Podocyte Adaptation Proliferation and Ageing

Project Information

PAPAstudy

Grant agreement ID: 679254

DOI

10.3030/679254

Project closed

EC signature date 19 February 2016

Start date 1 March 2016

End date 28 February 2021

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 479 260,00

EU contribution

€ 1 479 260,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITE PARIS CITE
France

Periodic Reporting for period 4 - PAPAstudy (Podocyte Adaptation Proliferation and Ageing)

Reporting period: 2020-09-01 to 2021-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The PAPAstudy project aims at discovering new treatment for rare disorders involving the PIK3CA/AKT/mTOR pathway. Our goal is to offer to patients molecular targeted therapy. To this aim we are using complementary in vivo and in vitro approaches, innovative new technology of bioengineering and we develop genetically modified mouse models. We are located in the close vicinity of the clinical department allowing bed to beachside or vice et versa approaches.

This project has broken all the boundaries that were existing between different medical specialities and allowed the
rapid repurposing of a new drug undergoing development in oncology. This project is clearly considered by outside experts as a breakthrough discovery.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Since the beginning of the project, we did develop a new way to isolate primary podocytes (our cells of interest) from mice and to grow them up in vitro. The podocyte is a highly specialized cell with foot processes expansion that function as vasculature-supporting cells, producing basement membrane components and a number of vascular growth factors. These cells play an essential role in renal physiology but their unique localization, as the primary filter, exposes them to many stresses in pathological conditions. In fact these cells are the direct target of many diseases such as diabetes or HIV. We are currently testing and developing various mouse models.

The project resulted in a patent application that has been filled in by the Université de Paris.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Using this method, we discovered promising treatment for other disorders such as mitochondrial diseases, antiphospholipid vasculopathy, CLOVES syndrome or other PIK3CA related overgrowth syndrome.

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