Project description
Linking stress, gut microbiota and stroke risk
Ischaemic stroke is a devastating disease and a leading cause of long-term disability worldwide. Growing evidence indicates that the gut microbiota can influence ischaemic brain damage, while chronic stress can alter gut microbiota composition and function and has been linked to brain disorders. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MicroStress project will test the hypothesis that chronic stress modifies the microbiota response to stroke, thereby exacerbating brain injury. Using advanced molecular and in vivo approaches, including metagenomic, metabolomic and epigenetic analyses, the project will investigate how stress-induced microbiota changes affect brain-resident microglia and stroke severity. The findings could contribute to new preventive and therapeutic strategies for stroke.
Objective
According to the World Stroke Organization (WSO), stroke is the third-leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with an estimated total cost of €60 billion in Europe. The number of people living with stroke is estimated to increase of 27% within 2047. In the last years, an increased incidence of stroke was observed among younger population, due to exposure to emerging risk factors such as stress. The leading role of the gut microbiota in stroke outcome has been demonstrated by the pioneering works conducted by Dr. Benakis, supervisor at the host Institute for Stroke and Dementia (ISD), showing that microbiota can influence brain damage severity. During my Ph.D. I demonstrated that stress exposure leads to alteration in microbiota composition, resulting in the production and accumulation in the brain of the microbial-derived uremic toxin p-cresol, which has been associated with an increased incidence of ischemic stroke. However, there are currently no studies exploring the correlation between stress, microbiota, and stroke, leaving a great gap that could have substantial clinical implications. The MicroStress project aims to investigate, for the first time, the relationship between chronic stress and stroke through microbiota alteration, combining in vivo and molecular cutting-edge technologies including metabolomic and epigenetic assays. Moreover, this project proposes a therapeutic approach using synbiotic – a mixture of probiotic and prebiotic – to modify microbiota composition and ameliorate stroke outcome. The combination of Dr. Benakis’ expertise in the microbiota-immune system-stroke interaction and my experience in stress-microbiota research will be fundamental to closing this gap. The MicroStress project is a unique opportunity to acquire new scientific and transferable skills, essential for achieving the project’s objectives and advancing towards an independent research career.
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.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology neurodegenerative diseases dementia
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology stroke
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics epigenetics
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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)
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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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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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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80539 Planegg
Germany
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