Skip to main content
Vai all'homepage della Commissione europea (si apre in una nuova finestra)
italiano it
CORDIS - Risultati della ricerca dell’UE
CORDIS

ZBP1-induced Inflammation and REcognition of Z-Nucleic Acids

Descrizione del progetto

Una chiave per la risposta immunitaria e la terapia

Gli acidi nucleici svolgono un ruolo cruciale nell’innescare le risposte immunitarie, adottando una forma a Z sinistrorsa sotto stress cellulare. Questi acidi nucleici Z, compresi Z-RNA e Z-DNA, sono rilevati dalle proteine ADAR1 e ZBP1. Mentre ADAR1 smorza le risposte immunitarie, ZBP1 attiva l’immunità innata, influenzando la difesa antivirale, l’immunità contro il cancro e l’autoinfiammazione. Nonostante la sua importanza, i meccanismi che regolano l’attivazione di ZBP1 rimangono poco chiari, ostacolando i progressi terapeutici. Sostenuto dal programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, il progetto ZIREN intende colmare questa lacuna generando un agonista di ZBP1, convalidandone l’efficacia in vivo e identificando i principali regolatori della segnalazione di ZBP1. Questa ricerca illuminerà le vie di attivazione di ZBP1, aprendo la strada a potenziali strategie terapeutiche mirate alle condizioni guidate da ZBP1.

Obiettivo

Nucleic acids are potent inducers of an immune response. Nucleic acids normally exist in a right-handed conformation. However, during conditions of cellular stress, nucleic acids can also adopt an unusual, left-handed “Z-form”. These Z-nucleic acids, including Z-RNA and Z-DNA, are sensed by two proteins: ADAR1 and ZBP1. While ADAR1 binding to Z-nucleic acids prevents immune responses, activation of ZBP1 results in the activation of an innate immune response. It is clear, that ZBP1 has important functions in antiviral defence, cancer immunity and during autoinflammation, yet the mechanisms that govern its activation and which pathways downstream of ZBP1 are activated, is poorly understood. Additionally, a big hurdle currently preventing the molecular characterisation of ZBP1 signalling, is the lack of a selective ZBP1 agonist.

I hypothesise that understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating ZBP1 activation and its downstream signalling pathways is fundamental for the development of therapeutics targeting this pathway. To test this hypothesis, I will address three major knowledge gaps in ZBP1 biology: (i) by purification of active ZBP1 complexes followed by nanopore sequencing and through solid-phase nucleic acid synthesis, I will generate a bona fide ZBP1 agonist, (ii) I will validate the ZBP1 agonist in vivo by testing its adjuvanticity in a mouse vaccination model, and (iii) by using a small compound and a genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout approaches, I will identify upstream and downstream regulators of ZBP1 signalling. Together, my proposed research plan will contribute to understanding the activation mechanisms of ZBP1, as well as its regulatory factors laying the foundation for understanding human ZBP1-driven (patho)physiology and development of therapeutic intervention.

Campo scientifico (EuroSciVoc)

Parole chiave

Programma(i)

Argomento(i)

Meccanismo di finanziamento

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

Vedi tutti i progetti finanziati nell’ambito di questo schema di finanziamento

Invito a presentare proposte

(si apre in una nuova finestra) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01

Vedi tutti i progetti finanziati nell’ambito del bando

Coordinatore

VIB VZW
Contributo netto dell'UE
€ 200 400,00
Indirizzo
SUZANNE TASSIERSTRAAT 1
9052 ZWIJNAARDE - GENT
Belgio
Regione
Vlaams Gewest Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen Arr. Gent
Tipo di attività
Research Organisations
Collegamenti
Costo totale
Nessun dato