Project description
Dynamic mapping of the human gastrointestinal tract
The lining of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract undergoes continuous changes during postnatal development and in diverse GI diseases. Probing these changes has been challenging due to the difficulties in obtaining repeated biopsies and interpreting static transcriptomic measurements. The ERC-funded GI-DYNAMICS project will investigate the dynamic changes that take place in the GI tract. Researchers will employ a non-invasive method to profile transcriptomes of viable cells naturally shed into stool, capturing in this way real-time tissue states. They will also combine measurements of tissue and shed cells to quantify dynamic properties such as cell turnover rates. Key objectives include mapping GI development in infants, uncovering mechanisms of cell death resistance in colorectal cancer and investigating tissue adaptations in coeliac disease.
Objective
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract undergoes significant changes during post-natal development and in response to various diseases. Single-cell atlases are static and therefore fail to capture the dynamic changes occurring within the GI tract. We have devised a method to transcriptomically profile cells that are naturally shed into the GI tract. Contrary to earlier beliefs, we found that shed cells remain viable and can robustly be measured in fecal samples. Shed cell transcriptomics enables non-invasive tracking of cellular states throughout development and disease progression. Moreover, discrepancies between transcriptomic profiles of shed cells and tissues can identify which cell types are preferentially shed or retained, revealing cell turnover patterns. Our objective is to combine shed-cell and spatial transcriptomics to achieve basic and biomedical discoveries that were not possible before: 1. To study the developmental changes in the neonatal human GI tract. This will include longitudinal acquisition and in-depth analysis of shed cell transcriptomic and proteomic data in stool samples obtained from babies. 2. To characterize turnover of cells in colorectal cancer (CRC). We will combine shed cell transcriptomics in stool and blood with spatial transcriptomics of tumor biopsies to spatially map the cancer cells that resist death/shedding and examine their interactions within the tumor microenvironment. 3. To investigate cellular dynamics and tissue adaptations in Celiac disease. This will involve shed cell transcriptomics and high-resolution spatial transcriptomics to thoroughly understand the turnover rates of various enterocyte sub-populations and tissue adaptations during the disease. Our innovative use of shed cell transcriptomics will add a dynamic dimension to human cell atlas reconstruction efforts, enriching our understanding of tissue processes in health and disease.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA transcriptomes
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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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.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
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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
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-ADG
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7610001 Rehovot
Israel
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