Objective
Mental retardation (MR) and schizophrenia (SCZ) are disorders of the brain that affect 2-3% and 1% of the population, respectively. Both disorders are considered to be highly heritable, but exhibit heterogeneous genetic etiology. Recent genetic studies have led to discoveries that the same variants that can give rise to different neuropsychiatric disorders, including MR and SCZ. In this proposal, sequencing will be used to identify novel genes involved in MR and SCZ, and to explore the potential overlap between these disorders. The specific goals of the research plan include:
1. Genetic characterization of patients from large pedigrees with SCZ and MR.
Five pedigrees have been collected in which multiple individuals are affected by SCZ or MR. The pedigrees vary in size, with the largest spanning 12 generations including 3,400 individuals. Exome and whole genome sequencing will be performed to identify the genetic variants associated with disease. Candidate genes identified will be screened in large independent cohorts of MR and SCZ patients. In addition, RNA sequencing will be performed on cell lines established for patients and controls from two of the pedigrees.
2. Screening of trios to identify novel genes causing MR
Mental retardation (MR) patients are typically referred for array-based analysis. With current genetic screening using microarray, a clinically significant rearrangement is identified in 15-20% of patients. I propose use high throughput sequencing to screen MR patients and their parents with the goal of identifying new MR genes and to investigate to what extent the diagnostic yield can be increased.
By combining sequencing, bioinformatics and carefully selected clinical material, the work presented in this proposal will lead to an increased understanding of disease mechanisms and enable the development of novel targets and strategies for molecular diagnostic screening.
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 genetics RNA transcriptomes
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine psychiatry schizophrenia
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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.
ERC-2011-StG_20101109
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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.
Host institution
751 05 Uppsala
Sweden
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.