Obiettivo Mitochondria are cell organelles that provide the energetic requirements of the body. The majority of cellular ATP is produced by the membrane protein ATP synthase through a proton gradient across the mitochondrial inner membrane. Alterations in ATP synthase biogenesis can result in severe mitochondrial diseases affecting tissues with high energy requirements as brain and muscles. Mitochondrial diseases affect approximately 20 million people in the EU, causing 35 % of deaths during the first year of life of newborns. However, the available therapeutic approaches, are still extremely limited and there is no specific treatment for ATP synthase deficiencies. To improve the treatments currently available for mitochondrial diseases, the project will focus on the realization of artificial mitochondria (AM). Based on artificial lipid vesicles, AM will be fabricated by means of microfluidics methods, a powerful tool able to produce identical replicas of a given bio-inspired membrane-object. ATP synthase will be expressed and assembled within the lipid bilayer by encapsulating cell-free protein expression systems. To test the ability of AM as in-situ energy fabrication systems, targeting-AM will be endocytosed inside cultured cells and ATP synthesis will be triggered by taking advantage of the proton gradient provided by endosomes. Finally, by enclosing other plasmids encoding for diverse proteins, AM can be used as energy-factoring pockets to elicit protein expression just when internalized within cells. This novel approach may constitute an advanced new concept in gene therapy to more effectively create breakthroughs in improving human health. Campo scientifico natural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsfluid mechanicsmicrofluidicsmedical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineeringgene therapynatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipids Programma(i) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Argomento(i) ERC-SG-PE4 - ERC Starting Grant - Physical and Analytical Chemical sciences Invito a presentare proposte ERC-2013-StG Vedi altri progetti per questo bando Meccanismo di finanziamento ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Istituzione ospitante UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID Contributo UE € 1 378 000,00 Indirizzo AVENIDA DE SENECA 2 28040 Madrid Spagna Mostra sulla mappa Regione Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Ricercatore principale Ivan Lopez Montero (Dr.) Contatto amministrativo Maribel Rodríguez Villa (Mrs.) Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Costo totale Nessun dato Beneficiari (1) Classifica in ordine alfabetico Classifica per Contributo UE Espandi tutto Riduci tutto UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID Spagna Contributo UE € 1 378 000,00 Indirizzo AVENIDA DE SENECA 2 28040 Madrid Mostra sulla mappa Regione Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Ricercatore principale Ivan Lopez Montero (Dr.) Contatto amministrativo Maribel Rodríguez Villa (Mrs.) Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Costo totale Nessun dato