summary horizon 2020 funding opportunities on...

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HORIZON 2020 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ON

HEALTH Presentation of project ideas for consortia building

April 10th 2014

H 15:15-16:45

Novarello – Villaggio Azzurro, Novara, Italy

Catalogue of Participants

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Summary

1. Presentation........................................................................................................................ 3

2. Associazione Vivere la Montagna ......................................................................................... 4

3. HPV-UNIT – Regina Elena National Cancer Institute (IRE)...................................................... 6

4. Infomedica srl – Medical Education & Information ............................................................... 8

5. Istituto Nazionale per le Malattie Infettive „Lazzaro Spallanzani“ ...................................... 10

6. German Cancer Research Centre – Div. of Viral Transformation Mechanisms ..................... 12

7. Università degli studi del Piemonte Orientale – Dip. di Medicina ........................................ 14

8. Università degli studi del Piemonte Orientale – Dip. di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica . 16

9. Università di Torino – Dip. Surgical Sciences ....................................................................... 18

10. Università di Torino of Torino – Dep. of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences ............... 20

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1. Presentation

Objective of the event:

The special event is organized by Finpiemonte and Unioncamere Piemonte, during the 7th International

Conference on “HPV, Polyomavirus and UV in Skin Cancer”.

The event is organized in the framework of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), which is the EU’s largest

business support network promoting competitiveness and innovation in Europe and beyond, with 600

partner organizations in more than 50 countries. One of the most important mission of EEN is to help SMEs,

universities and research organization to build international partnerships and take part to international RTD

projects.

Main objective of the workshop is to present FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES in Horizon 2020 for HEALTH and

to give to the participants the opportunity to present and discuss potential project ideas.

Added value of the event:

• Get background information about the Health call in Horizon 2020

• Meet new partners for potential collaboration on specified issues

• Facilitate the setup of Horizon 2020 project consortia

• Present, discuss and develop new project ideas at international level

• Initiate cross-border contacts

• Promote your organization and expertise in Europe and USA.

For additional information on Horizon 2020:

• Programme Framework

• Health specific Programme and call information

• Health, demographic change and wellbeing, Work Programme 2014-2015

For further information: Cristiana Tabacco - [email protected] , tel +39 011 5717814.

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2. Associazione Vivere la Montagna

Country/Region: Italy – Piedmont - Cumiana (Torino)

Name of Researcher: Giorgio Chiaretta – President Massimo Apicella – Vice-President Chiara Reggiani – Scientific Committee Donata Vinelli – Scientific Committee

Researcher Contact Details

Phone +39.011.198.36.595 – 349.67.67.113

E-mail [email protected] [email protected]

Thematic focus: Human Health and Mountain

Main Sectors of application: Psycho-social rehabilitation and environment developement

Not previously experienced NO

Involved in international and RTD projects NO

Experience in the following cooperation and RTD

programmes: NO

International cooperation experience

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Project Description

“Alpinhealth® - A mountain of health”

Alpinhealth® is a project that acts on several levels, which looks at the Highlands as a resource

and as a tool for healthy well-being oriented in the psychological, social, occupational areas and for

rehabilitation.

Alpinhealth ® suggests and develops a kind of interactive approach, both for the inner being for

a person as himself, and for his relationship with the outer environment

Alpinhealth ® provides an innovative approach for the psycho-physical welfare oriented to

the geographical area, the project can also be an exportable model to other highland areas.

Type of Partner Searched

Universities, local Authorities, Social-Healthcare Consortia, Banking foundations, Other potential

lenders/investors

Contacts for further information

EEN Partners Cristiana Tabacco

Phone: +39 011 5717814

E-mail: [email protected]

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3. HPV-UNIT – Regina Elena National Cancer Institute (IRE)

Country/Region: Italy

Name of Researcher: Aldo Venuti

Researcher Contact Details HPV-UNIT IRE via Chianesi 53 00144 Rome Italy

Phone +39065266250

E-mail [email protected]; [email protected]

Thematic focus: Viruses and cancer

Main Sectors of application: Biological (immuno)Therapy, biomarkers, diagnosis

Not previously experienced

Involved in international and RTD projects

Yes, but not European RTD projects (Collab.

projects with Scotland, Argentina and

Australia)


programmes:

None in granted European framework

programmes but participating in

(unfortunately) not granted Projects.

Project Description

Search for new viruses associated with human malignancy.

Discovery of new virus-related biomarkers (and biosensor device for their detection) for early diagnosis and

population screening

New personalized (immuno and/or small molecules) therapy against virus/host interacting pathways


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Bioinformatics for in silico research (metagenomics).

Company producing/possessing large arrays of small molecules with interacting activity on different

viral/cellular pathways

Company producing/developing new therapeutic vaccines

Clinical Dept with large archival samples/patients

Biosensor researchers for the development of new diagnostic device for biomarker detections



Phone: +39 011 5717814


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4. Infomedica srl – Medical Education & Information


Name of Researcher: Infomedica – Giorgio Mantovani


Phone +39 011 859990

E-mail [email protected]

Thematic focus: Medical Education & Information

Main Sectors of application: Distance learning (Self-Assessment & Self-Education

Programs / CME Journals / Clinical cases & Interactive study

modules / Information – broadcasting & web)

Not previously experienced Previous international experience with

international private entities

Involved in international and RTD projects In international private projects


programmes: Distance learning for health care

professionals

Project Description

Project 1: Compliance / Adherence

Background: For millions of patients, medications for chronic diseases are often misunderstood or misused.

Most patients quickly abandon therapy; many times for the wrong reasons—and with serious consequences.

Objectives: Design & create an integrated system to bring together all parties (patient, physician, care

giver) to improve patients’ experiences with medications, for the benefit of patients, their families and the

entire healthcare system.

Project 2: Share your health knowledge

Background: In medical practice professionals guarantee the best care for their patients by committing to


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life-long learning.

Objectives: Design & implement a virtual meeting place for the promotion of medical & scientific learning

for teachers and learners within the healthcare scenario and throughout all EU. The online courses will be

subject to rigorous peer-review and guaranteed by institutional or academic partners taking part in the

project.

Project 3: Mobility for health workforce (HWF)

Background: According to an estimate, Europe expects a shortage of 1 million health workers by 2020.

Demand, need and supply of the HWF are influenced by multiple factors like ageing population, ageing HWF,

rising care use and rising costs in a context of budget constraints.

Objectives: Analyse and project a platform for the HWF for exchange data/information between EU

countries to support mobility of the HWF.


Project 1: Researchers, physicians, and institutions in the most important EU to map the different situations

and define a possible standard procedures for managing the compliance/adherence in the EU countries. / IT

experts.

Project 2: Institutions (academic or other), teacher/trainers, educationalists, physicians within the EU to

create a network of experts to create, manage and share knowledge disseminated through e-learning for all

health care workers. / IT experts.

Project 3: Institutions) in the most important EU to map the different situations to manage and share a

platform for supply/demand of all the potential mobility EU / IT experts.



Phone: +39 011 5717814


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5. Istituto Nazionale per le Malattie Infettive „Lazzaro Spallanzani“


Name of Researcher: Garbuglia Anna Rosa


Phone +390655170692


Thematic focus: HPV in oral site

Main Sectors of application: Phylogenetic analysys; potential oncogenicity of HPV


Involved in international and RTD projects Yes


programmes:PREDEMICS

Project Description

In view of the increased life-span of HIV patients undergoing long term highly active antiretroviral therapy

(HAART) as well as the possible etiologic role of the oral HPV in carcinogenesis, aging HIV/HPV-coinfected

patients may be at significant risk as regards HPV-associated lesions and malignancies. Preliminary data

showed that β and γ HPV prevalence was higher than those of α HPV in oropharingeal swabs samples.

Several unclassified genotypes were found (HPV FA12.2; HPV ISOL FA97; HPV ISOL. FA68 ) and some

rare genotypes, i.e. HPV120, were detected in multiple anatomical sites (oral and anal).

Objectives: 1) Charaterization of new HPV types, 2) tropism analysis of rare β and γ HPVs 3) potential

oncogenicity of β and γ HPV in oral site in HIV subjects.


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• Bioinformatic expertise in the analysis of new HPV genotypes and in performance of a

metagenomic approach for detecting multiple HPV infections.

• Know-how in molecular field to analyze transcriptional regulation of viral gene expression in

nonmalignant and malignant cells.



Phone: +39 011 5717814


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6. German Cancer Research Centre – Div. of Viral Transformation Mechanisms

Country/Region: Germany

Name of Researcher: Prof. Dr. Frank Rösl / Dr. Sabrina Vinzón


Phone +49 6221 42-4922

E-mail [email protected]; [email protected]

Thematic focus: Development of second generation vaccines against

papillomavirus

Main Sectors of application: Pharmaceutical industry; Human medicine.

Not previously experienced x



programmes:

Project Description

Papillomaviruses are small, non-enveloped viruses which infect the stratified squamous epithelia of skin and

mucosal membranes. Different types of papillomaviruses are involved in the development of a variety of

human cancers. Among them, there are approximately 15 types named high-risk types because they are

considered the etiological agents of most cervical cancers, and are also associated with many penile, vulvar

and anal carcinomas and more than 40% of head and neck cancers. The remaining mucosal types are rarely

found in malignancies and therefore called low-risk. On the other hand, the cutaneous HPV types are

associated with the development of skin warts and also with the development of non-melanoma skin cancer,

especially in organ transplant patients.

The rodent Mastomys coucha is naturally and persistently infected with Mastomys natalensis papilloma virus

(MnPV). The animals are unique in spontaneously developing not only benign skin tumours, such as

papillomas and keratoacanthomas, but also squamous cell carcinomas, for which MnPV is the etiological

agent. Infection occurs early in lifetime, similarly to cutaneous HPVs, and high viral loads can be detected in

the skin of older animals, which trigger the onset of papilloma development. Therefore, M. coucha

represents an excellent read-out model to investigate prophylactic approaches against PV-induced skin


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tumors under natural conditions.

In a recent study, we evaluated the efficacy of a virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccine on either previously

or newly established infections. VLPs raise a strong and long-lasting neutralizing antibody response that

confers protection even under systemic long-term cyclosporine A treatment. Remarkably, the vaccine

completely prevents the appearance of benign as well as malignant skin tumors. Protection involves the

maintenance of a low viral load in the skin by an antibody-dependent prevention of virus spread. Our results

provide first evidence that VLPs elicit an effective immune response in the skin under immunocompetent and

immunosuppressed conditions in an outbred animal model, irrespective of the infection status at the time of

vaccination. These findings provide the basis for the clinical development of potent vaccination strategies

against cutaneous HPV infections and HPV-induced tumors, especially in patients awaiting organ

transplantation.

Vaccination against genital HPV types is currently being used worldwide to prevent infection and, in turn, the

development of HPV-induced lesions in the mucosa, including cervical carcinoma. The two licensed vaccines

are composed of HPV VLPs, which elicit high titers of neutralizing antibodies that protect from a subsequent

infection by the targeted HPV types. However, these vaccines have several limitations: (i) they target only

two mucosal high-risk types, therefore potentially preventing approximately 70% of the cervical cancer

cases, which leaves 30% of the cases unattended; (ii) they don´t target any cutaneous type; (iii) they are

very costly, making implementation of wide-covering vaccination schedules difficult in underdeveloped

countries.

Given the variety of HPV types that could be involved in the development of non-melanoma skin cancer in

humans, as well as the many types causing mucosal tumors, a broadly protective HPV vaccine would be

ideal. The papillomavirus minor capsid protein L2, contains a major cross-neutralizing epitope that could be

used to develop a second generation vaccine.

The aim of our project is to investigate whether administration of such a broadly protective vaccine (i.e., an

L2-vaccine) is as effective in preventing skin tumors in Mastomys coucha as its L1 counterpart.


Academic.

Industrial.



Phone: +39 011 5717814


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7. Università degli studi del Piemonte Orientale – Dip. di Medicina


Name of Researcher: Filippo Renò


Phone +39-0321-660634


Thematic focus: Skin disease

Main Sectors of application: Dermatology, inflammation, pharmacology

Not previously experienced x



programmes:

Project Description

Autonomic dysfunction has been associated with human inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid

arthritis, diabetes and sepsis; whether this dysfunction results from the inflammatory component of these

diseases, or is actually an underlying cause, is not clear. Recently, a neural circuit has been identified that


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controls the inflammatory response in a reflex- involving the vagus nerve which is able to sense

inflammation and to respond to it by releasing acetylcholine (Ach) which inhibits macrophage cytokine

production interacting specifically with macrophage alpha7 subunits of nicotinic ACh receptors. Others

Immune cells, including lymphocytes, express muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine, and agonist

stimulation of these AChRs causes functional and biochemical changes in the cells. In addition, a recently

discovered endogenous allosteric α7 nAChR ligand, SLURP-1, also appears to be involved in modulating

both normal T cell function and keratinocyte behaviour. Since nicotinic AChRs have been shown to regulate

SLURPs production, these peptides have been suggested as prototype drugs for the treatment of wounds

that fail to heal.

The aims of the project are:

1) to investigate the role of the “vagal tone” in the onset of inflammatory and autoimmune disease

cutaneous effects;

2) to test the ability of physical exercise, colinomimetic drugs and acetylcholine synthesis and degradation

modulators to mitigate cutaneous effects

3) to design new therapeutic and pharmacological approaches to inflammatory and autoimmune disease

cutaneous effects;



Clinical centres, university research groups, biotech and pharmaceutical companies



Phone: +39 011 5717814


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8. Università degli studi del Piemonte Orientale – Dip. di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica

Country/Region: Itay/Piemonte

Name of Researcher: M. Botta, L. Tei, F. Carniato

Researcher Contact Details Dr. Lorenzo Tei

Phone 0131 360208


Thematic focus: Theranostic nanoparticles

Main Sectors of application: Personalise nanomedicine



Experience in the following

cooperation and RTD programmes:

Participation in EU Projects (coordinator Prof. S. Aime,

University of Torino, Italy):

� European Networks of Excellence (6th EU Framework Programme): “European Molecular Imaging Laboratories - EMIL” (2004-2009).

� “Diagnostic Molecular Imaging DiMI” (2005-2010).

� MEDITRANS (NMP4-CT-2006-026668), Targeted Delivery of Nanomedicine (2006-2011).

Members of EU COST Action TD 1004: “Theranostics imaging

and therapy: an action to develop novel nanosized systems

for imaging-guided drug delivery” (2012 – 2016).

EU COST Actions D38 and D18: "Metal-Based Systems for

Molecular Imaging Applications" (2006-2011) and “Lanthanide

Chemistry for Diagnosis and Therapy” (2001-2006).


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Project Description

Use of functionalised Gd-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles or efficient Gd-based liposomes for imaging

guided drug delivery and for theranostic applications

Optimization of: i) the contrast efficiency; ii) the modulation of drug loading and release; iii) the selectivity

of the nanoparticle targeting to malignant tissues


1) Academic groups specialized in “in vitro” and “in vivo” application of theranostic agents or high field MRI

contrast agents.

2) Pharmaceutical companies for development of novel drug delivery systems.



Phone: +39 011 5717814


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9. Università di Torino – Dip. Surgical Sciences

Country/Region: ITALY/ PIEMONTE

Name of Researcher: ELISABETTA RADICE


Phone +39 011/0915385


Thematic focus: Cancer research,pre-clinical/clinical application

Main Sectors of application: Colorectal cancer (CRC), pelvic floor pathologies


Involved in international and RTD projects x


programmes:

H2020 - PHC13 – innovative therapy against

CRC

Project Description

Each project involving: Clinical and pre-clinical research (basic/traslational research, TRL 1-4)

Pelvic floor pathology, cancer research (i.e. CRC, etc.)

Mini-invasive sirurgy

Robotic sirurgy


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Nanomedicines pre-clinical/clinical application


Universities (medicine and surgery department)

Researchers (clinical pre-clinical studies)

Hospitals and research center/labs (public/private)

Pharmaceutical/Nutreceutical manufacturer

healthcare SME



Phone: +39 011 5717814


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10. Università di Torino of Torino – Dep. of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences

Country/Region: Italy/Piedmont

Name of Researcher: Valentina Scariot

Researcher Contact Details Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095, Grugliasco, Torino

Phone +390116708935


Thematic focus: Ornamental and medicinal plants

Main Sectors of application: Biology, biotechnology, sustainable practices

Not previously experienced X



programmes:

Project Description

Plant secondary metabolites do not play a major role in growth and development. Conversely, their

production and accumulation are fundamental for plant survival under extreme environmental conditions

(abiotic stresses). Many of these are important bioactive compounds potentially beneficial for human health.

The pharmacological involvement of so-called “medicinal plants”, which include the Lamiaceae, Labiatae,

Asteraceae, Cistaceae, Punicaceae, and Oleaceae families, has long time been known. Concerning

pharmacologal aspects, the metabolic syndrome incidence (dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and hypertension)


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is increasing in Western countries and represents a risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases. Nowadays,

the identification of dietary supplements that can reduce these possible cardiovascular complications is

therefore of considerable pharmacological interest. Thus, the main purpose of this project will be to evaluate

the dietary pharmacological properties of essential oils extracted from Melissa officinalis L., Salvia fruticosa

L., Helichrysum italicum (Roth) Don, Artemisia princeps Pamp, Cistus populifolius Mill., Punica granatum L.,

and Olea europea L., in conditions of abiotic stress, with a view to health promotion and disease prevention

(Horizon 2020).

The study of the biosynthesis of plant compounds will be conducted through in vivo and in vitro approaches.

In both cases, plants will be cultivated under drought, cold, and ozone stress. In particular, for all trials a

multidisciplinary approach will be undertaken, ranging from ecophysiological characterization (for example

osmotic potential, turgor loss, cell walls elasticity, leaf conductance, gas exchange, xanthophylls cycle),

through the analysis of primary metabolism, the characterization of secondary metabolite classes, the

quantification of phytohormones (HPLC), and the characterization of volatile compounds (GC and SPME), to

proteomics studies (LC and Q-trap MS-MS). In order to better understand the molecular basis of stress

response, the total transcriptome of stressed plants will be sequenced by means of Next Generation

Sequencing (NGS) using the RNA-Seq technique. Plants subjected to different theses will be submitted to the

extraction of essential oils through two techniques, i.e. the ultrasound-assisted and the microwave-assisted

extraction. These methodologies are known to be high throughput and to yield high-quality oils through a

rapid protocol, reducing solvent consumption as well (green extraction). Finally, the extracted plant

compounds will be tested in vivo in animal models with fat dietary, miming a condition of human metabolic

syndrome. In parallel, in vitro studies will be aimed to the analysis of potential antiflammatory effects of

essential oils by usingvascular endothelial cells (Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells, HUVEC), the main

target tissue of the metabolic syndrome, and polymorphonuclear cell, as reference target. As a final aim, it

will be of high scientific interest to integrate physiology, morphology, metabolomics and transcriptomics, in

order to identify molecules that can potentially have a positive activity on human health.


We are searching for partner mainly involved in the medicinal and pharmacological aspects related to the

activity of natural compounds.



Phone: +39 011 5717814


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