Objective
Chronic pain represents a major unmet medical need which has been linked to changes in voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs). These channels are transmembrane protein-complexes with a key-role in signal transmission in excitable cells, such as neurons, and allow the flux of Na+ ions through the cellular membrane in response to specific stimuli, thus controlling the generation and propagation of action potentials. Nine VGSC subtypes are known to be expressed in different cell types, and among them subtype Nav1.7 is of extreme interest since it is involved in nociceptive processing (pain-sensing) in the peripheral nervous system. Remarkably, patients suffering from congenital indifference to pain syndrome, which derives from loss-of-function mutations of the gene encoding for Nav1.7 have a dramatically reduced ability to perceive painful stimuli, but are otherwise perfectly healthy. Therefore, Nav1.7 has been recognized as an exciting target for pharmacological treatments of pain. However, detailed structural and functional information is lacking, and its attainment represents a fundamental step in the challenging task of finding Nav subtype-selective modulators. Thus, the main focus of my project is to study ligand-binding events with known modulators, thereby paving the way to the design of safe and selective inhibitors. I will develop, by solid phase peptide synthesis, a chemical probe specifically designed to isolate Nav1.7 using a tandem photoaffinity labeling-bioorthogonal conjugation approach. This probe will be applied in model cell lines expressing the channel, in order to study their binding interaction through mass spectrometry-based chemoproteomics. Once these chemical tools are established and validated in the model system, I will translate them to patient-derived cells, in order to study disease-relevant systems.
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 clinical medicine oncology prostate cancer
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology breast cancer
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology pancreatic cancer
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
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.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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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.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2014
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
SW7 2AZ London
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.