Project description
Role of the extracellular proteome in healthy and autistic brain
Recent studies have shown that the compositions of cerebrospinal fluid and interstitial fluid in the brain have an impact on brain development and behaviour. Omics technologies demonstrated that these fluids are rich in secreted proteins, RNAs and metabolites. The EU-funded SecretAutism project will take a systematic approach to uncover the role of extracellular brain proteins in health and disease. Specific objectives include the identification of the extracellular space proteins that modulate neural development with a particular focus on the proteins in extracellular vesicles, whose mutations are considered high autism spectrum disorders risk factors.
Objective
Since the ancient Egyptians, the fluid in the brain has been considered a product of spirits, a pathological signature or inert liquid. Even at the turn of the 19th century, when the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was first described as a physiological substance, the CSF and the interstitial fluid (ISF), the fluid surrounding all the cells of the brain, were considered solely as a cushion. Only more recently studies have begun to show that the compositions of these fluids can have a marked impact on brain development and animal behaviour. A number of studies have employed omics to demonstrate that the ISF and the CSF are rich in secreted proteins, RNAs and metabolites. However, it is still unclear how these factors influence the development and the function of the brain. Here, we will take a systematic approach to advance our knowledge about the role of extracellular proteins in the brain in health and disease. Using knowhow in studying the causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) my lab will study the effects of changes in the composition of the extracellular space of the brain at unprecedented resolution and scale. Specifically, we aim to 1) functionally identify proteins of the extracellular space that modulate neural development; 2) study proteins that are packaged into extracellular vesicles and whose mutations are considered high ASD-risk factors; 3) analyse -in vivo- the function of HNRNP U, an RNA-binding protein, which we identified in brain extracellular vesicles and whose mutations are tightly linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. This endeavour will represent an important step toward a better understanding of the role of extracellular factors in brain development and function. My work will highlight an entire class of protein encoding genes that crucially contribute to neural development by a previously underappreciated pathway, i.e. through the extracellular parenchyma and that when altered lead to forms of ASDs which may be more amenable to treatment.
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 proteins proteomics
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
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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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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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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.
Funding Scheme
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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.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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-2021-COG
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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.
3400 KLOSTERNEUBURG
Austria
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