Objective
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness, affecting millions of patients. With the aging population these numbers are predicted to increase exponentially.
Drusen Reconstitution in an Engineered AMD Model using Retinal Pigment Epithelium (DREAM-RPE) project aims to develop an recapitulating AMD model, to study early/intermediate stages of disease, by focusing on drusen formation.
Drusen is a phenotypical hallmark of AMD, being used for diagnosing and predictive of disease severity and progression. Its implication in AMD-related mechanisms, such as inflammation and oxidative stress, is well established. However, the precise mechanism driving drusen formation remains unclear. Understanding the biogenesis of drusen will lead to a better of AMD and its complex disorder context. Additionally, due to its predictive progression role, I hypothesize that clearing of drusen could lead to delayed disease progression in early/intermediate stages of AMD, providing a potential therapeutical window for patients who currently have no therapeutical options. Currently, there are no suitable in vitro models that replicate this aspect of the AMD. Here I propose to develop an advanced in vitro AMD model, capable of mimicking drusen formation. I will use human RPE cells and incorporate 3D bioprinting to recapitulate the retinal microenvironment, including the Bruch’s membrane, stimulate RPE cells, inducing biological-relevant metabolic activity and drusen formation. Next, I will characterize the mechanisms involved and strive to induce drusen clearing. Co-culturing with microglia, endothelial cells and neuro-retinal cells can gradually be added to the model to increase complexity and human in vivo recapitulation.
With DREAM_RPE I aim to address the early/intermediate stages of AMD, with the goal of uncovering therapeutic opportunities that could benefit millions of patients and address a major public health concern.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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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.
- medical and health sciences health sciences public health
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine ophthalmology
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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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.
1099 085 Lisboa
Portugal
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.