Innovation INanoTheRad
The challenges for INanoTheRad are to identify needs and quickly bring new expertise to society, to enable high-impact breakthroughs that will make a difference in the patient experience. It will therefore be necessary to transform research advances into real breakthrough innovations. The members of the consortium have already demonstrated their ability to join forces with the economic world, as illustrated by the close links with industry (research sponsorship agreements, CIFRE joint supervision, shared intellectual property).
Work related to improving diagnostic performance and innovative treatments for radioactive cancers has already led to developments with high added value for the industrial sector. Université Paris-Saclay is already a player in innovation related to these sectors. For example, the first nano-agents making it possible to amplify the effect of radiation in the tumor are under development and the Institut Gustave Roussy is involved in ongoing clinical trials, in collaboration with SMEs (Nanobiotix, NH-Theraguix).
The Institut Curie is also responsible for marketing new radiosensitizers (DNA Therapeutics) and nano-vectors (Squal Pharma). Proof that the community is already involved in innovation, the former “NanoTheRad excellence initiative” program resulted in the production of 4 patents in less than 2 years. The development of innovative radiation sources for the medical sector is a vast program that brings together companies such as Amplitude Technology, VARIAN, IBA and Thales (Acceleration of protons, carbon ions, FLASH irradiators) in collaboration with researchers from the University of Paris-Saclay.
On the other hand, the University of Paris-Saclay hosts Therapanacea, a major SME in the development of AI tools for radiotherapy. The combination of different areas of expertise within the same center will facilitate exchanges with industrialists, in particular manufacturers of clinical devices and pharmaceutical laboratories.
In addition, INanoTheRad has strong links with the hospitals of the territory, including the hospitals of Gustave Roussy and those of Curie, thus creating the largest radiotherapy platforms in Europe. This should facilitate the transfer of innovations to the clinic for the greater benefit of patients. This will not only promote new products but also stimulate reflection on needs. In other European countries, such as Germany or the Netherlands, innovation includes end users very early in the process.
