Project description
The circadian clock is ticking for Alzheimer’s disease
Many biological processes, including sleep, hormone release and eating habits, follow a circadian rhythm, a 24-hour cycle that is part of our internal clock. Disruption of circadian rhythms has been linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Many genes responsible for the circadian clock are aberrantly expressed in AD, rendering it a putative drug target. The TClock4AD project, funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, aims to develop novel drugs that target the circadian clock. Researchers will investigate the molecular mechanisms that govern circadian rhythms in AD, identify therapeutic targets and develop rationally designed compounds, which will be tested for their efficacy in innovative screening models.
Objective
Recent Nobel Prize-winning discoveries on circadian clock (CC) have laid the foundation for ground-breaking approaches to treat many diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is a current public health priority. Amplifying the demographic burden of the rising numbers of patients is the low success rate of AD therapies. Given that CC genes regulating memory, sleep, and neurodegeneration have altered expression profiles in AD, CC has recently emerged as a viable therapeutic target for new effective drugs. However, how to develop them remains a fundamental challenge. The “Targeting Circadian Clock Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease” Doctoral Network (TClock4AD) is proposed to create a new generation of researchers able to face such challenge by harnessing neurobiology, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical nanotechnology, neuroimmunology, big data, bioinformatics, and entrepreneurship. TClock4AD will exploit unique expertise and advanced technologies at 10 leading universities, 3 research centers, a hospital, 10 non-academic institutions including SMEs, a large pharma company, a Health industry association, and a patient organization across EU, UK, Israel, USA and China. TClock4AD will deliver double degrees to 15 doctoral candidates, with triple-i knowledge/skills, broad vision and a business-oriented mindset. Their research activities will be structured around 5 scientific themes to: (1) develop novel artificial intelligence-, proteolysis targeting chimeras- and multitarget-based strategies for new CC drug candidates (2) develop novel drug delivery nanotechnologies, which take into consideration CC (3) investigate innovative in vitro (stem-cells, 3D cultures) & in vivo (Drosophila), as well as organ-on-chip techniques, for preclinical validation of CC drugs (4) get insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying CC in AD and associated drug response in mice and C. elegans models (5) develop innovative biotech business model and exploitation strategies.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug discovery
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencespublic health
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologydementiaalzheimer
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinemedicinal chemistry
- engineering and technologynanotechnology
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Coordinator
40126 Bologna
Italy
See on map
Participants (12)
37129 Verona
See on map
20156 Milano
See on map
28049 Madrid
See on map
15782 Santiago De Compostela
See on map
08029 BARCELONA
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
4200-135 Porto
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
500 03 Hradec Kralove
See on map
9000 Gent
See on map
70013 Irakleio
See on map
69978 Tel Aviv
See on map
1649-003 Lisboa
See on map
97070 Wuerzburg
See on map
Partners (14)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
15213 Pittsburgh
See on map
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
02142 Cambridge
See on map
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
40134 Bologna
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
8061 St. Radegund/Graz
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
BEIJING
See on map
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
40129 Bologna
See on map
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
20145 Milano
See on map
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
28040 Madrid
See on map
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
28027 Madrid
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
OX1 1BY Oxford
See on map
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
40129 Bologna
See on map
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
08007 Barcelona
See on map
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
TS1 3BA Middlesbrough
See on map
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
2100 Goedoello
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.