Objective
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. The main hallmark of AD is presence of the extraneuronal senile plaques composed of amyloid beta-peptide (Aβ). Aβ is produced when a transmembrane glycoprotein called Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) is consecutively cleaved by two proteases: the γ-secretase and the β-secretase. γ-Secretase can render distinct length isoforms of Aβ, with Aβ40 and Aβ42 most studied in the context of AD pathology. Aging is the single most important risk factor for sporadic AD. The molecular basis for this remains unclear. In the rare genetic forms of AD, i.e. familial AD (FAD) mutations in the genes involved in the production of Aβ are causative, strongly suggesting that abnormal Aβ generation can cause the disease. For the sporadic disease it is mostly proposed that lack of Aβ clearance is involved in the Abeta accumulation, but direct proof for this hypothesis is lacking, and the possibility that changes in Abeta production are playing a role becomes an interesting possibility. It has been shown that clinical mutations in the catalytic subunit of γ-secretase act by loss of function of the protease, which makes it conceivable that loss of function effects in aging might have similar effects on γ-secretase in the aged brain. This assumption finds support in interesting observations that Aβ42 becomes elevated in the brain of sporadic AD patients and in rodent models of the disease at advanced age. Moreover, some recent evidences in rodents corroborate this hypothesis even further as an age-dependent shift of γ-secretase activity towards a higher Aβ42 production was observed. The main goals of our project are accordingly: (1) evaluation of changes in γ-secretase activity in the aging brain by evaluating the effects on Aβ production (2) to elucidate the age-associated molecular events responsible for these changes. The outcome of these studies can shed light on the origin of this devastating disease in the elderly.
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 dementia alzheimer
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pathology
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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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF
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.
Coordinator
9052 ZWIJNAARDE - GENT
Belgium
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.