Project description
An emerging role for brown fat in appetite control
The control and regulation of food intake is a complex process that involves the integration of central and peripheral signals in the brain. The working hypothesis of the EU-funded BALDER project is that brown adipose tissue (BAT), which produces heat to maintain body temperature, also signals to the brain to mediate appetite control. This takes place through specific molecules known as batokines. Researchers will follow a multidisciplinary approach to determine the peptides secreted by BAT under different conditions and assess their neural function. The experimental evidence will be compiled into an in silico platform that will serve as a source for appetite-regulating peptides.
Objective
Obesity is an increasing problem where the central nervous system (CNS) plays a major role by regulating food intake. This regulation is based on feedback systems from peripheral organs, including adipose tissue. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a subtype of adipose tissue that produces heat in response to cold by switching from an idle state to a highly energy-consuming state. BAT also secretes signalling molecules called batokines, but the biological effects of batokines on distal tissues are unclear. My overall hypothesis is that the energetic state of BAT will be communicated to the CNS, via batokines, to mediate appetite control, in a BAT-brain axis. To test this, we will establish a peptide library of human plasma peptidomes of samples collected during different states of BAT activity, combined with peptidome datasets generated from human brown fat cells using two complementary approaches: peptidomics and smORF mapping. Joining these datasets will allow us to select batokine candidates that are consistently regulated by alterations in BAT activity in plasma and brown fat cells. Using in silico approaches for peptide ranking and bioactivity prediction, we will select peptides, and create a neural bioactivity screening platform, assessing neural activity and/or plasticity. For this, we will establish 3D-cultures of appetite-regulating neurons, including human iPSC-derived AgRP and POMC neurons as well as of murine primary hypothalamic neurons. These models will be incorporated with high-content screening and imaging approaches. Successful peptides will be tested for metabolic effects in mice models, and targeted neurons and signalling pathways will be tracked down to a single cell level. All experimental data will be integrated with the in-silico data to generate a searchable online atlas of appetite regulating peptides, promoting my overall goal of discovering novel appetite-regulating circuits to identify new strategies to target obesity and its related diseases.
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: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition obesity
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
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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.
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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-COG - Consolidator Grant
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2020-COG
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1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
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