Objective
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains a leading global cause of morbidity and mortality, driven by inflammageing: a chronic, age-related inflammatory state accelerating atherosclerosis via epigenetic dysregulation in bone marrow immune cells, particularly hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Despite therapeutic advances, the precise mechanisms linking inflammageing to atherosclerosis remain underexplored, necessitating innovative approaches to address this escalating health burden in aging populations.
The DEFLAME Program, a cross-disciplinary bioengineering initiative led by Prof. Dr. Willem Mulder, is aimed at delineating the heterogeneous mechanisms of cardiovascular inflammageing across bone marrow niches to guide development of precision mRNA immunotherapy for this insidious process. Leveraging MarrowMap, a novel quantitative tool to map immune cell metabolism across multiple bone marrow niches in mouse models, and our proprietary apolipoprotein nanoparticle (aNP) mRNA delivery platform, DEFLAME integrates nanomedicine, nuclear medicine, hematopoiesis, cardiovascular immunology and multi-omics to achieve two objectives:
O1 To longitudinally and spatially characterize inflammageing in atherosclerosis-accelerated immune aging, myocardial infarction, and intermittent cholesterol exposure models.
O2 To develop aNP-mRNA-based cytokine and checkpoint-directed immunotherapies targeting myeloid (progenitor) cells, with translational evaluation in human cell models.
By combining expertise in nanomedicine, innate immunity, and cardiovascular disease, this high-risk, high-gain ERC Advanced Grant Program seeks to reshape our understanding of immune aging and deliver innovative immunotherapeutics with potential applications beyond cardiovascular disease, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, fostering breakthroughs for healthy aging.
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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)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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 - HORIZON ERC 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-2025-ADG
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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.
5612 AE Eindhoven
Netherlands
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.