Multimodal tools for Molecular Imaging, Diagnostics and Therapeutics (MUMID)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Diagnostic tools, therapies and public health
Countries involved: Sweden
Call:  (ERC-2010-StG_20091118, 2010)
Start date: 2010-09-01
End date: 2015-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498800.0
EU funding (EUR): 1498800.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Non-invasive imaging techniques allow visualization of the dynamics and biochemical activity of pathological processes in real-time. By having proper molecular tools, a complete picture of pathologic conditions can be acquired at resolutions from the molecular level to the full body scale. Hence, smart multimodal imaging tools can be utilized for a diversity of applications, ranging from fundamental understanding of disease related events to molecular diagnostics of specific diseases. Secondly, molecular scaffolds used for imaging can also be explored as therapeutics for specific diseases, since such scaffolds are directed towards targets involved in the pathological mechanism of the disease. This project aims at developing an alternative concept for molecular imaging, diagnostics and therapy based on the chemical design of luminescent conjugated oligomeric thiophene derivatives (LCOs) which recognize distinct structural motifs instead of specific biomolecules. The LCO can for instance be utilized for specific labelling of protein aggregates, the pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases, and for differentiation of distinct cell types, such as stem cells or cancer cells. By combining the LCO technique with other technology platforms, multimodal molecular imaging tools that can be used to gain novel insights regarding fundamental disease related biological mechanisms from the nanoscopic to the macroscopic level will be achieved. The LCO molecular scaffolds will also be evaluated as therapeutically active agents towards pathologic molecular process underlying protein aggregation diseases, bacterial infection and cancer. The main objectives of the project are; • To synthesize a diverse library of novel LCOs specific for disease related molecular targets • To develop novel LCO-hybrid materials for multimodal real time in vivo imaging of biological and pathological processes from the nanoscopic (molecular, cellular) to the macroscopic level (body, organ) • To utilize the novel real-time imaging probes for studying the pathological or biological processes associated with certain diseases, including protein aggregation diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, bacterial infection and cancer. • To explore LCO and LCO-based pharmacophores as therapeutics towards pathological molecular process involved in protein aggregation diseases, bacterial infection and cancer. The main focus of the project is to synthesize novel molecular tools but the project has a multidisciplinary research approach and involves research disciplines such as organic chemistry, physics, biochemistry and medicine. The purpose is to provide real-time in vivo imaging agents that can be utilized for studying both the nanoscopic molecular mechanism and the macro-pathology of a diversity of biological events. In addition, the same molecular scaffold will be explored for the development of therapeutic agents. We foresee that the novel multimodal tools will be of relevance to a wide community of researchers and also of great interest to the European health care industry.

Keywords: oligothiophenes,multiphoton imaging,magnetic resonance imaging (mri),electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (epri) and positron emission tomography (pet)