Six promising researchers will each receive DKK 11 million to establish their own research groups and set a new direction in health sciences. Among them is researcher Raphael Ferreira from DTU Health Tech.
With the grant, Raphael Ferreira will develop a new gene-editing platform that could potentially optimize the treatment of neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Since traditional medicine struggles to cross the blood-brain barrier, the project will instead utilize the body's own blood stem cells. These cells naturally bypass the barrier and develop into cells that reduce inflammation and clear harmful proteins from the brain.
The challenge is getting enough cells there in time. Raphael Ferreira aims to solve this problem using a technique called 'multiplexed gene insertion'. Rather than altering just one gene at a time, the method allows editing up to 10 genes simultaneously. This is intended to strengthen the cells' healing properties and ensure they reach the brain more quickly.
The platform will initially be tested in a rare brain disease, but it is designed to be adaptable to other disorders.
With the grant, Raphael Ferreira, who holds a PhD from the University of Gothenburg and previously developed CRISPR methods at Harvard, can now establish his own research group at DTU.
