VLPSIRNA

Virus-like particles: the next step in gene therapy

Coordinatore	TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN    more  Organization address address: DEN DOLECH 2 city: EINDHOVEN postcode: 5612 AZ contact info Titolo: Prof. Nome: Egbert Willem Cognome: Meijer Email: send email Telefono: +31 40 247 3101 Fax: +31 40 245 1036
Nazionalità Coordinatore	Netherlands [NL]
Totale costo	237˙911 €
EC contributo	237˙911 €
Programma	FP7-PEOPLE Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)
Code Call	FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IOF
Funding Scheme	MC-IOF
Anno di inizio	2010
Periodo (anno-mese-giorno)	2010-04-01   -   2013-03-31

 Partecipanti

#	participant	country	role	EC contrib. [€]
1	TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN  Organization address address: DEN DOLECH 2 city: EINDHOVEN postcode: 5612 AZ contact info Titolo: Prof. Nome: Egbert Willem Cognome: Meijer Email: send email Telefono: +31 40 247 3101 Fax: +31 40 245 1036	NL (EINDHOVEN)	coordinator	237˙911.80

Mappa

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Virus–like protein particles can be applied as carriers for RNA gene therapy. The release of the RNA, however, is still a major problem. The goal of this proposal is to develop new routes towards the controlled opening of the virus capsid combining the cutting-edge science of bioconjugate chemistry and virology. This project intends to find a suitable carrier among non-infectious virus particles for small interfering RNA (siRNA) to be used for gene therapy. siRNA has the ability to specifically degrade RNA of a particular sequence and selectively stop the production of an abnormal undesired protein, which makes it a very promising therapeutic agent. The major obstacle, however, is to find an efficient method for cellular delivery of the RNA material. Virus-like particles, that are self-assembled protein cages, have the potential to be used as addressable carriers for siRNA. The Finn Group at the Scripps Research Institute has recently developed a method to produce virus-like particles that contain siRNA. The goal of the project is to engineer this particle, such that it successfully delivers the RNA into the targeted cell. This project will have the potential to make significant contributions to the fields of biomedicine and targeted drug delivery, strategically important areas identified by the European Technology Platform on Nanomedicine.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Virus-like particles (VLPs) resemble viruses in their organisation and structure but are non-infectious as they do not contain viral genetic material. The importance of these particles as tools has been realised in vaccine development with quite a few commercially available prophylactic vaccines now utilising this technology.