The IIT@Sapienza laboratory, born in 2010, revolves around two topics of biomedical interest where technological innovation is key to reach the goals.
The first regards neurodegenerative disorders, hereditary and sporadic conditions characterized by progressive nervous system dysfunction. The focus of the second will be brain tumours, the most life-threatening diseases of adulthood and childhood.
These challenging projects benefit from the establishment and convergence of common technological platforms. They avail themselves of state-of-the-art commercial equipment and, at the same time, foster and support the development of new techniques and instrumentation.

Title: Optical cavity microscope for the diagnosis of deep skin lesions at terahertz frequencies
Acronym: MICOLET
Consortium: Sapienza Università di Roma, CRISEL Instruments S.R.L, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

Deep skin lesions are among the main causes of hospitalization and death in the European Union. Current medical  diagnosis techniques are based on the surgical excision of skin in the  suspicious area (biopsies) and subsequent investigation with an optical  and/or fluorescence microscope. In this project we  will develop a microscopy device working at TeraHertz frequencies for  the non-invasive diagnosis of deep skin lesions with a new data  acquisition mode that will allow high-speed acquisitions and a compact volume of the instrument.

Total Budget € 635.509,23        Contribution € 418.659,13

Title: Life Science Excellence Hub
Acronym: LSEH
Consortium: Sapienza Università di Roma, Istituto Superiore di Sanità,Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche,Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore,Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia,Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma

LSEH is a regional center of excellence for Life Sciences aimed to aggregate, promote and enhance a set of 16 research and development projects resulting from the effective collaboration among companies, universities and research centers sited in Lazio. The main objective of LSEH is to be an active player in the process of knowledge and technology transfer for making the regional ecosystem competitive and innovative on a national and European scale in a key sector such as Life Sciences

Total Budget € 320.580,01      Contribution € 320.580,01

Title: Soluzione Integrata di Microscopia Brillouin Avanzata
Acronym: SIMBA
Consortium: 

The 3D mapping of mechanical properties represents a frontier for the diagnosis and study of diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, glaucoma and neurodegeneration. To this end, the previous collaboration between Sapienza and CLN2S @ Sapienza led to the development of a new instrument based on Brillouin microscopy, a new imaging technique based on the measurement of mechanical properties of cells and tissues and their possible changes in the presence of anomalies. However, the current version of the experimental setup has not negligible dimensions and is affected by environmental instability. In order to complete the work started and overcome these limitations, SIMBA ( “Soluzione Integrata di Microscopia Brillouin Avanzata”) project aims to develop an optimized system consisting of a compact and transportable microscope prototype. The technology that the Project aims to develop therefore has important potential biomedical applications in oncology field, nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Total Budget € 149.339,40      Contribution € 149.339,40

Title: Localizzazione Assistita dallo Scattering degli Aggregati Fluorescenti dell'Alzheimer
Acronym: LOCALSCENT
Consortium: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

To realize a pre-clinic, low cost and non invasive diagnostic protocol for the Alzheimer disease (AD) would be a remarkable and effective achievement.
In many AD patients, well before the appearance of the disease symptoms, it is possible to observe neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) appearing in neurological compartments. But while the presence of NFTs would be a solid biological evidence for an early AD diagnosis, scientists were not yet able to identify specific markers for these protein aggregates. At the same time, the retina is the most optically accessible extension of the central neurological system, through the natural optical opening of the eye.
LOCALSCENT intends, then, to close this diagnostic gap and to develop a new device able to combine a state-of-the-art imaging technique with novel biocompatible optically active compounds, specifically designed to bond NFTs, and to provide an early diagnostic apparatus for MA through the retinal ambulatory optical observation.

Total Budget € 150.000     Contribution € 150.000

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