Objective
The obesity epidemic is a pressing problem, resulting in diverse metabolic and psychological disorders.
Identification of genes whose disruption causes obesity in rodents has led to rapid progress in understanding the signalling pathways responsible for the regulation of body weight in mammals, and an increasing number of severely obese humans have been found to carry mutations in those same genes.
The fat-derived hormone leptin and the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are key players in the brain circuitry regulating energy homeostasis, and genetic disruption of their receptors, the leptin receptor (Ob-R) and the neurotrophin receptor Tropomyosin-related kinase (TrkB), causes hyperphagia and obesity in rodents and humans.
Only one pathogenic mutation has been described to date in human for both TrkB and Ob-R and the data strongly indicate causality. Recently, the host laboratory has identified several novel mutations in TrkB and Ob-R in severely obese children.
To determine whether these mutations result in non-functional receptors and thus are the causes of obesity in the affected individuals, we propose to make constructs of the mutant receptors and transfect them in appropriate cell lines.
We will use state-of-the art methodologies for immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, Western blotting and receptor ligand binding assays to characterize the functionality of the presumed pathogenic variants.
This proposal is part of a multidisciplinary project that will combine human genetics, human pathophysiology and functional genomics to explore the contribution of TrkB and Ob-R mutations to the development of severe childhood onset obesity.
Moreover, the results of these experiments will provide new knowledge on the role of these signalling pathways in the regulation of body weight, and possibly lead to identification of new targets for the treatment of obesity.
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 physiology pathophysiology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- medical and health sciences basic medicine medical genetics
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition obesity
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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.
FP6-2005-MOBILITY-7
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.
IIF - Marie Curie actions-Incoming International Fellowships
Coordinator
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.