Project description
Role of brain erythropoietin in adaptive neuroplasticity
Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hypoxia-inducible growth factor involved in erythropoiesis. Recent discoveries showed that recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) has potent pro-cognitive effects, independent of erythropoiesis, promoting differentiation/maturation of pyramidal neurons and oligodendrocytes and inhibiting microglia. The EU-funded project BREPOCI aims to test several groundbreaking hypotheses that functional hypoxia after increased neuronal activity activates an integrated response of many brain cells, and this hypoxia stimulates local EPO expression to optimise brain plasticity. BREPOCI will explore the existence of brain EPO receptors, potentially different from the classical hematopoietic receptor, and will study their contribution to hypoxia effects, mediated by brain-expressed EPO. Finally, the project will test rhEPO treatment in autism models caused by loss-of-function mutations, approaching brain pathologies, translatable to humans.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-AG - HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based
Coordinator
80539 Munchen
Germany
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