Project description
Finding a treatment for osteoarthritis virtually
One in eight adults worldwide suffers from osteoarthritis, which is a chronic disease that stiffens the joints. It is on the rise as populations age and obesity rates climb. Unfortunately, there is currently no treatment available to reverse the damage because the biology involves a messy collision of mechanical stress and inflammation. The ERC-funded INSTant CARMA project aims to build a detailed multiscale model of the knee, validated through laboratory and animal studies, to simulate disease progression and test treatments in virtual patient cohorts. From drug combinations to tissue-engineered implants, these in silico trials promise faster, safer development of therapies and could transform how osteoarthritis and other complex diseases, are treated.
Objective
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent disease, affecting 1 in 8 adults worldwide and is projected to increase by 60% in the next two decades. Due to the intricate interplay between multiple influencing factors such as mechanical loading and inflammation playing out over multiple length scales and tissue compartments, currently no disease-modifying drugs are available on the market. The INSTAnt CARMA project aims to harness the power of in silico trials to study OA onset and progression, as well as design endogenous (drugs) and exogenous (tissue engineered) therapies.
A multiscale multifactorial in silico model of the knee joint will be established and validated with dedicated in vitro and in vivo experiments. A continuous effort following targeted and untargeted approaches will take place to explore biological hypotheses and implement relevant model extensions. In parallel, computational upscaling tools will be implemented to prepare the model for execution of in silico trial simulations on virtual patient cohorts. The first in silico trial will investigate the effect of model-predicted drug combinations after experimental confirmation in a rodent model. The second trial will seek to optimize tissue engineered constructs for deep osteochondral defect regeneration, followed by experimental validation in a small and large animal model.
To realize its goals, INSTAnt CARMA can build on the well-received and published work on a wide range of in silico, in vitro and in vivo tools developed by the applicant and her team. Additionally, the work will benefit from the applicant’s extensive network and involvement in regulatory science for in silico medicine. This project will further accelerate the uptake of in silico testing strategies in the development of medical therapies in general and osteoarthritis in particular.
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.
This project has not yet been classified with EuroSciVoc.
Be the first one to suggest relevant scientific fields and help us improve our classification service
You need to log in or register to use this function
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-2022-COG
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.
4000 LIEGE
Belgium
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.