Objective
Expansion of a hexanucleotide repeat G4C2 in the non-coding region of chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) is the most common genetic cause for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). ALS is a fatal condition characterized by progressive motor deficits, degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons (MNs) and death from neuromuscular respiratory failure in the majority of afflicted individuals within 3-5 years. Currently, the economic burden of care and treatment for patients with ALS/FTD is expensive and continues to significantly rise in Europe and worldwide. While significant genetic discoveries have been made in the field, they have not yet translated to treatment options for patients with ALS and FTD. Thus, research efforts aimed at identifying therapeutic targets are of the utmost importance to enable therapeutic development for these devastating disorders. In this ERC Proof of Concept project, we will design, optimise and test gene therapy vectors containing CRISPR/Cas9 system to selectively remove the pathogenic ALS/FTD-related C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion in mouse models of C9orf72-related ALS, with the ultimate aim of designing a therapy for patients with C9orf72-related ALS/FTD. The ultimate benefit of this approach goes far beyond just ALS/FTD however. A successful CNS gene therapy for C9orf72 related disease potentiates the prospect of developing similar approaches to treat multiple disease scenarios amenable to gene modification. Indeed, growing evidence suggests that C9orf72 repeat expansions also contribute to a wide spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and cerebellar ataxias. We therefore anticipate that our strategy could be beneficial for other neurological conditions.
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
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology genetic engineering gene therapy
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology multiple sclerosis
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology parkinson
- 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.
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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-2016-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.
S10 2TN Sheffield
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.