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Activity Funded

ICVS/3B's - Associate Laboratory

ICVS/3B’s - Laboratório Associado, Instituto de Ciências da Vida e da Saúde / Grupo de Investigação em Biomateriais, Biodegradaveis e Biomiméticos

Reference
UIDB/50026/2020
Project Start Date
2020-01-01
Project End Date
2024-12-31
Principal Investigator
Scientific Area
Engineering and technology
Funding Program
Concurso de avaliação no âmbito do Programa Plurianual de Financiamento de Unidades de I&D (2017/2018) - Financiamento Base

Abstract

10.2 Summary in English for general dissemination purposes The successful association of the two groups that constitute the ICVS/3Bs allowed to implement advances in the interface Health Sciences/Technology, representing an exceptional instrument to create an internationally competitive niche of research and innovation in Portugal. Therefore, based on the premise of our achievements during 2013-2017, the ICVS/3Bs aims for the period 2018-2022 to contribute to advance basic research on the pathophysiology of target disorders with societal impact and, in parallel, to develop new technologies, therapies and medical products forvaccination, diagnosis, regenerative nanomedicine, precision medicine and minimally invasive therapeutic procedures. Therefore, the ICVS/3Bs activities will be organized under the framework of the 6 following multidisciplinary Thematic Lines (TL) already in activity: 1) Advanced biomaterials, biomimetics and nanomedicine; 2) Tissue Engineering, Regenerative and Precision Medicine; 3) Stem cell technologies and engineered 3D tissue/disease models; 4) Microbiology and Infection; 5) Neurosciences; and 6) Surgical Sciences (3 lines corresponding to core areas of the 3Bs and the other 3 of the ICVS). In addition, we will launch a novel TL based on the paradigm change that addresses health from the populations' perspective: 7) Population Health. The TLs mainly centred at the ICVS will focus on strengthening the established pipeline from basic to preclinical and clinical studies, in association with the Clinical Academic Center (2CA) and with the TLs mainly centred at the 3Bs, that will focus in advancing tissue engineering and personalized medicine discoveries by the integration of key enabling nanotechnologies, advanced biomaterials and stem cells. To achieve our ambitious goals at the frontline Health Sciences/Technologies, we set-up a scientific framework that goes from the more fundamental in vitro research, to assessment in adequate animal models and pre-clinical validation, clinical trials, and interventions at the population level. We also positioned the ICVS/3Bs into a network that will ultimately translate to the market innovative solutions based on novel prophylactic measures, diagnosis methods and advanced combinatory therapies. The proposed Thematic Lines and the projects within them are by nature multidisciplinary and designed to follow the above described strategic pipeline. We consider that this policy will enable a large step forward in the research of the ICVS/3Bs, increasing its competiveness, the excellence of the outcomes, the publication records, the advanced training at the postgraduate and professional levels, and its sustainability by leading to intellectual property and increased capability to create added value. To achieve these goals, the ICVS/3Bs will strengthen its team and technological platforms, based on its ability of networking and of attracting competitive funding at the national and international levels, including the EU Horizon 2020. 10.3 Summary in English for evaluation The successful association of the two groups that constitute the ICVS/3Bs allowed to implement advances in the interface Health Sciences/Technology, representing an exceptional instrument to create an internationally competitive niche of R&D in Portugal. Therefore, based on the premise of our achievements during 2013-2017, the ICVS/3Bs aims for the period 2018-2022 to contribute to advance basic research on the pathophysiology of target disorders with societal impact and, in parallel, to develop new technologies, therapies and medical products for vaccination, diagnosis, regenerative nanomedicine, precision medicine and minimally invasive therapeutic procedures. The ICVS/3Bs activities will be organized under the framework of the6 following multidisciplinary Thematic Lines (TL) already in activity: 1) Advanced biomaterials, biomimetics and nanomedicine (AdvBiomat); 2) Tissue Engineering, Regenerative and Precision Medicine (TERM&PrecisionMed); 3) Stem cell technologies and engineered 3D tissue/disease models (Stem&3DModels); 4) Microbiology and Infection (MicroInfect); 5) Neurosciences (NeuroS) and; 6) Surgical Sciences (SurgicalS) - 3 TL corresponding to core areas of the 3Bs and 3 of the ICVS. In addition, we will launch a novel TL based on the paradigm change that addresses health from the populations' perspective: 7) Population Health (PopHealth). The TLs mainly centred at the ICVS will focus on strengthening the established pipeline from basic to preclinical and clinical studies, in association with the Clinical Academic Center (2CA) and with the TLs mainly centred at the 3Bs, that will focus in advancing tissue engineering and personalized medicine discoveries by the integration of key enabling nanotechnologies, advanced biomaterials and stem cells. 1-AdvBiomat TL will explore new sources of natural origin biomaterials and bioactive agents to enhance their functional and structural properties (e.g. development of smart/bioinstructive materials) and nanotechnologies will be developed/implemented to process them into different structures. 2-TERM&PrecisionMed TL, innovative 3D-biomaterials structures with more complex/multiple functionalities and cells sources will be explored towards the development of more efficient tissue substitutes, with a particular emphasis on technological platforms enabling personalized tissue engineering strategies to generate tissue-like substitutes tailored to patient specificities. 3-Stem&3DModels TL will advance on elucidating the influence in stem cells biology and biochemistry provided by environmental factors including cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and soluble stimuli. This will allow defining the ideal 3D environment that maximizes the biological/biochemical potential of different stem cells for creation of (patho)physiological 3D in vitro models. 4-MicroInfect TL will unravel key mechanisms of host-pathogen interaction, specifically those underlying host resistance/susceptibility, aiming at understanding how microorganisms contribute to disease, developing applications for the identification of prognostic, diagnostic and therapeutic targets for personalized medical interventions. 5-NeuroS TL will focus on the establishment of functional and structural correlations mediated by precipitating factors (e.g. stress and aging) and its implications in cognition and in neuropsychiatric disorders. Detailed assessment of neuroplastic events combined with behavioural, neurochemical and electrophysiological, molecular biology, (epi)genetics and neuroimaging correlates will be explored to understand the pathophysiology of specific neuropsychiatric conditions and to explore modulatory interventions promoting recovery of structure and function in neuronal tissues. 6-SurgicalS TL aims at understanding the pathophysiology of disease to uncover novel therapeutic strategies for malignant (cancer) and congenital conditions, in order to identify markers of response to therapy and explore new targets to personalized therapies. Furthermore, we will foster the bench to bedside strategy by developing surgical approaches to minimize surgical aggression in clinical practice. 7-The PopHealth TL to be implemented originates from the health cluster environment around the ICVS/3Bs. The aim is to maximize human resources already available and bring additional expertise to achieve the appropriate conditions to comprehensively target Population Health in its different contents: Epidemiology, Prevention and Intervention, Health Informatics, Health Policy and Management, Biostatistics and Big Data Analysis. To achieve our ambitious goals at the frontline Health Sciences/Technologies, we set-up a scientific framework that goes from the more fundamental in vitro research to assessment in animal models and pre-clinical validation, clinical trials, and interventions at the population level. This complementary interplay constitutes the matrix that boosts translation into the market of innovative solutions based on novel prophylactic measures, diagnosis methods and advanced combinatory therapies. The interaction between the transdisciplinary TLs will enable a large step forward in the ICVS/3Bs R&D, increasing its competiveness, the excellence of the outcomes, the publication records, the advanced training at the postgraduate and professional levels, and its sustainability by leading to intellectual property and increased capability to create added value. To achieve these goals, the ICVS/3Bs will strengthen its team and technological platform, based on the ability of networking and attracting competitive funds. The funds requested to FCT are key for this strategy not only because they represent the recognition of our achievements but because they embody trust on future outcomes. The basal funds will contribute to the maintenance of the available structure while the programmatic will allow moving forward on human resources development (researchers and PhD students).

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde (UMinho ICVS)
  • Universidade do Minho (UMinho)

Funding 2.916.281,25 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

2.916.281,25 €