Objective "Osteoporosis is a disabling disease and the incidence is expected to increase significantly over the next decades due to an increase in the elderly population. This will lead to an enormous economical burden both in the European Union and in the rest of the world. Osteoporosis should be treated early in order to prevent the bone fractures related to the disease, and a number of anti-resorptive treatments exist that can reduce the loss of bone. However, the possibilities of regaining already lost bone are limited, as only one anabolic treatment option (parathyroid hormone (PTH) )is available on the market. In most countries PTH is restricted to the most severe cases of osteoporosis with multiple fractures. Thus new anabolic treatment options for osteoporosis are highly warranted. Purinergic signalling, where nucleotides such as ATP act as extracellular signalling molecules, is a rapidly expanding field. The purinergic system has plays a central role in bone physiology, and bone deposition and resorption are finely tuned by extracellular nucleotides. Furthermore, the ""purinergic system"" is now believed to be one of the main transducing pathways of mechanical stimulation, a stimulus that is highly anabolic to bone. The overall aim of the proposal is to definitively prove the role of ATP and purinergic receptor signalling in the control of bone formation and homeostasis, thereby proving the potential of the system as a target for the development of new anabolic treatment regimens for osteoporosis. The aim will be addressed by examining the role of ATP as a signalling molecule in bone, the pathways and purinergic receptors involved in the signalling and their role in bone formation and homeostasis in vitro. Furthermore, translational studies in in vivo P2 receptor knock out mice will be used to show the role of the signalling pathways on bone, as well as small-scale clinical proof-of-concept studies to prove the potential of the system in targeting osteoporosis." Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsnucleotidesmedical and health sciencesbasic medicinephysiologyhomeostasis Keywords Osteoporosis atp bone formation bone homeostasis osteoblast osteoclast purinergic signalling Programme(s) FP7-HEALTH - Specific Programme "Cooperation": Health Topic(s) HEALTH-2007-2.4.5-3 - Osteoporosis: signalling pathways in bone formation and homeostasis Call for proposal FP7-HEALTH-2007-A See other projects for this call Funding Scheme CP-FP - Small or medium-scale focused research project Coordinator REGION HOVEDSTADEN EU contribution € 483 800,00 Address KONGENS VAENGE 2 3400 Hillerod Denmark See on map Region Danmark Hovedstaden Nordsjælland Activity type Public bodies (excluding Research Organisations and Secondary or Higher Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Jesper Thyge Johansen (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON EU contribution € 416 912,00 Address GOWER STREET WC1E 6BT LONDON See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Michael Browne (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITEIT MAASTRICHT Netherlands EU contribution € 450 440,00 Address MINDERBROEDERSBERG 4 6200 MD Maastricht See on map Region Zuid-Nederland Limburg (NL) Zuid-Limburg Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Joseph I H Janssen (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI FERRARA Italy EU contribution € 292 800,00 Address VIA ARIOSTO 35 44121 Ferrara See on map Region Nord-Est Emilia-Romagna Ferrara Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Francesco Di Virgilio (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL United Kingdom EU contribution € 317 936,00 Address BROWNLOW HILL 765 FOUNDATION BUILDING L69 7ZX Liverpool See on map Region North West (England) Merseyside Liverpool Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Colin Cooper (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD United Kingdom EU contribution € 673 594,00 Address FIRTH COURT WESTERN BANK S10 2TN Sheffield See on map Region Yorkshire and the Humber South Yorkshire Sheffield Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Gill Wells (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES Belgium EU contribution € 363 200,00 Address AVENUE FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT 50 1050 Bruxelles / Brussel See on map Region Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/ Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest Arr. de Bruxelles-Capitale/Arr. Brussel-Hoofdstad Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Jean-Marie Boeynaems (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data