The University of Barcelona is leading a new European project aimed at developing human-based models to study brain disorders, moving away from traditional animal testing. The initiative, named "VISI-ON-BRAIN: Cutting-edge Human In Vitro and In Silico Biomedical Tools on Brain Disorders," will involve 15 PhD researchers working on experimental (in vitro) and computational (in silico) models for conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease.
Professor Josep M. Canals of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Barcelona is heading the project. He is also affiliated with the UB Institute of Neurosciences (UBneuro) and directs the Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies (Creatio). The project is part of Horizon Europe and has received €4.5 million in funding through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN).
This research comes as biomedical development in Europe shifts towards reducing reliance on laboratory animals. There are ongoing efforts at both European Union and United States levels to phase out animal testing in favor of alternative methods that use advanced computational systems and in vitro techniques.
According to the press release, "the field of biomedical R&D is undergoing a transformation towards scientific innovation without the use of laboratory animals and the promotion of more ethical and effective science for humans." It notes that there is an EC roadmap to phase out animal testing, supported by calls from the European Parliament for clearer objectives and timelines. In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has outlined plans to reduce animal testing in preclinical safety studies.
Neuroscience faces particular challenges due to high failure rates in developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. This highlights a need for better models that accurately represent human biology.
"VISI-ON-BRAIN is designed to close the translational gap by building an integrated chain of predictive, reproducible, and clinically established experimental and computational tools, while training researchers who can operate at the interface of biology, data, engineering, and regulatory relevance," according to project leaders.
The program brings together 15 partners across eight European countries. These include academic institutions like Technical University of Denmark; Prinses Máxima Centrum for Paediatric Oncology in the Netherlands; University of Tübingen in Germany; Lund University in Sweden; Cardiff University and King's College London in the UK; National Research Council in Italy; Starlab Barcelona SL; FRESCI in Spain; along with several associate members such as Utrecht University (Netherlands), VeriGraft (Sweden), San Raffaele Hospital SRL (Italy), Milan-Bicocca University (Italy), and Joint Research Centre (JRC) from Italy.
The aim is not only scientific progress but also workforce development: "Beyond science, it is an investment in workforce and competitiveness: it is about training doctoral researchers who can move easily between academia, clinical research and industry, and help NAMs [new approach methodologies], from promising methods to validated practices, always in line with evolving expectations."
The University of Barcelona has also created a Hub for Alternative Methods to Animal Experimentation under Professor Canals’ coordination.
Funding comes from a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement N. 101227124 from the European Union. The statement clarifies: "Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them."
