Lung disease is the third biggest cause of deaths globally. For the irreversible and terminal lung disease patients, lung transplantation is the only long-term therapy. Due to the unavailability the suitable donors, there is not only a minimum of 18 months of wait on the organ donation. Patients who eventually secure a lung transplant have less than 20% chance of recovery due to ‘poor organ function’. Therefore, there is not only a great need for an artificial lung as a permanent replacement organ but also as a bridge to transplantation. Existing artificial lung devices fail to mimic the flow gas exchange properties of a human lung and suffer from low biocompatibility, leading to undesired blood coagulation and hemolysis which limits their applicability to up to 30 days. The complexity and risk associated with current artificial lung technologies mean that they are not offered as long-term lung replacements or as a suitable bridge to transplantation. Through this 36 months EIC pathfinder project, the consortium led by Smart Reactors Ireland, aims to develop the world’s first biobased nanomaterial ‘nanocellulose’ to manufacture an artificial lung device used as a bridge to lung transplantation. The consortium will develop an initial proof of concept nanocellulose device to demonstrate gas transfer and initial hemocompatibility in blood. The proposed approach is expected to have two benefits, the first is that blood flow can occur in laminar flow conditions reducing haemolysis and damage to the blood. Secondly, nanocellulose, has the potential to be endothelialized which would allow for long term gas exchange without the need for systemic anticoagulants.

Neurocristopathies caused by defects in the neural crest (NC) encompass a broad group of diseases from birth defects (cleftvpalate) to complex syndromes affecting systems such as heart, gut and adrenals. Because NC derivatives are diverse, mutations affecting this lineage can lead to pleiotropic phenotypes making it difficult to understand the causative events. Furthermore, NC-derived cancers, (e.g. melanoma and neuroblastoma) reactivate embryonic programs during tumour initiation. Our aim is to create a unique interdisciplinary network of scientists and clinicians partners from academia, healthcare, industry and the public sector with experience in gene discovery, genetics, functional studies and in vivo phenotyping aimed at training creative and innovative ESRs to study the overall genetic, molecular and environmental regulation of NC tissue in human health. To study each of complex aspects of NC and tumour formation, NEUcrest provides a synergistic framework for comprehensive analysis of candidate genes and biological processes, from patients to model systems to pharma and back to the clinic. With the aim to develop a unified strategy to identify new genetic and environmental factors that contribute to disease and to develop new drug targets for therapeutics, ESRs will address following scientific challenges: undertake novel gene discovery approaches; establish cellular/animal models of disease; establish integrative strategies for understanding neurocristopathies; optimise computational modelling of NC gene networks; establish translational strategies for drug screening in NC-related diseases; improve clinical management strategies of NC-disease and interface with patients and the public. Our training program takes into account training through research as well as multidisciplinary partnerships and networking opportunities. All together, this will improve our understanding of the fundamentals of neurocristopathy and contribute to improvements in healthcare.

The aim of InSilc is to develop an in-silico clinical trial (ISCT) platform for designing, developing and assessing drug-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS), by building on the comprehensive biological and biomedical knowledge and advanced modelling approaches to simulate their implantation performance in the individual cardiovascular physiology. The InSilc platform is based on the extension of existing multidisciplinary and multiscale models for simulating the drug-eluting BVS mechanical behaviour, the deployment and degradation, the fluid dynamics in the micro- and macroscale, and the myocardial perfusion, for predicting its interaction with the vascular wall in the short- and medium/long term. InSilc goes beyond the design and development of ISCT and lays on the generation of in-silico models for obtaining quick and informed answers to several “What if” scenarios. “Virtual” patients would be given a “virtual” drug-eluting BVS, for observing the performance of the scaffold, assess and quantify the intended effect, with a deeper understanding than normal trials can provide. By integrating the information obtained from different in-silico predictive models, InSilc will: (i) assist in the development, assessment and optimization of the drug-eluting BVS and deliver accurate and reliable information to the Stent Biomedical Industry, (ii) assist the interventional Cardiologists in improving the surgical process of drug-eluting BVS implantation, support them in the clinical assessment and reduce the complications of suboptimal scaffold performance. By introducing computer simulations for establishing the safety and efficacy of drug-eluting BVS, InSilc aims to lower development costs and shorten time-to-market, reduce, refine, and partially replace human clinical trials through a more effective human clinical trials design, reduce the need for animal testing and result in a significant reduction of the associated direct and indirect costs.