Objective
Despite educational, political and biomedical research efforts, obesity, type 2 diabetes and related metabolic diseases are increasing worldwide at an alarming rate. Failure to deliver efficient and safe medical therapies is a result of our incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome. Current knowledge implicates impaired CNS control over appetite, body weight and systemic metabolism as a key pathogenic process leading to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Yet, years of intense study focused on neuronal signalling have produced no transformative breakthroughs. Control centers located in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) serve as primary targets of afferent hormone signals regulating systemic control of body weight and metabolism and appear to be most affected by high fat high sugar (HFHS) diets. Recently, we discovered that in the early stages of the metabolic syndrome induced by consumption of a HFHS diet, significant changes beyond neuronal pathologies occur in hypothalamic nuclei responsible for metabolic control, such as the ARC. Specifically, we observe in hypothalami of mice, rats and humans increased reactive microgliosis and astrocytosis as well as a decline in regulatory T-cell presence. We hypothesize that hypothalamic inflammatory processes triggered by hypercaloric environments impair hormone sensing, disrupt glial homeostasis and incapacitate these hypothalamic control centers, ultimately contributing to development of obesity and diabetes. Building on a considerable body of preliminary data, we will apply an array of advanced technologies to A) develop a functional understanding of the pathophysiology of diet-induced hypothalamic inflammation, B) test if hypothalamic inflammation plays a critical role in the development of the metabolic syndrome, and C) attempt to target these novel pathogenic processes for the first time using novel targeted therapeutic approaches.
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 physiology pathophysiology
- medical and health sciences health sciences public health epidemiology pandemics
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine endocrinology diabetes
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition obesity
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
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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.
(opens in new window) ERC-2015-AdG
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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.
85764 Neuherberg
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.