MAGNET, the cooperation project with the Institut de Recerca de la Vall d’Hebron (VHIR) has been selected as one of the five finalists of the prestigious Innovation Prize. Dr. Anna Rosell, that leads this project at the Neurovacular Research Group, will defend it in Paris on the 12th of September. We wish her best luck!

If you want to read more: “El VHIR patenta una teràpia per potenciar la neuroreparació després de l’ictus”

Magnet – Vall d’Hebron Research Institute – Anna Rosell 
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide and neurorepair strategies with advanced cell therapies may become a reality soon. However, this can only be accomplished by achieving the control over the delivery and engraftment of functional cells. The concept of the Magnet therapy is that by labelling endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and nanocapsules containing EPCs-growth factors with biocompatible magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, we will be able to guide their delivery to precise brain areas by externally applying a magnetic field force to enhance neurorepair and recovery.

The techonology is patented and we are currently in search of a company interested in lincense it. Publication of the firsts results can be found in the paper “In vitro angiogenic performance and in vivo brain targeting of magnetized endothelial progenitor cells for neurorepair therapies”

Figure: Image of an endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) taken with a Transmission Soft cryo-X-ray Microscopy from the ALBA Synchroton.