MADIA

The Magnetic Diagnostic Assay for Neurodegenerative Diseases (MADIA) project is focused on developing a versatile and cost-effective tool for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

The European Commission has awarded €3.9 million in funding for this three-year project; our research team, led by Professor Matteo Santin and Dr Gary Phillips, has received €530,986 and will collaborate with international partners from the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia in the UK, affecting an estimated 850,000 people in the UK and seven million across Europe. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s (which is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide) are debilitating and largely untreatable conditions that are strongly linked with age. It costs around €130 billion a year to care for people with dementia across Europe, meaning that age-related neurodegenerative disease is one of the largest medical and societal challenges faced by our society.

EU-logo

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 732678.


Project timeframe

This research commenced in 1 January 2017 and ended on 31 December 2019.

Project aims

The main aim of this research is to develop a reliable and affordable tool for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Researchers will use MADIA technology, applying an array of magnetic sensors integrated into a microfluidics device and capable of recognising biomarkers obtained from cerebrospinal fluid or blood samples. Early diagnosis will improve the efficacy of current therapies which have been shown to slow the progression, particularly of Parkinson’s disease, as currently there is no cure for either disease.

MADIA-image

Example of microfluidic disposable devices, provided by SCRIBA Nanotecnologie

Project findings and impact

The project is ongoing; findings, output and impact will be updated in due course.

Research team

Professor Matteo Santin

Dr Gary Phillips

Dr Valeria Perugini

Dr Anna Guildford

Output

MADIA project website

Partners

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Italy (coordinator)

Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Universität Bielefeld, Germany

Servicio Galego de Saúde, Spain

European Brain Research Institute Rita Levi-Montalcini (EBRI), Italy

Scriba Nanotecnologie SRL, Italy

I+ SRL, Italy

Biodevice Systems SRO, Czech Republic

Innova SRL, Italy