Objective
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The best current therapy reduces CV risk by only 25-30% and remains ineffective in reducing the excess risk associated with several co-morbidities. Therefore, there is considerable need for new therapies to limit the burden of CVD. Based on a current ERC Starting Grant project, the applicant’s group proposed and validated the concept that mature B lymphocytes are instrumental in the orchestration of the inflammatory response after ischemic myocardial injury, in part through production of CCL7 chemokine and mobilisation/recruitment of inflammatory monocytes to the infarction site (Zouggari Y et al., Nat Med 2013). Our goal now is to translate this ground-breaking discovery and novel therapeutic concept into benefit for patients. The overall objective of the RITA-MI project is to develop a new and cost-effective therapy for patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) based on selective targeting of the B cell immune response, with the ultimate aim to substantially reduce the high risk of death and major cardiovascular events associated with the disease. Interestingly, the drug, CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb) rituximab, is readily available for testing in a re-purposing scheme, allowing for rapid initiation of this proof-of-concept clinical trial.
Working Hypothesis: A single infusion of rituximab at the acute phase of MI is safe, substantially depletes circulating B cells, and has the potential to limit infarction size and improves myocardial heart function.
Overall objective: Does a ‘fire and forget’ approach with rituximab (a single intravenous infusion) reduce infarct size and/or improve heart function in patients with acute STEMI? The overall aim will be pursued through a series of specific objectives, which will correspond to a first step of a dose-finding proof-of-concept study (the present RITA-MI project), followed (if successful) by a phase II clinical efficacy trial.
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.
- social sciences sociology demography mortality
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine cardiology cardiovascular diseases
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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.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
ERC-POC - Proof of Concept Grant
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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) ERC-2015-PoC
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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.
CB2 1TN 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.