Objective
The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) is an 18-kDa protein receptor, mainly found on the outer mitochondrial membrane of cells. The PBR seems to play a role in several cellular functions, including heme synthesis, steroidogenesis, DNA synthesis, cell growth and differentiation.
Recently, a role for PBR in apoptosis has also been proposed and a number of findings argue in favour of this:
- over-expression of PBR has been described in a large range of human cancers;
- regulation of programmed cell death has in mitochondria a check-point targeted by various conventional cancer therapies; and
- PBR ligation by directed drugs, enhances apoptosis induction in many types of tumours, reversing the Bcl-2 cytoprotective effects.
These findings promoted the development of PBR targeting approaches in treatment of human cancers. Even though experimental data suggest that PBR may play a key role in various physiological and pathological processes, very little data are available on the protein-receptor cell physiology and on its role in apoptotic cell-death signalling pathways.
OBJECTIVES: Our aim is then to investigate these aspects, studying the PBR capacity to modulate and shape the cell signalling, principally in respect of the mitochondrial function.
In detail, we will:
- examine the PBR expression and localization in cells of interest;
- generate by molecular biology techniques recombinant probes of PBR;
- investigate the result on cell signalling pathways of the PBR genetically and pharmacologically modulation;
- finally, asses PBR role in respect of the apoptotic cell death and tumourigenesis.
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 cell biology cell signaling
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
- natural sciences biological sciences molecular biology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
FP6-2004-MOBILITY-11
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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.
Coordinator
FERRARA
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.