Proxagen

10/04/2017

ProxAgen is associated partner of the Nanomedicine for Drug Delivery (NANOMED) (http://nanomed.masters.parisdescartes.fr/) a high quality EU funded Master’s degree at the Paris Descartes University offering a multidisciplinary education in the emerging field of Nanomedicine. NANOMED have brought together expertise in Nanomedicine of universities (Paris Descartes, Patras University, Pavia University and Angers University) and associated partners to create a unique and comprehensive training programme, inlcuding:
-Innovation approaches on Nanomedecine in the fields of therapy, diagnosis and theranostic
-Enter in a competitive arena for the development and a successful implementation
-Filing the gap between classic training in drug delivery

http://nanomed.masters.parisdescartes.fr/

03/04/2017

ProxAgen received today another "Seal of Excellence" for 2017 by the European Commission under Horizon 2020 SME-1 inst programme, the EU's research and innovation funding programme for SME. The proposal is on development a combined immunological test for the effective diagnosis of tuberculosis. The "Seal of Excellence" quality label is awarded to project proposals which were submitted for funding under Horizon 2020, passed stringent selection and independent evaluation process and award criteria, but could not be funded due to budget constraints.
The Seal of Excellence highlights proposals which deserve funding from alternative sources. These sources can be: public, private, national, regional, European or international.
-inst

24/03/2017

UNITE TO END TB - 24th March 2017
As every year on March 24th, today is the world TB day!!! To stop this deadly disease, multiple actors have to play an active role. At ProxAgen we contribute with our own brick to the stop TB effort putting together novel tests for the efficient diagnosis with our new prototype line ThinkTB.

http://www.who.int/campaigns/tb-day/2017/en/
http://www.stoptb.org/events/world_tb_day/

20/12/2016

ProxAgen received the "Seal of Excellence" 2016 by the European Commission under Horizon 2020 SME-inst programme, the EU's research and innovation funding programme for SME. This quality label is awarded to project proposals which were submitted for funding under Horizon 2020, passed stringent selection and independent evaluation process and award criteria, but could not be funded due to budget constraints.
The Seal of Excellence highlights proposals which deserve funding from alternative sources. These sources can be: public, private, national, regional, European or international.
Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, said: «We fully support the 'Seal of Excellence' as an important first step in a longer term process of building synergies between Horizon 2020 and the European Structural and Investment Funds. It will help innovative SMEs to access and enhance the knowledge economy in their regions, contributing therefore to the implementation of smart specialization strategies»

19/12/2016

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the main infectious diseases killer worldwide. It represent one of the major topic investigated at ProxAgen, since its foundation. Simple, and cost-effective Point of Care tests are representing a key aspect for TB control. Researchers from ProxAgen have recently contributed to the analysis in different clinical settings of a simplified serological test for TB indicating novel important limitations to be overcome with the new generation of tests currently under development also at ProxAgen.
To see more:

http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jtd.2016.11.51

Performance of a lateral flow immunochromatography test for the rapid diagnosis of active tuberculosis in a large multicentre study in areas with different clinical settings and tuberculosis exposure levels

06/11/2016

THANKS TO ALL THE PARTICIPANTS TO THE SURVEY ON NOVEL TB DIAGNOSTICS!!!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1w3ZBr7JHhYvYo3q67xboPLT2ZX0&usp=sharing

The survey on novel TB diagnostic acceptance and characteristics has been finalized. Over 720 feedback of TB specialist worldwide have been received.

ProxAgen together with the other supporting centers of the survey thanks all the colleagues that had participated to the survey.

Survey results are now under elaboration and we will share soon related news.

TB Survey - Country coverage Map - October 11th

10/10/2016

ProxAgen is supporting the international "TB survey working group" on the novel TB diagnostic acceptance.

Beside the support of ProxAgen, the survey has been prepared and is also supported by Institutions like WHO Collaborating Centre for TB and Lung Diseases based in Tradate, the Homerthon University Hospital in London, the Spallanzani Hospital in Rome, as well as the TB group at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata".

Up to now we reached almost 700 answers surveys from 113 Countries

The call for new tests for TB diagnostic remain high, in particular for largely accessible simplified test format suitable for various clinical settings. In line with this request, WHO released some indications on target product profiles (TPPs) for novel tests.

To drive better research in novel test development and acceptance, the survey is collecting current experience in TB diagnostics by expert in the field and acceptance for novel tests in comparison with the parameters of the WHO-TPPs.

The survey will take about 10-15 minutes to complete.

The survey can be reached at the following link (in English):
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/188ZEQ-juNaYeKlIEzMBzGwhzSuHm00loTcf0m_wHths/viewform

The survey can also be accessed in different languages:

Spanish:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScALk8WzJG5CmFk8ANO4E721eJjrqSYnzZTk51W1ewSj-z-4A/viewform

French:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHEXm1xP7CEE01LRdQcRkf4wQAepgz7G6WLvaTWh9_MAY2QA/viewform

What are the main objectives of this survey?
The main objective of the survey is to analyze the level of acceptance (for sensitivity and specificity) of novel diagnostic tests for TB diagnosis (either active-TB and TB infection), based upon the expertise, available technical resources and economical aspects. The overall will be evaluated in the context of recently released Target Product Profiles (TPP) for TB diagnostic tests by the WHO.

What are the next steps after the survey?
After collection of the data we will start the analysis and the reporting. Beside the general report, we are thinking to specific reports per various regions and Countries.

Who are the professionals working in this initiative?
The main targets are personnel dealing with TB diagnostics. In principle, laboratory people might be primarily interested. However, of the almost 700 answers we already received 50% are from persons that are doing also clinical activities, and 20-30% from public health experts.

Please answers to the survey and feel free to send to all people dealing with TB diagnostics.

We appreciate your time for sharing your opinions on pivotal information in TB diagnostic.

on behalf of the "TB survey working group", we thank you for the survey participation and support

This section includes questions for the identification of your geographical area of reference and general expertise

05/10/2016

Research activities in ProxAgen is always at the frontline of infectious diseases problems. Our researchers contributed to the recently published research on Zika Virus. The analysis of the Zika outbreak and the way to easy distinguish Zika from other similar viruses are the key results of the report "Phylogenesys and homology modeling in Zika virus epidemic: food for thought" published on Pathogens and Global Health journal.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20477724.2016.1235337

(2016). Phylogenesys and homology modeling in Zika virus epidemic: food for thought. Pathogens and Global Health. Ahead of Print. doi: 10.1080/20477724.2016.1235337

05/07/2016

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to cause an outsized burden of morbidity and mortality worldwide.
The call for new tests remain high, in particular for largely accessible simplified test format suitable for various clinical settings.
The research in this direction needs to face also the experience and settings in peripheral laboratories, specific clinical needs, resource availability for a novel test to be effectively useful and of impact.

To drive better research in novel test development we are inviting you to participate to a survey on your current experience in TB diagnostics and acceptance for novel tests for TB diagnosis.

The survey will take about 10-15 minutes to complete.

We appreciate your time for sharing your opinions on pivotal information in TB diagnostic. In the last section you will also find the possibility to be active part of this survey research by supporting its diffusion with the possibility to participate in the research results derived from the survey.

The survey can be reached at this link

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/188ZEQ-juNaYeKlIEzMBzGwhzSuHm00loTcf0m_wHths/viewform

This section includes questions for the identification of your geographical area of reference and general expertise

08/02/2016

Today, in 1834 born the scientist, that put in order all the know and unknown chemical elements without knowing anything of the quantum physics. Brilliant minds, as Dmitri Mendeleev, have to be as a beacon for all scientists around the world, to make it a better place.

19/03/2015

The applicaiton of novel analysis tools to infectious diseases can strongly contribute to their control. ProxAgen is leader in the field and continue to target with its researches front-line problems in emerging infectious diseases. In this context, ProxAgen researchers have contributed to the definition of Ebola virus characteristics of the new versus the previous epidemic waves of Ebola virus. The results are pivotal to appropriate development of diagnostic tool and vaccine against this virus that is still devastating some Central African Countries.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmv.24133/abstract

Giovanetti, M., Grifoni, A., Lo Presti, A., Cella, E., Montesano, C., Zehender, G., Colizzi, V., Amicosante, M. and Ciccozzi, M. (2015), Amino acid mutations in Ebola virus glycoprotein of the 2014 epidemic. J. Med. Virol.. doi: 10.1002/jmv.24133

01/12/2014

As every year, on December 1st we are celebrating the World day of AIDS. Therapies for this disease are efficient but still need to reach a large sector of infected in third world contries. And beside the therapies we do not have an effective vaccine yet after many years of elusives tries.
At ProxAgen we have been always active in this field and in the past years we reached important results that can drive towards novel vaccine model to prevent the progression to AIDS in HIV-infected.

But we have to keep in general the attention high on this disease and not only following the "fashion" of the latest infection, even if as well important. In fact, we are tackling an expected problem in the prevention of novel HIV infections, in particular among young people where we observe an increase of the incidence respect the past years. We must keep the attention high on this disease. We have to keep diffusing the idea that prevention of the disease is the primary key to block its diffusion, We have to keep the attention on education and in keeping diffusing the notion of the need of condom protection during any potential risk in*******se. This will save million lifes much more than many novel, in any case needed, antiviral drugs that might appear to fight HIV.