Objective
In recent years, and as a result of extended life expectancy, the number of people affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder that slowly and progressively impairs memory and intellectual abilities, has dramatically increased . AD affects usually people of advanced ages and its origin in most cases is unknown.
However, the majority of pre-senile AD cases (< 65 years of age), are caused by inherited familial mutations in the Presenilin genes. Presenilins are the catalytic components of g-secretase, a multiprotein complex that generates the b-amyloid (Ab) peptides, which aggregates and accumulate into amyloid plaques in the AD brain. The accumulation and deposition of Ab is thought to be a key event in the pathogenesis of AD.
The toxic effects of Ab on cultured neurons and transgenic mice have been extensively studied. However, the molecular mechanisms by which mutant presenilins cause memory loss and neurodegeneration are largely unknown. To study the biological function of presenilins in the adult brain we generated recently neuronal-specific presenilin conditional knockout mice.
We found that presenilin inactivation in the adult mouse brain causes synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration by altering CREB/CBP-mediated gene expression. This raises the possibility that loss of presenilin function may cause memory deficits and neurodegeneration in AD. In this project, we will investigate the molecular mechanisms, by which presenilins regulate CREB-dependent signalling, which is essential for neuronal function and survival.
Based on the analysis of the mouse genome, we will examine how normal and mutant presenilins regulate CREB/CBP signalling. These studies will integrate genomic approaches into our knowledge of human diseases and will facilitate the design of therapeutic strategies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and related disorders.
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 neurobiology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology dementia alzheimer
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
- natural sciences biological sciences molecular biology
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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.
Topic(s)
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.
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.
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.
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-12
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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.
IRG - Marie Curie actions-International re-integration grants
Coordinator
BELLATERRA(CERDANYOLA VALLES),BCN
Spain
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.