4-Deep Brain Reconstruction

Title 4-Deep Brain Reconstruction
Acronym 4-DBR
Start date 2022-05-01
End date 2025-04-30
Sponsor European Commission
Institution August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS)
Principal investigator Josep M Canals
E-Mail: jmcanals@ub.edu

Associated cell lines

Publications

Project Description

The 4-Deep Brain Reconstruction, 4-DBR consortium aims at generating a brand-new technological approach to regenerate Brain affections that occurs in neurological disorders. With 180 million affected people and an economic burden of 798 billion euros/year, Europe needs a radical leap in the future. The complexity of the human brain has condemned every past attempt at regeneration because incomplete technologies did not allow for a full recapitulation of the brain properties and any one of them missing jeopardized the functionality of the whole. 4-DBR will focus on developing an implantable 4D reconstructed brain able to recapitulate all brain properties: a complex architecture of neuronal cells integrated in a complete blood circuitry, that will be complemented with an integrated opto-stimulator to induce correct specification and integration of neurons. 4-DBR integrates 6 technological leaders from complementary fields who will unite to develop the components of reconstructed-brains: laser-assisted bioprinting of pre-differentiated neurons with a vascular system, and a tissue integrated wireless-controlled stimulating optoelectrical chip. These components will then be combined into a transplantable reconstructed Brain. The project will put into action a strong dissemination and exploitation plan: horizontally, 4-DBR will ensure the uptake of the generated methods to strengthen Europe’s technological actors; vertically, 4-DBR will thrust the reconstructed brain approach up in the development ladder to potentially generate in a 10-year span a therapy to change the lives of many patients.