ERC Synergy Grant awarded to unlock the blood–nerve barrier

We are thrilled to share that our Lab of Precision and Nanomedicine is part of a newly funded ERC Synergy Grant MINerVA, the first ever awarded to an Estonia-based researcher. Together with Ellie Tzima (Oxford University), Dario Bonanomi (San Raffaele, Italy), and Isabelle Brunet (Collège de France), we will spend the next six years exploring the blood–nerve barrier, a poorly understood interface that protects peripheral nerves and plays a key role in chronic pain.

Our role is to use homing peptides to map the barrier and deliver therapeutics precisely to the cells that maintain and repair nerves, building on our previous work in targeted delivery. The project combines mechanobiology, neurobiology, vascular science, and translational nanomedicine in a truly synergistic effort.

This grant opens an exciting new research direction for us and lays the foundation for future therapies for neuropathic pain.