Nanomed

Université Paris Cité is France’s leading multidisciplinary university. Born in 2019 from the merger of the historic universities of Paris Diderot, Paris Descartes and Institut de physique du globe de Paris, the ambition of Université Paris Cité is to lead and develop an exceptional potential to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s society. With 63 000 students spread over a number of campuses throughout Paris, 149 laboratories,  Université Paris Cité is part of the incarnation of a world city, aware of its place and missions, open to youth and knowledge. Its researchers have won numerous national and international awards, including 2 Nobel Prizes, a Fields Medal, a Brain Prize and a Holberg Prize. The University was awarded an Initiative of Excellence label by the French government.

With a recognized international standing, as well as a strategic portfolio of privileged academic partners throughout the world, it offers its students state-of-the-art, innovative courses in the fields of: Arts, Humanities and Languages, Human, Economic and Social Sciences, Science and Technology, Medicine , Dentistry, Pharmacy and Nursing

NANOMED benefits from the expertise and facilities of the research group  Chemical and Biological Techniques for Health (UTCBS,  Head: Dr. Nathalie Mignet). UTCBS hosts researchers from CNRS, INSERM as well as tenured Professors and Associate Professors displaying various backgrounds ranging from Chemistry, Physico-Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry to Molecular and Cellular Biology. It holds two university-labelled platforms (since 2014) dedicated to the physico-chemical characterization of drug delivery systems and small animal models imaging (MRI and optical). Altogether the facilities and the multidisciplinary expertise allow for the design and development of innovative drug delivery systems based on Nanomedicine concepts such as liposomes and spherulites for nucleic acids delivery, gas nanobubbles permeabilizing membranes using focalized ultrasounds, inorganic nanoparticles for live animal imaging, etc. In addition, Dr. Nathalie Mignet is also the current President of the French Society of Nanomedicine (SF Nano), which organises each year scientific conferences dedicated to this research area.

Panepistimio Patron holds a very large School of Medicine (with the largest University Hospital in Western Greece), a Polytechnic School including Departments of Chemical and Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, as well as a School of Natural Sciences including Departments of Material Sciences, Chemistry, Physics and Biology.

Within Panepistimio Patron, the School of Pharmacy currently offers a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Technology, in conjunction with the University’s aforementioned Institutions.

This programme is supported by the research activities of Pr. Sophia Antimisiaris’ laboratory focusing on nanoparticulate drug delivery systems (main focus on liposomes or hybrid [lipid/polymer] nanoparticles). The research projects are developed in collaboration with the Institute of Chemical Engineering and Sciences (FORTH/ICE, located in Patras). This Institute is part of the Foundation of Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH) [the largest Research Institute in Greece], which is an associated partner of the NANOMED EMJMD. The FORTH/ICE Institute is very well equipped with core facilities that could be used by the students during their experimental work and can also contribute to the technical training (particle sizing and characterization). Furthermore, this group has already organized four Intensive Programmes/Workshops as part of a post-graduate diploma and a former Marie Curie Program [Galenos network] on the topic of Liposome Technology / Nanomedicine for Drug Delivery and has participated as a core-group/Home Institution for a Marie Curie, early stage PhD Programme, on the same Subject (Euro PhD on Advanced Drug Delivery Systems).

Università degli Studi di Pavia gathers a Department of Drug Sciences, a Medical and Surgical School, a Department of Chemistry and a Department of Biology and Biotechnology, providing undergraduate education in the fields of Pharmacy, Biotechnologies, Molecular Biology and Bioengineering. It delivers numerous diplomas from License, to Master’s and PhD level, in particular the newly developed two-year Master Course in Nanomedicine for drug delivery.

The NANOMED curriculum is supported by the research activities of the Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology laboratories of the Department of Drug Sciences, engaged in the field of advanced nanotechnology- and nanobiotechnology-based formulations for parenteral, oral and local delivery of small molecules as well as biotech drugs and vaccines. Università degli Studi di Pavia is collaborating with local hospitals (IRSSC Policlinico S.Matteo, IRCCS Salvatore Maugeri) hosting clinical research units. In addition, the Department holds close relationships with University Centers and spin-off active in nanoparticle research and involved in educational and research cooperation, notably for the practical training part of the Nanomed programme. In particular the Centre for Health Technology (CHT), currently involving eleven departments provides technological solutions for solving problems in human health, from bench to bedside, by fostering interdisciplinary research that integrates basic sciences, medicine, pharmaceutics and engineering, taking into account also legal and ethical issues. CHT is currently active, among others, in nanomedicine technology for diagnostics and therapy, including personalized medicine, and provides advanced diagnostic instrumentation and methods for the bio-characterization of nanomaterials. Several projects included in the CHT are currently funded by the EU, by NATO, by private Foundations and the Lombardia region. Two academic spin-offs named Polymerix and Noxamed are also active at the University of Pavia providing services on modern preparative methods of polymeric nanosystems and on nanotoxicology, respectively.

Finally the department of Drug Sciences has strong connections with CRS Italian chapter, Jointly they are organizing, within the frame of the annual meeting of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists, June 2017, a Mini-symposium on Recent development of Nanomedicines for drug delivery: achievements, opportunities and challenges, which will host esteemed speakers from the Nanomed project and deliver the Recipharm Award entitled “From Nanotechnologies to Nanomedicines”.

Université d’Angers engages in active exchanges with all five continents, was among the first to develop strong links with Eastern Europe, and participates fully in European Union programmes. Furthermore, the School of Pharmacy of Angers has a strong programme of students and research exchange with the Schools of Pharmacy of Nottingham (UK) and Ho Chi Minh Ville (Vietnam).

In addition, the School of Pharmacy offers since 2012 a Master’s degree in Nanomedicine in partnership with both the Micro and Nanomedicine biomimeTic (MINT) research unit (managed by Pr. Jean-Pierre Benoit) and the Innovation Department of the ISTIA School of Engineering. The ‘Nanomédecines and R&D Pharmaceutique’ Master’s degree focuses on the innovation and the development of experimental medicines.

At the Health Department of the University of Angers, the Micro et Nanomédecines Translationelles  research unit MINT (UMR INSERM U1066/CNRS 6021) is a translational team specializing in the design and evaluation of carriers (micro and nanoparticles) for therapeutic and imaging purposes, in oncology, immunology and infectiology, and neurodegenerative diseases. The MINT laboratory is the coordinator of the European Research project ‘Niche’ and partner of ‘FormamP’ and ‘Trans-Int’. The MINT laboratory is deeply involved in the development of Nanomedicine and organized in 2014 the 2nd International Conference on “Translational Nanomedicine”. The aim of this scientific meeting was to bring together scientists, medical staff, pharmaceutical industry and regulatory bodies, in order to present and discuss the main barriers for the market access of Nanomedicine.