Objective
Self-renewal and repair of tissues in adult mammals is fueled by rare tissue stem cells. Identification and subsequent study of such adult stem cells depends strictly on the availability of molecular markers. To date, a paucity of single definitive markers has complicated the study of the biology of these rare cells. Our interest in the role of the Wnt pathway in intestinal homeostasis and cancer has led us to exhaustively define the Wnt target gene program shared between these two processes. Within this program, the cell surface receptor-encoding Lgr5 represented a candidate stem cell marker for the intestine. The creation of Lgr5-genetic mouse models subsequently allowed us to definitively identify the Lgr5+ cells as the intestinal stem cells. These stem cells divide every day, yet persist throughout life. Using the same mouse models, we have found that Lgr5 marks stem cells in a variety of other tissues. For two family members with similarly restricted expression domains, Lgr4 and -6, comparable genetic tools have been generated. In this proposal, I aim to exploit these unique genetic tools to study primary adult stem cells in health and disease. This should allow us to outline unique and common characteristics of individual stem cell types, and possibly- define the minimum molecular determinants of stemness. Specifically, I aim: 1. To make a complete inventory of adult stem cells expressing Lgr4, Lgr5 and/or Lgr6 using the transgenic mouse models. 2. To FACS-purify stem cells from selected tissues, and detail their molecular and metabolic characteristics. 3. To genetically define the biological role of the Lgr-family receptors in adult stem cells by gene knockout. 4. To translate these findings to the equivalent human tissues using antibody-based histology and FACS technology. 5. To explore the usefulness of the Lgr proteins as markers of cancer stem cells in human solid tumors.
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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology cells technologies stem cells
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy
- natural sciences biological sciences histology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
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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.
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.
ERC-2008-AdG
See other projects for this call
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.
Host institution
1011 JV AMSTERDAM
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.