Project description
Novel androgen pathway and its role in human foetal development
During human foetal development, the adrenal gland produces steroid hormones that are metabolised by the foetal liver and placenta. These hormones and their metabolites regulate foetal development and are also implicated in endocrine-related foetal and neonatal disorders and diseases. Several cytochrome P450 enzymes hydroxylate steroid substrates producing metabolites in the foetal and neonatal stages. The production of 16α-hydroxy DHEA metabolites in the feto-placental unit has been studied in-depth, while the contribution of 16α-hydroxy C11-oxy androgens has not yet been characterised. The EU-funded SHOXY project will utilise high-resolution mass spectrometry to characterise the downstream metabolism of the C11-oxy androgens and the role of this pathway in human development in health and disease.
Objective
Steroid hormones, produced by the fetal adrenal, are metabolised by the fetal liver and placenta thereby regulating fetal development. Consequently, these steroids are also implicated in endocrine-related disorders and diseases that present in the fetal and neonatal stage. The major fetal liver cytochrome P450 enzyme, CYP3A7, catalyses the production of 16α-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone (16α-hydroxy DHEA) leading to the biosynthesis of the 16α-hydroxy estrogen of pregnancy, estriol, in the placenta. This 16α-hydroxylation is also mediated by CYP3A4 in neonates, as a switch from the predominant CYP3A7 to CYP3A4 expression occurs after birth. Both enzymes, together with CYP3A5 (expressed in adult livers) are capable of hydroxylating steroid substrates on C16 producing metabolites in the fetal and neonatal stages. Importantly, the major adrenal steroid, 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione (11OHA4), a C11-oxy androgen, is produced in the fetal adrenals and circulatory levels have been quantified at birth. The chemical structure of 11OHA4, possessing no moiety on C16, allows it to be hydroxylated by CYP3A enzymes —producing novel downstream 16α-hydroxylated metabolites. While the contribution of 16α-hydroxy DHEA to fetal biology has been widely reported, the contribution of 16α-hydroxy C11-oxy androgens has not, to date, been characterised. Moreover, these metabolites have not been structurally identified. I hypothesise that C11-oxy androgens are catalysed by CYP3As, producing novel 16α-hydroxy C11-oxy androgens in the liver and the placenta. State-of-the-art high-resolution mass spectrometry platforms will be utilised to identify these novel metabolites and confirm the hypothesis. Significance of the proposed study: This project will advance our current knowledge on the downstream metabolism of the C11-oxy androgens and will characterise a novel steroid pathway in fetal biology, potentially important in human development in health and disease.
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.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine obstetrics fetal medicine
- natural sciences chemical sciences analytical chemistry mass spectrometry
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
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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.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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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.
3012 BERN
Switzerland
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.