Objective
MicroRNAs have been identified as important endogenous regulators of gene function. Aberrant regulation of them has been linked to various human diseases. Small molecule intervention has the potential to provide a new therapeutic strategy. The aim of the project is the identification of selective microRNA modulators by fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) approaches.
MicroRNAs are short ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules, on average only 22 nucleotides long that act as post-transcriptional regulators by binding to complementary sequences in the three prime untranslated regions (3`UTRs) of target messenger RNA transcripts (mRNAs), usually resulting in efficient sequence-specific gene silencing, which is referred to as RNA interference (RNAi). The numerous reports indicating a role of microRNAs in connection with diseases such as diabetes, neurological disorders, and cancer raises the question whether microRNA could be targeted in the development of a novel therapeutic strategy.
Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) methods have been developed for finding lead compounds as part of the drug discovery process. The approach is based on identifying small molecules (with a molecular weight less than 250 Da and so called fragments), which generally bind only weakly to the biological target, and then iteratively elaborating them to produce successively more potent compounds.
The target microRNA will be microRNA-122, which plays a key role in hepatitis C virus infection, microRNA-155, an inducer of pancreatic cancer by suppressing the expression of cell-cycle protein p53 and let-7 microRNA, which has been shown to control the timing of development of nematode Caenorhabditis elegans from the last larval stage to adulthood.
Detailed binding studies will be done by NMR spectroscopy. In conclusion the druggability of microRNA will be proved.
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 pharmacology and pharmacy drug discovery
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine endocrinology diabetes
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology pancreatic cancer
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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-2010-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
CB2 1TN Cambridge
United Kingdom
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.