State of Rhineland-Palatinate funds international research project to overcome the blood-brain barrier

Funding decision handed over to the Landfester department

Great excitement at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPIP): Science Minister Clemens Hoch ceremoniously presented the funding approval for the project “CoronaProtTargeting – overcoming the blood-brain barrier with protein-coated nanocarriers” to Prof. Dr. Katharina Landfester's department.

The project is supported as part of the new “Biotech Fellows International” funding program of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The aim of this pilot measure is to attract outstanding international scientists to Rhineland-Palatinate as fellows and to promote innovative biotechnology projects in collaboration with research institutions in the state.

Prof. Dr. Daniel Crespy from the Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Rayong, Thailand, has been appointed as a fellow. He will come to Mainz for several research stays to implement the project together with Prof. Landfester's team.

At the heart of CoronaProtTargeting is one of the greatest challenges in modern medicine: the targeted and safe crossing of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This natural barrier protects the brain, but makes the treatment of neurological diseases considerably more difficult.

“With our expertise in the development of nanocarriers and protein corona strategies, we want to find new ways to efficiently transport active substances such as rapamycin or torin-1 into the brain,” explains Prof. Landfester. “This will open up new long-term therapy options for autoimmune diseases of the brain, especially multiple sclerosis.”

The project combines two approaches: On the one hand, nanocarriers are to be coated with specifically selected proteins that facilitate transport across the blood-brain barrier. On the other hand, research is being conducted into the intranasal transport route, in which nanocarriers can reach the brain directly via nasal application. The aim is to significantly improve the effectiveness and precision of drug release in the brain.

“We are very pleased about the funding and the opportunity to further expand our international collaboration with Prof. Crespy. At the same time, we are greatly honored that Minister Hoch personally presented the funding decision,” said Prof. Landfester.

With the “Biotech Fellows International” program, the state of Rhineland-Palatinate is specifically strengthening the international visibility and networking of the research location. The project officially started on July 1, 2025, and will run for two years.