Objective
The long-term goal of this proposal is to shed light on the contribution of cortical upper motor neurons to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in order to design and test alternative therapies based on the protection and/or the replacement of this exact neuronal population.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the most common and the most severe adult-onset neurodegenerative disease of the motor system, leading to death two to five years after diagnosis. ALS is clinically defined as the combined degeneration of two specific neuron types: upper motor neurons (UMN, corticospinal motor neurons), located in the cerebral cortex and that extend axons to the medulla and spinal cord, and lower motor neurons (LMN, spinal motor neurons), located in the medulla and spinal cord and that connect to the skeletal muscles. This dual neuronal impairment distinguishes ALS from other, much less severe, motor diseases affecting either UMN only or LMN only. Despite this clear description, it is striking to note that preclinical studies on ALS have, so far, mostly focused on LMN.
Recent advances in the fields of corticogenesis have provided scientists with new molecular implements allowing now to bypass the cellular complexity of the neocortex, and to study specific cortical neuronal subtypes (e.g. UMN), not only in the embryo but also in the diseased adult mouse. Here, we propose to take advantage of these new tools, to understand the role of specific UMN degeneration in the onset and progression of ALS. More specifically, we will i) determine whether specific UMN degeneration in ALS induces, results, or is independent from LMN degeneration; ii) unravel the molecular mechanisms that trigger specific UMN degeneration in ALS; and iii) induce the generation of new UMN, within the brain of the diseased mouse, and determine their effects on LMN survival, motor behavior and life expectancy. The expected results are meant to instruct the development of alternative therapeutic approaches to ALS.
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 neurobiology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine embryology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
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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-2013-CIG
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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.
MC-CIG - Support for training and career development of researcher (CIG)
Coordinator
75654 PARIS
France
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.