Medical devices & Materials

New Micro-needle Applicator Device
An electronic device to apply micro-needle arrays to the skin was developed. It helps to overcome the elasticity of the skin and it enables the micro-needles to pierce the skin more effectively and reproducibly. The use of the device results in higher transdermal transport rates and more accurate and predictable drug delivery. A prototype is available.

Pressure sensor for use in an artery
The invention includes an in vivo wireless pressure sensor for measuring the pressure within the aneurismal sac. The data can be stored in the transponder allowing data to be taken from the pressure sensor over a prolonged period of time.
 

Color intensity projections(CIPS)


Deep Sea Animal Tracking Archival (DATA) Tag
Researchers at Leiden University have developed a new device for collecting behavioral and environmental data from marine animals. Due to its small size and neutral buoyancy the Deep Sea Animal Tracking Archival (DATA) Tag is uniquely suitable for use with small animals.

Extreme radiation and temperature resistant electronic amplifier
A novel MEMS (micro‐electromechanical systems) based amplifier has been developed by scientists at Leiden University. The amplifier is free of semiconductor‐based electronics and is therefore very suitable for use in extreme temperature and high ionizing radiation environments.

Chemicals & Materials

Environmentally friendly catalysis of carbon double bond cleavage of cycloalkenes
This invention comprises of a new, more effective and environmentally-friendly catalysis method for the cleavage of carbon double bonds at ambient temperatures and with aqueous H₂O₂ as oxidant. 

Novel luminophors for UV‐LED based lighting device
Scientists at Leiden University have invented novel phosphor materials based on rare earth elements, which have excellent absorption properties in the near–UV and show strong blue and/or green emission with high quantum efficiency. This invention is particularly suitable for white LEDs based on near UV‐LED chips.

Novel materials for use in luminescent lighting technology
A new class of lanthanide complexes has been developed. These highly luminescent lanthanide complexes can be used as phosphor materials in (tricolour) fluorescent lamps. They have very high luminescence efficiency and can be produced more cheaply than currently used rare earth bound materials.

Disease & therapy

Arterial Trombosis

Dendritic Cells

FVIII inhibitors

Novel adjuvant therapeutic for soft tissue sacromas enhances chemotherapeutic effect of doxorubicin

Novel sphingolipids to enhance drug delivery

Targeted Radiosensitation of tumours by DNA repair inhibitors

New compound offers attractive therapeutic candidate for autoimmune inflammatory diseases
This novel compound proved to be a dual agonist towards both A2a and A3 Adenoisine Receptors has high affinity and selectivity for both human receptors and showed to exert strong anti-inflammatory effects in various pre-clinical animal models of autoimmune disease.

Novel compound offers new treatment approach for ovarian cancer
A novel compound against ovarian and other cancers has been isolated from the leaves of an Australian native plant. Comparison between this new compound and current therapeutic compounds showed that it kills as many ovarian cancer cells but does not affct normal cells which were killed therefore.

Modification of Reoviridae
The last 5 years reovirus T3D has been used as an oncolytic agent in experimental cancer therapy trials. Up to now, there was no robust system for reverse genetics in Reoviridae. We recently developed such a reverse genetics system and used it to create novel reovirus T3D variants that can utilize a new protein as receptor on cancer cells. Our technology allows genetic modification of viruses of this family with relative ease.

New compound protects renal cells from ischemic damage during kidney transplantation
A compound (cAMP analog) has been found that can help protect kidneys for ischemic damage prior to transplantation. Perfusion of kidneys after removal from donor patients with these cAMP analogs may reduce cellular damage and thus loss of kidney function following kidney transplantation.

The development of therapeutics for CADASIL patients
Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a condition causing ischemic brain lesions, which gradually leads to cognitive decline and eventually to dementia. Currently there is no treatment available for this disease. A new lead to develop gene therapeutic strategies for CADASIL patients has now been found.

Polypeptide Block Copolymers and Polymersomes
A class of novel amphiphilic polypeptide block copolymers has been developed. The copolymers self‐assemble into polymersomes which can be used as targeted drug delivery vehicles.

New therapeutic target for the inhibition of tumour angiogenesis
There is strong evidence that the Etv6/CtBP complex is an essential mediator of angiogenesis. This complex could serve as a therapeutic target for the inhibition of tumour growth and as a target for the treatment of other diseases in which angiogenesis plays a role.

Human Skin Equivalents
The scientists have constructed epidermal and full‐thickness skin models that can be used for tests, predictive screening and research on for example wound healing, that require the complexity of human skin, i.e. where the interaction between epidermal and dermal cells is crucial.

Tissue engineering

A new technique for the generation of vascular grafts in vivo
Currently there is a limited availability of biological vascular grafts. Scientists at the Leiden University Medical Center have now developed a new in vivo technique for the creation of autologous blood vessels. This invention, providing for the design of Tissue Engineered Blood Vessels (TEBV), offers a potential alternative to fulfil the urgent clinical need.

Skin barrier repair/Wound healing
A novel biofilm with superior skin barrier repair and skin hydration properties has been developed. This synthetic biofilm is based on a naturally occurring biofilm (Vernix Caseosa) that covers the fetus during development protecting its skin. 

Biosensor technology

Fiber-top PenFM
 
 

Fiber-top Biocemical detection

Connecting and integrating microfluidic chips
Researchers have identified and tested a chip design and a novel method of connecting polymer and hybrid polymer-glass chips to capillaries. For the first time chips can be fed with external fluids with a negligible dead volume without interfering with optical detection techniques. The chips allow living cells to survive grow and divide for many days within the channels, but applications are not restricted to life sciences.
 
FluRedox biosensor platform
A new exciting fluorescent biosensor has been developed. Optical rather than electrochemical detectors enable superior sensitivity and facilitate miniaturisation.
 

Research tools

NCF Enzymatic production of low complexity LEGO RNAi libraries

Gene targets & (molecular) diagnostics

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

NCF A novel Fra-1-based genetic classifier with associated candidate therapeutic targets for human breast cancer


Means and methods for classifying samples of multiple sclerosis patients


Novel gene for classifying cancer


S1P3 receptor specific ligand opens new therapeutic opportunities for cardiovascular disorders or respiratory failure
The first compound that can be used as a specific S1P3 receptor agonist is available. The S1P3 receptor subtype plays a critical role in cardiovascular physiology and lung epithelial barrier function and therefore opens opportunities for new cardiovascular or pulmonary treatments.

A diagnostic marker for early cancer detection
A new DNA marker associated with early stage carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer has been found. It has a high specificity and sensitivity and can be included in or developed into DNA methylation kits that are used for non-invasive detection of (pre-symptomatic) cancer.

New key enzyme identified in immune escape as a therapeutic target for HPV
Persistent HPV infection has been shown to promote the development of cervical cancer. A key regulatory enzyme that is overexpressed at the gene and protein level in hrHPV infected human keratinocytes has been identified. Targeting this key enzyme (e.g. by small molecule inhibitors) will re‐activate the immune response to HPV and thus might overcome the problem of persistent infection, irrespective of HPV type. 

Safe and efficient novel methodologies for labelling of N‐ and O‐glycans for Chromatographic, Electrophoretic and Spectroscopic Analysis
Research on the role of glycans in drug therapy and their use as biomarkers demands for fast and sensitive high‐throughput glycoanalytical methods. Novel methodologies for the labeling of glycans have been developed. These concern an alternative non‐toxic approach for the labeling of N‐glycans a fast method for the release and labeling of O‐glycans.

Antibody test for the diagnosis of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)
Scientists have succeeded to produce a number of tumour specific proteins in an E.coli expression system that can be used in an antibody test for the diagnosis of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC).

Biomarkers for acute cardiovascular syndromes
3 chemokines have been identified that can serve as biomarkers for the identification of persons that have an increased risk for acute cardiovascular syndromes.

 

Vaccine technology

MHC Exchange

Hobit: natural general booster of cellular immunity

The development of antigen‐specific therapies for rheumatoid arthritis patients by the identification of citrullinated epitopes
Anti‐citrullinated antibodies (ACPA) have an excellent diagnostic performance for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Novel citrullinated epitopes that are recognized by memory T cells in ACPA‐positive rheumatoid arthritis patients have now been identified. This can lead to the development of peptide‐based therapeutic immune interventions and early screening in RA.
 

Screening & detection

High volume detection and sorting of bioparticles and macromolecules
Researchers at Leiden University have developed a method to detect labelled particles or even single molecules and sort them. The method allows high throughput sorting of bacteria, viruses, bioparticles and biomolecules. We are looking for companies with special interest in sorting and expertise in microfluidics and optical detection technolgies to further develop the device.
 

DamID - Mapping Protein-Genome interactions


Zebra Fish model for drug targeting, gene therapy and ADME
Researchers have developed a transparent Zebra Fish model enabling in vivo investigation of delivery, absorption, distribution metabolism and excretion of therapeutics in live embryonic animals in a whole organism approach.
 

Small molecules

ICT