Objective
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is widely established, with 50,000 scanners worldwide and more than 100 million diagnostic scans conducted yearly. Myelin acts as the electrical insulation of neuronal fibers and is essential for motor, sensory, and cognitive functions and is composed of several lipids and proteins arranged in a specific geometry. However, myelin loss occurs regionally in inflammatory diseases like multiple sclerosis, myelitis, and optic neuritis, and it also serves as a biomarker of aging.
Despite the availability of various MRI-based approaches for detecting myelin, there remains a significant gap in systematically validated knowledge regarding how myelin's lipids, proteins, and structural variations influence MRI signal generation. Furthermore, there is no gold standard for assessing the constituents of myelin, and conclusions are primarily based on MRI of formalin-fixed tissue.
Quantitative post-mortem MRI of unfixed human brains in situ, combined with subsequent mass spectrometry imaging (LA-ICP-TOF-MS, MALDI-MSI), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and microscopy (CARS, TEM, IHC), will enable histologically enriched modelling of tissue and the simulation of fundamental MRI parameters (relaxometry, susceptibility, and diffusion) to reveal causal relationships with chemical elements, matrix composition, structure, and common molecules of myelin, neural fiber orientation, and biometals. In addition to 20 control brains, 10 brains from deceased individuals with multiple sclerosis will be recruited to broaden the spectrum of myelination under investigation.
This research addresses the fundamental biophysical mechanisms underlying MRI of myelin and chemical elements, which currently lack validation. We will establish a publicly available elemental and histochemical atlas of the human brain and identify how histological features causally contribute to quantitative MRI parameters.
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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology multiple sclerosis
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- engineering and technology medical engineering diagnostic imaging magnetic resonance imaging
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-2024-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.
8010 GRAZ
Austria
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.