The NAP4DIVE project of TBC group leaders Cecilia Sahlgren and Hongbo Zhang were awarded 7.8 MEUR of Horizon Europe funding (Total 7.8 million euro, ÅAU cut 2.4 million euro). The project will develop non-animal tools for preclinical screening and testing of nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery over the blood–brain barrier for the treatment of central nervous system diseases. The project consortium consisting of 11 academic and company partners will be coordinated by Cecilia Sahlgren and ÅAU.

Project description

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a significant challenge in treating central nervous system (CNS) diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, and brain cancer, affecting 180 million Europeans. Currently, less than 5% of candidate drugs reach the brain. NAP4DIVE aims to revolutionize drug development for these conditions by creating advanced non-animal models for testing and predicting nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery across the human BBB. This initiative supports EU and global efforts to reduce animal testing and advance human-centered research models.

The project will develop two non-animal tools: a high-throughput BBB-on-Chip and a machine-learning-based in silico model (“NP Design Simulator”). A digital repository, the “NP Design Library,” will compile NP characterization data specialized for BBB delivery. The simulator will screen thousands of NP designs to identify the most promising, which will be tested in vitro using the BBB-on-Chip with real-time barrier integrity measurement. These tools will be validated by comparing their results with clinical and pre-clinical data from the pharmaceutical partner.

NAP4DIVE’s tools aim to reduce animal use in CNS drug development by up to 95% and cut costs by 30%. By identifying effective nanoparticles for cross-BBB drug delivery, the project addresses a critical healthcare challenge. A comprehensive health technology assessment (HTA) will demonstrate the market readiness and cost-effectiveness of these tools, while ethical assessments and engagement with regulators will promote broader adoption of non-animal alternatives in preclinical testing.

List of partners

• Finnadvance (FI)
• AstraZeneca (SE)
• Elvesys (FR)
• University of Gothenburg (SE)
• Chalmers University of Technology (SE)
• Delft University of Technology (NL)
• Hansabiomed Life Sciences (EE)
• Betthera (CZ)
• Amires (CZ)
• Eindhovens University of Technology  (NL)