Objective
Recently, the discovery of a family of large proteins, now called bridge lipid transport proteins (BLTPs), that can act as “bridges” for lipids to flow between organellar membranes, has revolutionized how we think about bulk lipid movement in cells, which was previously thought to take place mainly via vesicular trafficking. These proteins are components of lipid transfer machines that participate in de novo formation of cellular organelles and/or in membrane expansion or repair.
Dysfunction in human BLTPs is causative of severe neurological diseases such as an early onset version of Parkinson’s (VPS13C), chorea acanthocytosis or Cohen syndrome. In addition, expression levels of certain BLTPs correlate with cancer aggressiveness, and BLTPs can also exploited by pathogens, for example to form their replication compartments. Currently, no drug treatment targeting BLTPs exists, including in clinical trials, in large part due to the scarcity of information about BLTP mechanism and structural features.
During my ERC Grant MCS-MD, we have largely progressed in our basic understanding of BLTP-mediated molecular mechanism, including the discovery of new membrane protein partners that bind BLTPs and anchor them at surrounding membranes, as well as the characterisation of entire BLTP complexes at high-resolution using cryo-electron microscopy. These very recent discoveries open exciting opportunities to undertake computer-assisted drug-design (CADD) screening efforts to investigate the interaction of BLTP complexes with existing drugs (repurposing) or to use AI-assisted structural strategies to design new small molecules or proteins that can inhibit or enhance BLTP activity. These efforts will lead to the identification of potential drug leads that we will subsequently test in reconstituted systems and in human cell lines. Overall, our drug screening protocol will move us closer towards the development of therapeutic strategies and interventions benefitting human health.
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 medicinal chemistry
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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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.
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-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept 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-POC
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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.
1700 Fribourg
Switzerland
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