The SWIMMOT project coordinated by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) , Center for Health & Bioresources - Molecular Diagnostics, and funded by the EU has been launched. It pursues a radically new approach in medical imaging and is called Magneto-Plasmonic Imaging Technology (MPIT). Using ultra-high contrast, MPIT will for the first time allow the quantification of a selected molecule in the living organism and visualization up to cellular resolution. The aim is the background free visualization of the finest blood vessels in the retina and the visualization of individual cells in the pancreas. These cells are responsible for the production of insulin. Exemplary, blindness caused by diabetes can be better understood and treated in the future
Together with experts from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse, the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, the Medical University of Vienna, and the University of Innsbruck, SWIMMOT will revolutionize medical imaging.
The SWIMMOT technology relies on a contrast agent that can be switched on and off, which enables the elimination of the background during the imaging. The contrast agent is a specific type of nanoparticle comprising a magnetic core and a gold shell. Additionally, the contrast agent possesses a biofunctional shell. The SWIMMOT technology will demonstrate its potential to uncover new biomolecular mechanisms in zebrafish as model organisms and thus make an important contribution to diabetes research.
Three specific applications will be realized in the project over the next years. In the first step, the background free visualization of the finest blood vessels in the retina will be enabled to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms leading to blindness in diabetes. The next goal is to visualize the cells in the pancreas that are responsible for the production of insulin. This should help to understand the regeneration of these cells. In addition, the measurement of blood glucose levels in live fish will be made possible, allowing the crucial parameter of diabetes disease to be directly monitored. The SWIMMOT technology allows for the first time the measurement of blood glucose in living animals. The great advantage of the new method is that it enables measurements to be taken over a longer period of time. In addition, a drastic reduction in the number of laboratory animals required is achieved.
SWIMMOT will lead to a better understanding of processes in the human body and thus support the development of early diagnostics and new therapeutic concepts. This project is funded by the Research and Innovation Program H2020 of the European Union (grant agreement number 899612).
Link to the project page: http://www.swimmot.researchproject.at/index.htm
Link to the EU page: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/899612