Project description
Boosting mucus secretion for inflammatory bowel disease remission
Under healthy conditions, the gut’s mucus layer acts as a barrier, keeping microbes away from direct contact with the intestinal cells and the immune system. However, in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), this barrier is compromised, allowing microbes to penetrate the mucus layer and come into contact with the cells of the intestinal lining and the immune cells beneath it. This causes persistent inflammation and tissue damage, central to the symptoms and progression of IBD. The ERC-funded MucusIBD project utilises the discovery that inducing excess intestinal mucus secretion in mice protects against colitis. Researchers will test a bile acid in preclinical mouse models to induce mucus production and IBD remission.
Objective
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), such as Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis, are chronic, debilitating conditions affecting millions worldwide. There is currently no cure for IBD, only treatments aimed at inducing long lasting remission. These treatment options act mainly by inhibiting the patients immune system, leaving patients immunocompromised, and come with a high annual direct cost. Even with advanced treatment, most IBD patients will require surgery during their lifetimes. Thus, more affordable treatment option which are not focused on immune suppression are needed.
While the etiology of IBDs is not clear, it is thought that breakdown of gut barrier function is a major driver of chronic intestinal inflammation. Indeed, penetrance of luminal microbes into the mucus layer which covers the intestinal epithelium is a hallmark of IBDs. This penetrance and contact of microbes with the hosts immune system drives a proinflammatory response and prevents tissue healing. While performing our ERC-funded research project we found a way to induce excess intestinal mucus secretion in mice. We found this excess mucus secretion protected mice from development of colitis in a model of IBD. We also uncovered the mechanism which controls intestinal mucus secretion and discovered a cheap and reproducible way to pharmacologically induce excess mucus secretion using a bile acid.
Our goal is to determine whether pharmacologically inducing intestinal mucus production in preclinical mouse models of IBD can induce and sustain remission. The project's methodology encompasses preclinical trials utilizing three distinct mouse models to rigorously test the efficacy and safety of our innovation. A comprehensive market analysis, informed by stakeholders including healthcare professionals and patient advocacy groups, will guide the development process, ensuring the therapeutic approach meets the real-world needs of IBD patients.
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-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-2024-POC
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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.
52900 Ramat Gan
Israel
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.