2022
UCC awarded 鈧5.4 million funding for next generation treatment for Crohn鈥檚 Disease
A University College Cork-led research project that seeks to revolutionise how Crohn鈥檚 disease is treated has just been awarded 鈧5.4 million in funding by the European Union (EU).
Crohn鈥檚 disease (CD) is a chronic inflammation of the intestine where current treatment options are limited, it affects up to 3 million people across Europe and leads to health costs of over 5 billion euros per year.
Now GENEGUT, a four-year research project led by UCC's School of Pharmacy in partnership with APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre at UCC and funded by Horizon Europe, is to develop the first oral RNA-based therapy for ileal Crohn鈥檚 Disease.
CD drastically impacts the quality of life of affected patients - and that of their families, friends, and caregivers. Most significantly, however, there is no satisfactory treatment. Despite advances, there is a pressing need for novel, advanced therapies.
Over the course of four years, GENEGUT鈥檚 aim to develop a non-invasive, safe, effective, and targeted treatment will be realised in the form of a first-in-class, orally administered RNA-based therapy. This breakthrough RNA therapy will be developed using complementary technologies that selectively target inflamed intestinal cells that reside in specific regions of the small intestine.
The European Commission recently selected the GENEGUT research and innovation action for funding as one out of 84 submitted project proposals. This UCC-lead project aims to transfer the revolutionary RNA technology to treat ileal Crohn鈥檚 Disease 鈥 a potential game-changer. The expertise required to achieve this ambitious aim is as diverse as the nine partners from eight European countries that will collaborate in GENEGUT.
鈥淭he multidisciplinary team in GENEGUT will pioneer the development of the next generation of therapeutics for the treatment of Crohn鈥檚 Disease by producing a patient friendly orally administered RNA medicine. The project will span the pre-clinical to clinical space thus accelerating the clinical translation of orally available RNA therapeutics and ensuring early access of life-altering medicines for the patient. For these patients, this would be the first option to finally manage the chronic disease and lead a life of improved quality. 鈥 鈥 Professor Caitriona O鈥橠riscoll, GENEGUT Project Coordinator
Through a patient-centred approach, the project, coordinated by the School of Pharmacy of University College Cork, brings together the European Federation of Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis Associations with renowned researchers, expert clinical scientists, SMEs and large pharma companies with expertise and patented technologies in global proteomics, nanotechnologies, novel biomaterials, multicellular models, drug delivery systems and production as well as innovation management, stakeholder involvement and science communication.