The project is funded by the Horizon Europe programme and coordinated by the large research infrastructure INFRAFRONTIER ERIC.
The goal of PRIM-TECH3R is to develop advanced in vitro models that could replace or complement in vivo testing in preclinical research. The project focuses on creating standardized protocols and reliable validation procedures to enable broader use of complex in vitro models. Key activities also include building model databases, protocol repositories, and biobanks, fostering collaboration between research infrastructures and the biomedical industry, organizing training programmes for researchers, and supporting the implementation of in vitro models in preclinical studies.
In April 2025, the project’s kick-off meeting took place, officially launching the collaboration of all partners and setting the first steps toward achieving the project’s objectives. Daniel Hadraba from the Institute of Physiology is contributing—together with colleagues from the Italian National Research Council (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche)—to task 2.1.2 within a work package focused on the development, characterization, and testing of drugs using complex in vitro models.
This specific task is aimed at developing an organ-on-chip microfluidic device incorporating bioprinted muscle fibers (myobundles) and colorectal cancer organoids. The objective is to study cancer-induced cachexia, a condition characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle mass caused by tumor growth.
