invasive diagnostic technique, which uses knowledge of in vivo arterial collagen content, has yet to be developed. VASCOLL will generate the first software tool that can inform on plaque vulnerability in a non-invasive way, enabling early diagnosis of the predisposition of a carotid plaque to rupture and facilitating the selection of the optimum treatment minimising the need for surgery and healthcare-associated costs. This approach will offer a number of significant benefits over current approaches to vulnerable plaque identification. Firstly, this technique will be the first ex vivo and in vivo application of the QSM technique to human arteries and carotid plaques to exploit the sensitivity of magnetic susceptibility to collagen content in arteries. Secondly, this technique is relatively easy and efficient to translate in vivo. Given that this method determines the underlying plaque and vessel structure, not merely level of stenosis, VASCOLL will transform how vulnerable carotid plaques are identified and treated.
Projet ERC : MAIN (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : IBEC
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Our proposal is to create new nanomedicines for identifying anti-inflammatory therapies. Through the optimisation of synthetic procedures, we aim to control the primary sequence of the polymer, the size of the nanomedicine, and degradation profiles. High-content in vitro screening will be utilised to determine which formulations can most selectively target macrophages and have the strongest anti-inflammatory effect. To test the effectiveness of these formulations, we will collaborate with specialised research groups to conduct appropriate in vivo testing using various models of inflammation.
Projet ERC : UrbanISE VR (Horizon Europe, appel 2025, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université d'Helsinki — Pays : Finlande — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

We aim at creating a Proof of Concept for an Urban Immersive Street Environment intervention VR Package (UrbanISE VR) that converts our existing research VR environment, developed through the GREENTRAVEL Project, into a portable VR-in-a-suitcase solution. The UrbanISE VR solution will support easy implementation and testing of various street intervention plans in an immersive and realistic VR environment, which allows the user to move through alternative street designs in different seasons and weather conditions. Instead of replicating existing cityscapes, which is very costly and time consuming, our idea builds on a set of imaginary “neutral streets”, which can be easily modified to test for various interventions (street greenery assemblages, street infrastructure, advertisement visibility, etc.) safely and comfortably from the saddle of a stationary bike. The idea takes a leap forward across five fronts compared to existing 3D and VR products used in urban planning: 1) Technological advantages (highly optimized, light weight and movable VR setup), 2) Usability (user friendliness, easy to learn and modify) 3) Realism of conditions (season, weather, light, noise), 4) Safe and comfortable immersion experience (setup optimised for a standard bike), and, 5) Scalability (imaginary street settings that offer cost-efficiency). The ‘suitcase’ will consist of readymade hyper-realistic streetscapes, collections of seasonal assets (e.g. street trees and vegetation), and a software setup optimised for a laptop, combining VR glasses and bike trainer where a standard bike can be installed. The solution will serve urban planners and urban planning consultants, but may also be used by research groups that strive for testing alternative street designs and interventions through immersive experiences.

Mots-clés : virtual reality,immersive vr,urban street scapes,street deesign interventions,urban planning
Projet ERC : OPTIMUS (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université d'Helsinki — Pays : Finlande — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Aphasia causes severe impairments in verbal communication, coupled with cognitive and motor deficits and depression, making it the most debilitating and socioeconomically burdening consequence of stroke. As our population ages and prevalence of stroke and associated care costs increase, persons with aphasia (PWA) often do not receive sufficient rehabilitation in public health care. Effective remote rehabilitation applications are urgently needed to ensure comprehensive and cost-effective aphasia care. PWA often retain the ability to produce words through singing, and rehabilitation methods using music and singing are promising tools for enhancing communication and psychosocial wellbeing in aphasia. However, there are currently no music-based remote rehabilitation applications available for PWA, which greatly limits the inclusion of music in aphasia care.  In OPTIMUS, I will lead the development of a novel and innovative multicomponent music-based remote rehabilitation (MMRR) programme for aphasia and determine its usability, applicability, and effects, first through pilot experiments and engagement with stakeholders (PWA, patient associations, rehabilitation staff) and then in a 3-month feasibility randomized controlled trial in 30 PWA. Compared to existing aphasia rehabilitation methods, MMRR has the added value of being more (i) versatile, targeting verbal, cognitive, motor, and emotional functions through multiple musical training modules (singing, rhythm & movement, music listening); (ii) enjoyable and motivating, enabling better adherence to treatment protocol and larger training volumes; and (iii) widely scalable and easy to implement in stroke rehabilitation.  OPTIMUS will have major scientific, clinical, and societal value and can lead to a breakthrough social innovation in aphasia treatment by providing a comprehensive music-based remote rehabilitation tool that can be made publicly available and integrated to the clinical stroke rehabilitation continuum.

Mots-clés : stroke,aphasia,music,singing,rhythm,remote rehabilitation,feasibility,randomized controlled trial
Projet ERC : POPCORN (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Navarre — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Diffuse Midline Gliomas (DMGs) are the most aggressive pediatric brain tumors in desperate need of curative treatment. The median life expectancy of these children remains below 14 months after diagnosis, and nearly none survive beyond the second year. Similarly, for other high-risk pediatric brain tumors, there is hardly any option after recurrence, and long-term survivors are faced with life-long sequelae that impact their quality of life. In this scenario, there is an urgent need for innovative, efficacious, and safe therapies for these patients. Oncolytic viruses are promising anticancer biotherapeutic agents that offer a unique combination of safety profile, direct antineoplastic activity, and the induction of anti-tumor immune responses. Recently, a Phase I clinical trial showed that combining the oncolytic adenovirus Delta-24-RGD and radiotherapy is non-toxic and results in anti-tumor responses and prolonged median overall survival (17.8 months) in patients. However, results are still insufficient to be curative due to counteracting mechanisms intrinsic to the tumor microenvironment and also triggered by the virus that eventually exceeds its immunostimulatory properties. The proposed technology, termed “POPCORN”', is an oncolytic-based platform capable of expressing immunomodulatory single-domain antibodies directed to intrinsic targets in these tumors. We will develop the POPCORN Proof of Concept using a state-of-the-art experimental approach and validate its safety and efficacy in vitro and relevant in vivo DMG models. We will also perform IND-enabling studies and apply for PUMA/PRIME designation. Additionally, we will work on the IPR strategy, and a value proposition to develop and commercialize the POPCORN platform will be generated. We envision the POPCORN platform becoming a game changer in treating DMGs, providing a one-of-a-kind tool for eliminating these aggressive tumors that could be extensive to other difficult-to-treat pediatric brain tumors.

Mots-clés : pediatric brain tumors,diffuse midline gliomas,high risk pediatric brain tumors,advanced therapies,oncolytic viruses
Projet ERC : SynT (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Max Delbrück Center — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : MDC
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Cell-based immunotherapy, particularly adoptive cell transfer (ACT) using engineered T cells, holds great promise as a therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. However, challenges such as the manufacturing process, excessive antigen exposure, and the hostile tumor microenvironment often lead to dysfunctional T cell products, limiting their effectiveness in treating both blood cancers and solid tumors. We propose a novel tool to define in vitro conditions to enhance T cell product fitness through the development of a synthetic reporter system for detecting T cell dysfunction states, referred to as SynT. This innovative system will incorporate a dual synthetic locus control region (sLCR) reporter, with one sLCR reporter indicating T cells in a potent "serial killer" mode and another sLCR reporter representing T cell dysfunction. By using SynT, we aim to screen for external signaling and pharmacological modulators that can enrich and reverse the dysfunctional state in CAR T cells. we will generate and validate a synthetic reporter of CAR T cell products function and dysfunction, and produce a media supplement that promotes ACT products functions.
Projet ERC : AMY-Dx (Horizon Europe, appel 2025, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université du Luxembourg — Pays : Luxembourg — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder affecting over 6 million individuals worldwide, with its prevalence projected to double by 2040. Early detection of PD represents a critical unmet clinical need, as current diagnostics are limited to detecting motor symptoms after extensive neuronal damage has already occurred. My ERC Consolidator Grant "ExpoBiome" has uncovered specific microbiome-derived molecules as potential biomarkers linked to PD pathology. These proteins, produced by the gut microbiome, have been found to trigger pathological aggregation of human proteins such as α-synuclein, the molecular hallmark of PD. This ERC Proof of Concept project aims to establish the utility of these microbiome-derived molecules as predictive biomarkers for prodromal and early-stage PD. I will quantify these proteins in both faecal and blood samples from the ExpoBiome cohort and from an independent cohort of newly diagnosed, unmedicated PD patients, idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (a prodromal stage of PD) patients, and healthy controls. Through advanced analytical and bioinformatic analyses, I will establish the diagnostic and prognostic relevance of these biomarkers, addressing technical feasibility and reproducibility. The project will also assess the commercial potential of the biomarkers through conducting a market analysis, assay development and go-to-market strategy. The establishment of a new biomarker signature for PD could enable earlier diagnosis, facilitating timely intervention and stratification of patients for emerging neuroprotective therapies. It will accelerate research into PD pathogenesis and therapeutic development, bridging the gap between microbiome science and neurodegenerative disease research. The outcomes of this project will lay the foundation for future clinical translation, with significant implications for improving patient outcomes and reducing PD’s societal burden.
Projet ERC : NU-MESH (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université polytechnique de Valence — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Programmable integrated photonics (PIP) is an emerging new paradigm that aims at designing common integrated optical hardware resource configurations, capable of implementing an unconstrained variety of functionalities by suitable programming. The work carried out within the Advanced Grant ERC-ADG-2016-741415 UMWPCHIP of which I was the Principal Investigator, allowed me to lay the foundation for the first technical stages of a novel revolutionary concept, the Field Programmable Photonic Gate Array (FPPGA), developed in the context of a Proof-of-concept Grant ERC-POC-2019-859927-FPPAs. Currently, the core of the processor is a uniform 2D programmable photonic waveguide mesh, formed by replicating hexagonal unit cells. This layout suffers from limited flexibility in the spectral period and sampling time values. The challenge is to develop and demonstrate solutions that overcome these limitations and which can be easily incorporated into existing mesh designs. In NP-Mesh I aim to demonstrate and validate the concept of non-periodic programmable photonic integrated waveguide meshes formed by embedding defect cells into the otherwise uniform 2D hexagonal mesh. Including defect cells solves the problem of spectral period limitation through the exploitation of the Vernier effect as well as the as the sampling time resolution limitation of the uniform waveguide mesh. My working roadmap will include: 1) carrying out the required research activities linked to the development of the proposed technical concepts, 2) validating them through outsourced chip fabrication in an external foundry followed by measurement and characterization experiments carried out in my lab at UPV, 3) generating the new intellectual property rights (IPRs) for the new results via patent writing and application and transferring the new IPR to the spinoff company iPronics, which I co-founded three years ago with the help of ERC-POC-2019-859927-FPPAs.
Projet ERC : ModulatEnds (Horizon Europe, appel 2024, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université Adam-Mickiewicz de Poznań — Pays : Pologne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

Our value proposition is improving cancer therapy by identification of novel anti-cancer candidate drug leads modulating transcription termination, bridging molecular cancer biology and therapeutic applications.    We have developed a methodology to directly measure alterations in transcription termination and successfully subjected it to miniaturization and automatization processes. We are applying for funding to validate a screening platform to identify small molecule inhibitors of transcription termination.
Projet ERC : PRISM (Horizon Europe, appel 2023, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : Université de Tilbourg — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 90000.0 €

The PRISM project addresses critical challenges in neurosurgical training involving non-human primates (NHPs) within the framework of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) endorsed by the EU. NHPs are indispensable models in biomedical research, particularly in neurosciences, due to their close phylogenetic relationship with humans. However, invasive procedures on NHPs, including cranial surgeries and targeted ablations, pose ethical dilemmas and require highly skilled personnel. This project introduces a groundbreaking solution by developing the first hyper-realistic model for hands-on surgical training in NHPs. Collaborating with UpSurgeOn, experts in 3D simulation for human neurosurgery, PRISM aims to create a safe and ethical training environment for young researchers working with NHP. The project's objectives include the design of a hyper-realistic NHP model, the organization of pilot courses, and devising strategies for commercialization. PRISM promises enhanced visualization, tactile learning experiences, customizability, and ethical training, ultimately fostering career development, animal welfare, and research quality. Successful implementation will set a new standard in NHP neurosurgical education with global potential.

Mots-clés : 3r,non human primates,cranial surgery,training