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YOUNGatHEART: CARDIAC REJUVENATION BY EPIGENETIC REMODELLING

Project description

Reversing cardiac ageing through epigenetic remodeling

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a significant risk factor associated with ageing, and epigenetic changes play a crucial role in its development. However, the role of non-inherited epigenetic regulation in cardiac ageing and CVD remains unexplored. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a significant contributor to healthcare costs and the leading indication for heart transplantation. Recent findings in mice support the idea that inadequate epigenetic regulation in adulthood is critical in the development of CVD. These discoveries suggest that cardiac rejuvenation or DCM regression is possible through epigenetic remodeling. Funded by the European Research Council, the YOUNGatHEART project aims to uncover significant advances in how non-inherited epigenetic deregulation induces DCM and how epigenetic remodeling can reverse this process.

Objective

Aging poses the largest risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is orchestrated, to some extent, by epigenetic changes. Despite the significant progress on many fronts in the cardiovascular field, non-inherited epigenetic regulation in cardiac aging and CVD remains unexplored. Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major contributor to healthcare costs and it is the leading indication for heart transplantation. We have recently discovered that adult cardiac-specific deletion of epigenetic regulator Bmi1 in mice induces DCM and heart failure. These unprecedented data support the idea that inadequate epigenetic regulation in adulthood is critical in CVD. In addition, our studies with parabiotic pairing of healthy and DCM-diagnosed mice show that the circulation of a healthy mouse significantly improve the cardiac performance of mouse with DCM. These ground-breaking discoveries suggest that DCM regression, or cardiac rejuvenation, is feasible in terms of epigenetic states. Therefore, YOUNGatHEART will unveil significant breakthrough on (1) how non-inherited epigenetic deregulation induces DCM and (2) how epigenetic remodeling reversed this process. For that, our challenges are: 1A. To decipher how aged-linked cardiac dysfunction contributes to CVD by identifying the epigenetic landscape regulating cardiac aging among species; 1B. To decode how epigenetic deregulation induces DCM by integrating clinical data and samples from DCM-transplanted patients with imaging, transcriptomic, proteomic, and functional approaches from DCM model; and, 2A. To identified systemic factors with anti-cardiomyopathic effects by systematic proteomic screenings after parabiosis and epigenome of the DCM hearts. In sum, YOUNGatHEART puts forward an ambitious but feasible and pioneering program to tackle the epigenetic hallmark in cardiac aging with the final aim (2B) of setting the molecular basis for future therapeutic interventions in CVD.

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2014-CoG

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Host institution

CENTRO NACIONAL DE INVESTIGACIONES CARDIOVASCULARES CARLOS III (F.S.P.)
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 861 910,00
Address
CALLE MELCHOR FERNANDEZ ALMAGRO 3
28029 Madrid
Spain

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Region
Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid
Activity type
Research Organisations
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Total cost

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.

€ 1 861 910,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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