17-10-2025
In the photograph, the project coordinators at NOVA FCT. Photo by João Lima/NOVA FCT.
The team of researchers from LAQV – REQUIMTE at NOVA FCT (Department of Chemistry), coordinated by Ricardo Chagas and Luísa Maria Ferreira, will develop sustainable, affordable, and highly biocompatible cellulose membranes capable of mimicking the processes observed in the human lung, as part of an international consortium led by Smart Reactors Service Ireland. The goal is to create a more effective solution for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) devices.
The project was approved under the WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-06-01 – Hop On Facility program, which aims to integrate institutions from Widening countries into projects already approved under the EIC Pathfinder or Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe. This is the first NOVA FCT proposal accepted under this program.
This 36 month project aims to develop the world’s first bio based nanomaterial intended for the manufacture of an artificial lung device. The use of this material could reduce the risk of blood clots and allow for prolonged use of the device, addressing a gap for patients awaiting lung transplants.
The consortium will develop an initial device using nanocellulose for proof of concept, demonstrating gas transfer and preliminary blood hemocompatibility. This approach is expected to bring two main benefits: first, enabling blood flow to occur under laminar conditions, reducing hemolysis and damage to blood cells; and second, exploring the potential for nanocellulose to be endothelialized, allowing long term gas exchange without the need for systemic anticoagulants. This innovation is grounded in biomimetic principles, applying insights from engineering, chemistry, and biology to the development of materials, systems, and devices inspired by biological processes.
Lung diseases are the third leading cause of death worldwide. For patients with irreversible and terminal lung conditions, transplantation is the only available long term therapy. However, due to the shortage of suitable donors, the average waiting time can exceed 18 months. In addition, patients who undergo transplantation have less than a 20% chance of full recovery due to limited organ function. In this context, there is an urgent need to develop an artificial lung—not only as a permanent substitute but also as a temporary solution serving as a bridge to transplantation.
Current artificial lung devices face significant limitations: they cannot adequately replicate the gas exchange properties of the human lung and show low biocompatibility, leading to blood clotting and hemolysis, which restrict their clinical application. The high complexity and risks associated with current technologies prevent their use as long term solutions or effective bridges to transplantation.
It is in this context that the new project aims to develop a sustainable and effective alternative capable of addressing the shortage of donor organs and paving the way for a new era in the treatment of pulmonary diseases using cellulose.
