They use words they know of the future and now they will have one more chance to turn those words into facts. They are the eight winners of the fifth edition of the “Roche Foundation for independent research” 2021, awarded today in Milan at the Feltrinelli Foundation. Eight under 40s who have devised as many studies in different areas of biomedical research: from oncology to rare coagulation diseases, passing through neurodegenerative diseases and epigenetics. The young scientists will receive funding of € 50,000 each to carry out their projects, which have been selected out of over 500 by a jury chaired by members of Springer Nature, to ensure innovation, impartiality and transparency. “From all the projects received, we evaluate the most interesting and new ideas also with the help of external experts”, he explains Richard Hughes, Vice President of Nature Research Partnerships Springer Nature: “The list is getting narrower and narrower until we get to choose the finalist candidates for the presentation, on the basis of which the most deserving projects are decreed”. Here, then, who are this year’s winners.
Integrated therapies for glioblastoma
Tamara Fernandez Cabada works at the Italian Institute of Technology Foundation and will study the possibility of combining magnetic hyperthermia with cell differentiation therapies to make cancer stem cells more sensitive to temperature increases. The project also aims to reduce the undesirable effects of the therapies.
Nano-vectors and wireless stimulation for neurodegenerative diseases
Valentina Castagnola, also at the Italian Institute of Technology Foundation, has developed the NeuroTarget project which aims to use biological nanorobots (vectors) capable of crossing the blood brain barrier shield and reaching specific target neurons. Similar to a freight train, these carriers will be loaded with functional nanoparticles capable of converting a remote light signal into an electrical signal. The goal is to modulate neuronal activity in a non-invasive way through wireless stimulation.
Studying doctor-patient communication
Dario Monzani of the University of Milan is the leader of the DECISION project. It will use software to analyze doctor-patient communication, the level of empathy and how this affects treatment choices. The goal is to have a new perspective, to optimize decision-making processes and improve the quality of life of cancer patients.
How Pandemic Stress Affects DNA Expression
The project by Livio Provenzi, of the Mondino IRCCS Foundation, is called “Measuring the Outcomes of Maternal COVID-19-related Prenatal Exposures (MOM-COPE)”. It aims to collect data on the impact of pandemic stress in a sensitive period such as pregnancy. The project is already underway: it was launched at the IRCCS Mondino Foundation in Pavia and involves ten neonatal clinics in Northern Italy. The results collected so far suggest the presence of an increased risk for maternal-infant well-being during the months of the health emergency and show associations with changes in the methylation status of genes involved in the regulation of stress.
A mini-liver for a rare blood disease
To develop a new therapeutic approach for the congenital form of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, an extremely rare blood disorder characterized by the formation of thrombi in the microcirculation that can cause severe damage to vital organs such as the heart, brain and kidney. This is the project of Elena Romano of the Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research in Milan. The genetic form of the disease is due to mutations in the gene that codes for the ADAMTS13 protein which is produced by liver cells and is involved in the blood clotting process. The project involves the generation of pluripotent stem cells that will be induced to become hepatocytes, stellate cells and endothelial cells. A mini-liver will be generated in the laboratory with these cells. The hypothesis is that, transplanted into the patient, it is able to provide the functional ADAMTS13 protein, protecting the patient from any relapses.
The sense of bitterness is a new way to treat asthma
In fact, it has been shown that bitter taste receptors are not only present in the oral cavity, but also in ectopic sites, including the airways. This is the starting point for the project by Laria Talmon and researchers from the University of Eastern Piedmont, who have already demonstrated its anti-inflammatory activity in the epithelium of the lower airways and as a mediator of bronchodilation in the smooth muscle cells of the lung. Identifying and correlating polymorphisms with predisposition to asthma would allow both to validate bitter receptors as new pharmacological targets, and to identify markers characterizing a population more predisposed to the disease.
Synthetic antibodies for rheumatoid arthritis
Francesca Torrini, of the University of Florence, is evaluating for the first time the use of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIP), as an alternative to classical immunotherapy with antibodies, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. MIPs can be considered “biomimetic antibodies”, consisting of natural, low-cost, biocompatible and biodegradable raw materials, capable of selectively recognizing biological targets, in this case represented by the main cytokines and receptors involved in the pathological processes of rheumatoid arthritis . Compared to classic antibodies, MIPs are also characterized by greater ease of preparation, greater stability, and are not likely to induce unwanted immune reactions.
Change the tumor microenvironment
Maria Carmela Vegliante, of the Italian Lymphoma Foundation Onlus, deals with diffuse large cell lymphomas, blood cancers in which only 60% of patients respond to standard therapy. The research group will study the tumor microenvironment that can play an important role in the progression of the disease. In particular, the research will study how to modify the behavior of macrophages, cells of the immune system which, depending on external stimuli, can act as allies or enemies of the tumor.
The new call for 2022: confirmations and news
The Roche call for independent research was first launched in 2016 and more than € 3 million has been provided to 48 projects since then. From tomorrow 11 November, and until 11 February 2022, it will be possible to submit new projects for the 2022 edition, for which another 400 thousand euros will be allocated for 8 new studios. With a novelty, however, concerning the therapeutic areas: to the traditional areas of oncology, oncological hematology, neuroscience, hereditary coagulation diseases and SARS-COV2, two special and transversal awards are added, dedicated to digital health and personalized medicine. Projects can be promoted exclusively by non-profit Italian public or private bodies and by IRCCS. They must be in English and the application can be sent directly on the website www.rocheperlaricerca.it. As in past editions, the Principal Investigator (PI) must be under the age of 40. Finally, also for this year, Fondazione Roche leaves the exclusive ownership of every invention or right generated within the research project to the participating bodies.
“Independent research in Italy has always been at the heart of the Roche Foundation’s activities – concludes Mariapia Garavaglia, President of the Roche Foundation – because we are sure that keeping it alive is an enormous value for the health system. Today more than ever we need science to recover the country, but also to continue looking for answers that can improve the lives of patients in all therapeutic areas. It is therefore necessary to invest in young researchers, creating training courses to cultivate talents in our country and to contribute to economic development “.
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