Project description
Healing without scarring
Tissue repair after injury is a complex process that involves the interplay between different cell populations and the extracellular matrix. However, repair may not be complete and may lead to scar formation. Bones constitute an exception to this possibility and have an inherent capacity to fully restore their form and function. Funded by the European Research Council, the Immuno-mechanics project aims to investigate the role of the mechanical conditions and stress immune cells encounter after injury. The research also involves the development of artificial niches to study the interactions of immune cells with resident fibroblasts.
Objective
Both scar formation and restitutio ad integrum during bone regeneration rely on cellular self-organisation that involve cell contraction and fibronectin/collagen formation. This early stage of cellular self-organization is later followed by angiogenesis and mineralisation. Scar-free regeneration of physiological tissue homeostasis requires balanced downregulation of early inflammation, however little is understood of the immune-mechanical coupling involved. We aim to lay the foundation for reducing patient suffering resulting from scarring by combining two distinct scientific worlds, for which we have been a major driving force: the distinct regulation of local inflammation and the mechano-biology during regeneration. By combining both of our areas of expertise, we aim to harvest the potential of the novel cross-disciplinary field Immuno-Mechanics.
This ambitious project concentrates first on identifing the different mechanical niches that immune cells experience early in successful healing and non-healing. Second, we will engineer synthetic niches to control fibroblasts and fibroblast-immune cell interactions to steer cell self-organisation and matrix formation in vitro. Third, we plan to verify that these synthetic niches reprogram hematoma composition and can thus reduce later scarring in vivo.
The proposed experiments are challenging as they have never been done this way before, but are feasible since they capitalise on our strengths in osteo-immunology and mechano-biology. Novel technologies will be combined in a unique way to engineer the immune-mechanical cell niche, to passivate activated immune cells and to reprogramme cell fate. This will allow us to substantially advance the basic understanding of the interplay between immune cells and their mechanical niche during early regeneration. By harnessing the mechanisms of the immune-mechanics interplay, we will lay the foundation for advancing immune-modulatory therapies to reduce harmful scarring.
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.
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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) ERC-2021-ADG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
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.
10117 Berlin
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.