Objective
"Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory CNS disease that affects more than 2.5 million individuals worldwide. Damage to axonal connections determines the functional deficits of MS patients. How axons are damaged in MS is only incompletely understood. Using in vivo multiphoton imaging we have discovered a novel axon loss process that underlies axonal damage in experimental and human neuroinflammatory lesions. We have termed this process Focal Axonal Degeneration (FAD). FAD is characterized by a sequence of morphologically defined stages that ultimately result in axonal fragmentation. Notably, intermediate stages of FAD can persist for several days in vivo and still recover spontaneously. In this proposal I want to explore the biological and medical significance of FAD by addressing its:
1. Functional Characteristics
I want to analyze two key aspects of axonal function, the ability to transport cargoes and the ability to propagate action potentials, in experimental neuroinflammatory lesions to better understand the in vivo relation between structural and functional deficits during axon damage.
2. Molecular Mechanisms
I want to deploy new molecular imaging approaches to directly monitor the redox potential, calcium and ATP levels of axons and their mitochondria in experimental neuroinflammatory lesions. This will allow us to reveal the key effector mechanisms of FAD and the sequence in which they are activated in vivo.
3.Therapeutic Opportunities
I plan to make use of advances in automated imaging and microfluidics to develop new in vivo assays for high-throughput screening of therapeutic interventions. This will help us to identify novel strategies for limiting progression and improving recovery of axon damage.
The proposed project should provide new insights into the functional and molecular underpinnings of axon damage in vivo, establish new tools and models to study it and guide the development of therapeutic strategies that can prevent or reverse it."
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- natural sciences physical sciences classical mechanics fluid mechanics microfluidics
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkaline earth metals
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology multiple sclerosis
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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-2012-StG_20111109
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
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
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.