Novel nanotechnology-enabled system for endovascular in vivo near-infrared fluorescence molecular imaging and endovascular near-infrared targeted photodynamic therapy of atherosclerotic heart disease

CosmoPHOS-nano is a multidisciplinary, translational and business-oriented project, aiming to accomplish the following objectives:
1) Develop the CosmoPHOS system, which is a novel theranostic (diagnostic & therapeutic) nanotechnology-enabled portable combination system enabling endovascular in vivo near-infrared fluorescence molecular imaging, endovascular near-infrared targeted photodynamic therapy, real-time & follow-up therapy monitoring of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD),
2) Nonclinically evaluate this system,
3) Clinically validate the system after regulatory approval, &
4) Reduce in the long-term CAD deaths and morbidity by up to 40%, resulting in a significant decrease of the European and global healthcare costs for CAD, increasing the income of the European healthcare industry from CAD market which is the global largest. The CosmoPHOS-nano consortium has a five year history of successful collaboration between the industrial and academic partners, and its funding would underpin a team devoted to delivering a novel powerful & affordable healthcare solution against the leading cause of death, without the need for heavy and expensive medical equipment.
The CosmoPHOS system consists of two interacting components:
a) Targeted theranostic near-infrared photo-activatable biocompatible nanomedicines, and
b) Medical devices.
After systemic administration, the nanomedicines targeted accumulate in coronary atherosclerotic plaques, followed by endocoronary photo-activation and detection by the medical devices, enabling molecular imaging, targeted therapy, real-time & follow-up therapy monitoring of CAD. Preliminary in vitro & in vivo successful experimental results, as well as parts of the CosmoPHOS system are already available from the prior five year collaboration.
The project plan includes: A) nonclinical R&D (30 months); B) nonclinical validation & regulatory approval (18 months); C) first-in-man phase-I clinical trial in 20 CAD patients (12 months).