Objective
Type-1 Diabetes mellitus (T1D) is caused by destruction of insulin-producing tissues by autoreactive T lymphocytes, which leads to insulin deficiency. The high frequency of T1D, as well as the significant T1D-associated morbidity and the substantial burden from long-term sequelae despite state-of-the-art insulin substitution therapies underscore the urgency of developing causal treatments. Protection of remaining islet cell mass at T1D diagnosis and (potentially) subsequent islet cell regeneration could palliate or cure T1D and reduce long-term morbidity and mortality. The alpha-4 integrin is a dominant homing receptor for inflammatory lymphocytes, and blockade of alpha-4 adhesion is therapeutic in a variety of inflammatory conditions, including autoimmune diseases, in mice and humans. Thus continued substitution of anti-functional alpha-4 antibodies from birth could prevent T1D in the spontaneously diabetic NOD mouse. Such an approach is, however, not clinically applicable to patients, since the risk of T1D can not be predicted at birth. Therefore, we here propose to test the hypothesis that by ablation of alpha-4 integrin adhesion during pre-diabetes (normoglycemic insulitis) or during early diabetes (recent onset of hyperglycemia), the continued recruitment of autoreactive T-cells to inflamed pancreatic tissue might be arrested. It is proposed that this might protect the remaining insulin producing cells, and thus, depending on the regenerative capacity of the pancreatic islets, might prevent or delay T1D if initiated during pre-diabetes (secondary prevention) or cure or palliate T1D if initiated early after its onset (tertiary prevention). This hypothesis will be tested in a new genetic mouse model of inducible ablation of alpha-4 integrin in the NOD strain. Since human alpha-4 adhesion blocking drugs are already available, these studies are testing a modality with immediate potential as a treatment for newly diagnosed patients with T1D.
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.
- social sciences sociology demography mortality
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine endocrinology diabetes
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology autoimmune diseases
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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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-3-IRG
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.
Coordinator
60323 FRANKFURT AM MAIN
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.