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Cell-targeted Biophotonic Nanoparticles for Vision Restoration
Abstract

NanoFlash aims to develop disruptive nano-enabled technology to restore damaged neuronal networks through precise stimulation of specific retinal cells. Focusing on non-genetic reactivation of physiological vision, NanoFlash targets treatment of retinitis pigments (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), both marked by severe retinal degradation and loss of high-resolution vision. Current retinal prostheses suffer from low resolution and indiscriminate activation of inner retina, while ontogenetic strategies targeting ONbipolar cells (BCs) face significant limitation in efficacy and translational readiness. Circumventing these challenges, NanoFlash will engineer photovoltaic polymer nanoparticles (NPs) functionalist to target mGluR6 receptors, a unigue hallmark on PN-BCs. Using state-of- the-art modelling and bioelectronic in vitro platforms, the project will drive the rational design and optimisation of NPs, tailoring their size, architecture, spectral sensitivity, and transduction efficiency. Advanced organ-on-chip devices will be developed to screen and validate NP targeting and retinal reactivation performance in retinal organdies and explants. Lead NP candidates will then be tested in rod-cone degeneration rodent models, assessing targeting precision, suspension stability, and visual restoration outcomes. NanoFlash represents a major leap forward in retinal prosthetics by restoring the ON/OFF pathway segregation critical for spatial resolution, contrast sensitivity, and motion detection. This highly interdisciplinary effort will push the frontiers of bio-organic optoelectronics and neurophysiology, providing essential preclinical data toward therapies for currently incurable retinal diseases, addressing a pressing unmet medical need in the EU.

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People involved
Fabio Benfenati
Fabio Benfenati
Neuroscience and Smart Materials
Guglielmo Lanzani
Guglielmo Lanzani
Nanomaterials for Energy and Lifescience
Project information
Acronym
NanoFlash
Start date
01/05/2026
End date
30/04/2030
Role
Partner
Funds
European
Budget
Total budget: 1.047.375,00€
Total contribution: 1.047.375,00€