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Content archived on 2024-05-29

Regulation of adult neural stem cell quiescence and proliferation

Objective

According to WHO estimates, more than 20% of the European population will be aged 60 and above in 2020. The increase in age-associated neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and stroke will creates growing health-economic problems for European society and will have a major impact on the quality-of-life of the individual. Current treatment options for neurological diseases are limited and fail to lead to functional recovery.
Adult neural stem cells (NSCs) hold great promise for restorative therapy because of their privileged location within the central nervous system and their potential to generate new functional brain cells including neurons.
The recruitment of NSCs for repair poses multiple challenges. In the adult brain, NSCs are largely quiescent and divide only infrequently. Although their proliferation increases in e.g. injury or stroke, the number of newly generated cells appears to be insufficient to compensate for the cell loss. A better understanding of the regulation of NSC quiescence and proliferation is necessary for the development of therapeutic strategies that aim at the mobilization of NSCs for repair. In the adult hippocampus, quiescent NSCs are constantly recruited into proliferation to generate new neurons.
In the proposed project we will exploit this model system to characterize the molecular control of NSC quiescence and proliferation. Our preliminary data has identified PI3-kinase signalling as a candidate pathway in this process. Using a combinatio n of molecular and cell biology, genetics, and pharmacology, we will examine the role of PI3-kinase signalling in the control of the proliferate activity of NSCs.
In addition, we will use transcriptome and proteome analysis to identify downstream targets of PI3-kinase signalling in quiescent and proliferating NSCs. These studies will contribute to the understanding of basic NSC biology and will identify new candidate drug targets for NSC-based therapies.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

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Topic(s)

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Call for proposal

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FP6-2005-MOBILITY-8
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

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EXT - Marie Curie actions-Grants for Excellent Teams

Coordinator

HELMHOLTZ ZENTRUM MUNCHEN DEUTSCHES FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUR GESUNDHEIT UND UMWELT GSF-NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH
EU contribution
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Total cost

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