Objective
Growing evidence suggests that unbalanced Wnt signalling contributes to early stages of Alzheimer´s Disease (AD). mRNA levels of the Wnt antagonist Dikkoff1 (Dkk1) are increased in AD brains and by Amyloid-ß (Aß) in vitro. Importantly, suppression of Dkk1 activity protects synapses from Aß. Genome-Wide Association Studies also provide evidence for deficient Wnt signalling in AD. The host laboratory has recently demonstrated that Dkk1 induced expression in the adult hippocampus leads to synapse loss and cognitive impairment; defects that can be restored by Wnt signalling reactivation. My preliminary results demonstrate that mRNA levels of several Wnt components (Wnts, their receptors and antagonists) are affected in a transgenic mouse model of familial AD, suggesting a general downregulation in Wnt signalling. These findings raise two main questions. Is aberrant expression of Wnt components an early event in AD? What mechanisms lead to aberrant Wnt component expression in AD? Given that Wnt signalling is crucial for synapse maintenance, and that my preliminary results suggest a coordinated downregulation of the Wnt pathway in AD, I will examine the role of DNA methylation at Wnt component genes in AD and how this affects synapse integrity. The potential role of DNA methylation is supported by: i) AD patients and mouse models exhibit global DNA hypomethylation and gene-specific DNA hypermethylation, ii) DNA methylation at promoters leads to gene repression, but intragenic methylation can enhance transcription, iii) Wnt components contain CpG islands at their promoters and/or intragenic regions, and iv) some Wnt components are regulated by DNA methylation in cancer. My work will define the role of epigenetic regulation of Wnt components under physiological conditions and determine the relevance of unbalanced Wnt signalling in AD. This research project could also identify new biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of early AD stages.
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 basic medicine neurology dementia alzheimer
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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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-2016
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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.
WC1E 6BT 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.