Project description
Circadian regulation of vascular homeostasis
Blood vessel-lining endothelial cells (ECs) form a dynamic interface between the circulation and tissues. ECs are therefore endowed with the critical task of sensing changes in the circulation and relaying them to parenchymal cells, acting as gatekeepers of homeostatic tissue function. Yet, the mechanisms that allow ECs to sense, adapt and rapidly respond to daily changes in the environment, such as light-dark cycles, feeding, or blood pressure fluctuations, remain unknown. The ERC-funded Vascular-Rhythm project will dissect how circadian changes regulate EC function and drive adaptive vascular responses. Researchers will employ multi-omics and computational analyses to uncover genetic programmes driving vascular homeostasis. Project results will provide fundamental insights into vascular biology and identify therapeutic targets for pathologies affected by circadian misalignment.
Objective
A quiescent, resilient layer of blood vessel-lining endothelial cells (ECs) is vital for maintaining organ function and enabling healthy aging. Much has been learnt in recent years about the mechanisms controlling the resilient EC phenotype. In turn, little is known if and how mechanisms of vascular resilience are affected by environmental rhythmic stimuli (extrinsic (e.g. light-dark, feeding-fasting) or intrinsic (e.g. blood pressure, hematopoiesis)). Performing day/night analyses of mouse liver and lung ECs, we identified distinct organ-specific time-of-the-day dependent transcriptomic programs of resting ECs. These translated functionally into temporal vascular adaptations during the day that critically sustain steady-state tissue health and function. Building on these stage-setting findings, the Vascular-Rhythm project will (i) analyze how ECs sense, adapt, and respond to circadian changes by uncovering rhythmic programs in healthy liver and lung ECs at mRNA, protein, and phospho-protein levels, and (ii) examine how the manipulation of vascular rhythms impacts physiological organ function, organismic aging, and disease initiation. To this end, we will implement a cross-species analytical platform (i.e. comparing nocturnal mice and diurnal pigs), integrate multiomics data with state-of-the-art computational methods, and perform in vitro & in vivo manipulatory assays to discover dynamic gene programs that underlie the homeostatic vascular endothelium and its adaptation to pathologic challenges. Collectively, adding the day/night cycle as a critical, hitherto in the field of vascular research heavily underappreciated research dimension, the Vascular-Rhythm project will fundamentally change the way we study and mechanistically understand blood vessel function. Moreover, the expected groundbreaking discoveries of the project have great potential to identify and validate novel therapeutic vascular vulnerabilities for multiple, circadian rhythm-affected pathologies.
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 biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pathology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
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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.
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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-2025-STG
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69117 Heidelberg
Germany
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