Two new Translational Projects to start 2026
26.06.2026 13:25
After a two-stage competitive selection process, two cross-institutional projects in the field of precision medicine were selected for funding as part of the third call for translational projects.
The third call for proposals (2025–2026) of The LOOP Zurich received a total of 17 submitted pre-proposals. Following an initial review round, eight consortia were invited to submit full proposals. In the subsequent two-stage evaluation process—incorporating external expert reviews as well as assessment by the responsible evaluation committee—two projects were ultimately selected for multi-year funding: ReGenStent and AU-FUS Brain Networks. Both initiatives aim to advance innovative approaches within Zurich’s university medical network to first-in-human application.
Strengthening translational research in Zurich
Together, the two funded projects cover a broad spectrum—from cardiovascular regeneration to precision neuropharmacology. They bring together the expertise of the University of Zurich, ETH Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, and additional partner institutions. With clearly defined regulatory requirements and pathways to clinical application, ReGenStent and AU-FUS Brain Networks exemplify The LOOP Zurich’s commitment to translating outstanding biomedical research into improved diagnostics and therapies for the benefit of patients.
AU-FUS Brain Networks: Non-invasive precision neuropharmacology
AU-FUS Brain Networks, under the project title “Personalized brain therapy through non-invasive, focal pharmacological network intervention using AU-FUS,” aims to develop a non-invasive focused ultrasound platform for localized drug delivery in the human brain, building on extensive preclinical work in large animal models.
The project brings together several components: the development and optimization of focused ultrasound (FUS) sources, specialized ultrasound-sensitive molecular carrier systems, and adaptive models for targeted ultrasound application. The goal is to use FUS to concentrate nanocarriers at specific locations and thereby trigger the localized release of the drugs they contain. Experiments have shown that drug concentrations at the target site can be increased up to a thousandfold.
Drugs are packaged into specialized nanocarriers manufactured according to strict quality standards. Safety studies carefully assess how well these carriers are tolerated. Using advanced computational brain models, researchers also plan precisely where and how the drugs should be released within the brain. The overarching goal of this work is to enable the first clinical application of this new method in a study involving patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy.
The project is scheduled to start in December 2026 and is supported by funding from the Vontobel Foundation.
ReGenStent: Regenerative stents for children with heart disease
ReGenStent, under the project title “Regenerative, bioresorbable stent platform for the treatment of children with congenital heart defects,” is developing a bioresorbable stent platform specifically tailored to the needs of pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. The project addresses a currently unmet medical need in pediatric cardiology. Over the next five years, the platform will be advanced to the point of first-in-human application. This includes stepwise optimization of the design, careful preclinical evaluation of safety and efficacy, and the establishment of a regulatory-compliant manufacturing process. These efforts will lay the groundwork for testing the new stent technology for the first time in a clinical study involving children in Zurich.
In dedicated safety studies, researchers are investigating how stable the bioresorbable stents are within the bloodstream of growing children and how well they are tolerated by the body. Using advanced computational models and imaging techniques, they also plan the shape and size of the stents and assess their behavior as blood vessels grow. The goal is to provide children with congenital heart defects with a regenerative, growth-adaptive alternative to conventional metal stents, which must be replaced multiple times as the child grows and therefore require repeated interventions.
The project is scheduled to begin in November 2026.
