Objective
Defects in the primary metabolic functions of mitochondria, the cell’s
‘power-plants’, underlie a diverse range of human pathologies, including
rare neuromuscular syndromes, many cases of common multifactorial
diseases (e.g epilepsy, deafness, diabetes), neurodegenerative
conditions such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), and devastating metabolic
disorders of infancy. Mitochondrial dysfunction is also a major cause of
tissue damage in heart attack and stroke, and is involved in
cancer progression. This project will facilitate an R&D effort to
develop a common genetic therapy for this vast range of diseases, taking
advantage of the fact that lower organisms possess a built-in
biochemical mechanism for relieving the stress caused by mitochondrial
dysfunction, using alternative respiratory chain enzymes that simply
by-pass the problem. Under ERC Project 232738 (MITO BY-PASS) we have
succeeded in expressing the alternative oxidase AOX from the sea
squirt Ciona intestinalis in mammalian cells and transgenic flies. In
the fruit-fly, AOX expression overcomes the lethality of poisons
directed at mitochondria, and cures flies of genetic defects that
produce features equivalent to PD or fatal mitochondrial diseases of
infancy. Preliminary data on mammalian models also indicates that the
gene can be safely expressed, and contributes similar benefits. These
now constitute a key validation tool to test the potential for AOX
therapy of many human diseases. This PoC project will undertake the
crucial next steps in the development of AOX therapy by implementing a
partner search and negotiating terms for testing the technology in many
different mammalian models of common diseases associated with
mitochondrial dysfunction, and by soliciting major investment for
the development of AOX therapy from both public and private-sector partners.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology epilepsy
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine endocrinology diabetes
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine cardiology cardiovascular diseases
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology stroke
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology parkinson
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2011-PoC
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
33014 TAMPERE
Finland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.