SoftReach_Minimally-Invasive Soft-Robot-Assisted Deep-Brain Localized Therapeutics Delivery for Neurological Disorders

SoftReach_微创软机器人辅助神经系统疾病的深部脑局部治疗

• 批准号: 10062486
• 金额: $ 83.13万
• 依托单位: KING'S COLLEGE LONDON
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: EU-Funded
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10062486
• 关键词: SoftReach_Minimally; Invasive; Soft; Robot; Assisted

Robotics and imaging can revolutionize healthcare by overcoming limitations of existing practice and enabling the clinical translation of emerging treatments. Along this direction, SoftReach focuses on improving the treatment of neurological disorders (NDs), a major unmet healthcare challenge. Despite the devastating impact of NDs to millions, existing treatments have poor efficacy. SoftReach aims to radically improve treatments by providing localized delivery of therapeutics in deep-brain regions involved in ND pathophysiology. The proposed platform can enhance the efficacy of pharmaceutical treatments by bypassing limitations of systemic delivery, and provide means to implement promising cell therapies. Our paradigm-shifting ambition will be realised through two major innovations: 1) a submillimeter soft-growing steerable robotic platform, the first of its kind, which will utilize real-time MRI feedback to navigate through the spine subarachnoid space and the Ventricular System (VS), where it will attach µl-sized payloads (carriers of therapeutics) at specific locations. 2) Novel µl-sized tissue construct payloads (TCPs), built around precisely microfabricated deployable porous scaffolds so that they can attach stably on VS walls and deliver therapeutic factors to adjacent brain regions. The platform will be demonstrated via two parallel efforts. 1) The ability of the soft-growing robot to extend via the VS and safely deliver TCPs under real-time MRI feedback will be demonstrated in high-fidelity phantoms of the human VS. 2) TCP-mediated localised delivery of treatments (compounds, cells) via the VS will be demonstrated stereotactically in mice. By providing minimally-invasive access to deep-brain regions of major clinical importance that lie beyond the reach of existing procedures, SoftReach can revolutionize the clinical practice of ND treatments and provide disrupting tools that can impact multiple fields such as gene therapy, neurosurgery and oncology

机器人技术和成像可以克服现有实践的局限性并实现新兴疗法的临床转化，从而彻底改变医疗保健领域，沿着这个方向，SoftReach 专注于改善神经系统疾病 (ND) 的治疗，尽管 ND 带来了毁灭性的影响，但这是一个尚未解决的重大医疗挑战。对于数百万人来说，现有的治疗方法效果不佳，SoftReach 旨在通过在涉及 ND 病理生理学的脑深部区域提供局部治疗，从根本上改善治疗效果。我们的范式转变雄心将通过两项重大创新来实现：1）亚毫米软生长可操纵机器人平台，这是同类中的第一个，它将利用实时 MRI 反馈来实现穿过脊柱蛛网膜下腔和心室系统 (VS)，它将在特定位置附着 µl 大小的有效载荷（治疗药物的载体）2) 新型 µl 大小的组织构建有效载荷。 （TCP），围绕精确微制造的可展开多孔支架构建，以便它们可以稳定地附着在 VS 壁上并将治疗因子传递到相邻的大脑区域。该平台将通过两项并行工作来证明：1）软生长机器人的能力。通过 VS 延伸并在实时 MRI 反馈下安全地递送 TCP，将在人类 VS 的高保真模型中进行演示。 2) TCP 介导的局部治疗（化合物、细胞）递送。 VS 将在小鼠身上进行立体定向演示，通过微创进入具有重要临床意义的大脑深部区域，这些区域超出了现有程序的范围，SoftReach 可以彻底改变 ND 治疗的临床实践，并提供可以影响多个领域的颠覆性工具。例如基因治疗、神经外科和肿瘤学