Project description
Overcoming cell ageing with nanobodies
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have the capacity for multiple-lineage differentiation and self-renewal, replenishing blood cells throughout the lifespan. Emerging evidence indicates that chronic inflammation damages HSCs and causes premature ageing. Intriguingly, aged HSCs exhibit heightened expression of platelet and megakaryocyte markers and a biased commitment to differentiate down the platelet pathway. As this drives excessive platelet production and causes health complications, the ERC-funded UNBIAS project aims to restore balanced HSC differentiation. To mitigate inflammation, researchers propose to use nanobodies that can erase inflammatory memories from HSCs. Unlike conventional antibodies, nanobodies consist of a single polypeptide chain and are much smaller in size, which allows them to penetrate tissues and bind tightly to specific targets.
Objective
"With a growing ageing population, there is an imminent demand to develop new therapeutic strategies to ameliorate disorders of the hematopoietic system. Our innate immune system can remember its previous encounters with inflammatory triggers. Epigenetic memories of previous inflammatory experiences throughout an individual's lifetime are imprinted in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), a small pool of bone marrow progenitors that give rise to all our blood cells. Inflammation harms HSCs causing their functional decline and premature ageing. It also causes long-term differentiation bias, and a heightened basal inflammatory status, known as “inlfammageing”. The most striking characteristic of aged HSCs is their increased expression of platelet and megakaryocyte markers and their commitment towards platelet biogenesis, referred to as “Platelet-bias."" Platelet bias has important consequences to human health. In our ERC starting grant project PLAT-IL-1 (714175), we discovered that platelets boost the inflammatory capacity of innate immune cells and are essential for the cytokine production of human monocytes. Our findings support that a dangerous combination of myeloid and platelet bias in inflammation-exposed HSCst results in a heightened innate immune activation. The injuries to HSCs are persistent and continue even after the clearance of the inflammatory insult, indicating that remnants of inflammatory events accrue and prolong damage to HSCs. Hence, if we could “erase"" these harmful remnants, we could UNBIAS HSCs differentiation and prevent hyper-inflammation. In our ERC-funded project, we developed novel nanobodies that efficiently eliminate remnants of inflammation in vivo. In this PoC project, we will test the ability of nanobodies to erase memories from previous inflammatory events and prevent hyper-inflammation. This project will be a stepping stone to licensing our nanobodies to industrial partners."
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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)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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
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-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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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-2023-POC
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53127 Bonn
Germany
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