Cell-targeted Biophotonic Nanoparticles for Vision Restorationbroad
NanoFlash · Horizon Europe grant · 2026-05-01–2030-04-30
EC contribution
Total cost
Beneficiaries
About the data
Source: CORDIS (official EU open data), Horizon Europe. Framework HORIZON · call HORIZON-EIC-2025-PATHFINDEROPEN · scheme HORIZON-EIC · topic HORIZON-EIC-2025-PATHFINDEROPEN. CORDIS record →
Objective
NanoFlash aims to develop disruptive nano-enabled technology to restore damaged neuronal networks through precise stimulation of specific retinal cells. Focusing on non-genetic reactivation of physiological vision, NanoFlash targets treatment of retinitis pigments (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), both marked by severe retinal degradation and loss of high-resolution vision. Current retinal prostheses suffer from low resolution and indiscriminate activation of inner retina, while ontogenetic strategies targeting ON-bipolar cells (BCs) face significant limitation in efficacy and translational readiness.Circumventing these challenges, NanoFlash will engineer photovoltaic polymer nanoparticles (NPs) functionalist to target mGluR6 receptors, a unigue hallmark on PN-BCs. Using state-of-the-art modelling and bioelectronic in vitro platforms, the project will drive the rational design and optimisation of NPs, tailoring their size, architecture, spectral sensitivity, and transduction efficiency. Advanced organ-on-chip devices will be developed to screen and validate NP targeting and retinal reactivation performance in retinal organdies and explants. Lead NP candidates will then be tested in rod-cone degeneration rodent models, assessing targeting precision, suspension stability, and visual restoration outcomes. NanoFlash represents a major leap forward in retinal prosthetics by restoring the ON/OFF pathway segregation critical for spatial resolution, contrast sensitivity, and motion detection. This highly interdisciplinary effort will push the frontiers of bio-organic optoelectronics and neurophysiology, providing essential preclinical data toward therapies for currently incurable retinal diseases, addressing a pressing unmet medical need in the EU.
Beneficiaries (4)
| Organisation | Country | Role | EC contribution | SME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE | UK | coordinator | €898,075 | |
| FONDAZIONE ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA | IT | participant | €1,047,375 | |
| MAXWELL BIOSYSTEMS AG | CH | participant | €548,278 | Yes |
| UNIVERSITE DE MONS | BE | participant | €506,250 |
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