Project description
Microglia in brain repair
Microglia are the resident immune cells of the central nervous system and play a critical role in maintaining brain homeostasis, responding to injury, and modulating neuroinflammation. Recent research has shown that microglia exist in distinct states that vary depending on environmental cues, injury, or disease conditions. Understanding microglia states is crucial for developing therapeutic strategies targeting neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. The ERC-funded MicroDissect project aims to investigate the kinetics and roles of microglial states using a mouse brain repair model. Key objectives include mapping microglial state changes over time and space and developing molecular tools to manipulate these states.
Objective
Microglia, the macrophages of the brain, are critical regulators of many neurobiological functions and implicated by human genetics in several central nervous system diseases. Recent studies have revealed that microglia can adopt distinct co-existing subtypes, termed 'states'. Microglial states appear especially in the context of damage, disease or repair and understanding these states may lead to the ability to precisely modulate neuroinflammation. However, due to a lack of datasets and tools, the dynamics and functions of these microglial states are unknown, representing a poorly explored frontier of neuroscience.
The core goal of this proposal is to understand the kinetics and biological roles of microglial states. Using focal brain repair in the mouse as a model system, I will address this knowledge gap with three synergistic objectives. First, how do microglial states change in space and time? To answer this, I will unravel the dynamics of microglial states by generating a spatiotemporal atlas of gene expression at the single-cell level, from injury to full repair. Second, how do specific microglial states emerge and what are their functions? I will address this question by focusing on one state that interacts with the peripheral immune system and appears to be triggered by a particular cytokine. Finally, I will build novel molecular tools to genetically access and specifically arrest any microglial state. This will enable me to investigate their impact on remyelination and uncover the biological mechanisms by which microglial states orchestrate brain repair.
Together, this work will comprehensively dissect the biology of microglial states in brain repair and provide the enabling technologies to do the same in other contexts, from development to disease. It will open up microglial states to experimentation, resulting in a step change in our understanding of this important brain cell type.
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.
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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)
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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 - HORIZON ERC 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-2024-STG
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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.
D02 CX56 Dublin
Ireland
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