LUPAS program aims to develop luminescent polymers for diagnosing and monitoring Alzheimer and prion diseases.
Genovis is participating in a European Commission-funded project that aims to develop luminescent conjugated polymers as a means for diagnosing and monitoring neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and prion diseases. The €5 million (roughly $6.74 million) LUPAS (luminescent polymers for in vivo imaging of amyloid signatures) project aims to bridge the gap between the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases by developing novel nanoparticle-based agents for imaging amyloid plaques.
The program will exploit Genovis’ FeOdot technology, which the company claims represents a new class of nanoparticles that can be used as contrast agents in more than one type of medical imaging technique. “The LUPAS project aims to combine MRT and optical measurement, where luminescent conjugated polymers, LCPs, a material normally used for electronic applications such as LEDs, will be a key component in different nanostructures,” comments Sarah Fredriksson, Genovis CEO.
The LUPAS project will be coordinated by Linköping University in Sweden. Additional participants include university teams in France, Germany, and Norway and Applied Spectral Imaging in Israel.