Objective
This project stems from an ERC STG grant that I received in 2007 (DENDROworld) in which we analyzed several aspects of the homeostasis of the gut and how defects in controlling this process could result in different pathologies, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and cancer. In the present project, we will continue working on the immune homeostasis of the gut and we will focus on fundamental questions in mucosal immunity.
Three important and novel questions will be addressed in this project. The first aims at understanding how the gut microbiota is restrained from reaching systemic sites and hence it is tolerated only locally. We think that we have identified a new barrier at mucosal sites that avoids systemic spreading of bacteria via the blood stream. This is a very selective barrier that resembles the blood brain barrier and occurs at the level of enteric endothelial cells. The second question is closely related and tries to identify the role of the microbiota in the establishment/maintenance of this barrier and to understand its role during infection with enteric pathogens or in other circumstances (like pregnancy, liver disease). Finally, we want to characterize the activity of an anti-inflammatory mediator that we have identified. This is a short isoform of the well-known cytokine called TSLP. We think that this isoform is the one involved in the homeostasis of the intestine as it is the only one produced by epithelial cells in health and is downregulated during chronic inflammation.
This project is divided into three major aims.
1. Analysis of a putative gut vascular barrier that resembles the blood brain barrier and of the mechanisms leading to its disruption
2. Analysis of the role of the microbiota in the formation and maintenance of the Gut vascular barrier (GVB).
3. Elucidation of the activity of TSLP short isoform.
This is a multidisciplinary project requiring expertise in mucosal immunology, microbiology, bioinformatics and endothelium.
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: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine gastroenterology inflammatory bowel disease
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pathology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine hepatology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
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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-2013-CoG
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
20072 PIEVE EMANUELE
Italy
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.