Objective
This project by a consortium of academic labs and small biotech companies concerns a new key innovation for the development of drugs targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs are the most important class of therapeutic targets, both for current drugs and those under development, covering about a third of the 1.2 trillion pharmaceutical market. Recent research has revealed that GPCRs do not function as simple on/off switches but instead can adopt multiple conformations leading to complex textures of downstream effects. Functionally selective drugs modulate the GPCR structure to stimulate certain downstream pathways over others. In the search for this next generation of better drugs, the pharmaceutical industry currently employs multiple (10+) distinct GPCR assays, performed in non-identical cellular contexts, and misleading readouts from this approach contribute significantly to costly drug failure. Here we propose a radically new single-assay technology platform that will enable detection and functional classification of drug candidates with superior confidence compared to today's approaches. Its unique design supports streamlined drug discovery from the test tube to the native disease-relevant cell, as well as the capacity to efficiently harness artificial intelligence (AI) in the design of better drugs. The technology is based upon highly informative fluorescent sensor reagents that react to different receptor conformations with subtle, flexible changes in their structure. In this Pathfinder project, our main objective is to demonstrate that the conformational fingerprints generated by these sensors correlate to specific cellular signalling profiles, i.e. GPCR activity states (proof of principle). We believe that the UniSens platform will become the standard tool for early drug development and could be a game-changer in the search for safer, more effective drugs.
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.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
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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.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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-EIC - HORIZON EIC 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) HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDEROPEN-01
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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.
82152 PLANEGG
Germany
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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.