Objective
Skeletal muscle is the most abundant human tissue and contains mainly post-mitotic nuclei. It also expresses the largest gene known in nature – dystrophin – whose mutations cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most frequent and incurable childhood muscle disorder. These characteristics create hurdles that negatively impact on the development of therapies for muscle diseases, ranging from acute tissue loss to chronic neuromuscular disorders. Moreover, a lack of humanised models of muscle regeneration delays the understanding of its regenerative dynamics.
My work has pioneered the use of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to generate genetically corrected myogenic cells for the autologous cell therapy of muscular dystrophies. Here I propose to exploit this technology together with biocompatible materials to develop three dimensional, iPS cell-derived, patient-specific artificial muscles. These bioengineered skeletal muscles will provide a model to study human muscle regeneration and a platform for tissue engineering and therapy development for severe muscle diseases.
The project will be developed in two phases. First we will develop the iPS cell-derived muscle in vitro, introducing cell types and stimuli necessary to obtain a functional tissue. In the second phase we will exploit the muscle “organoids” for regenerative medicine and drug development. Specifically, we will investigate the artificial muscle potential for tissue replacement in vivo and then model different muscular dystrophies in vitro to screen drugs with therapeutic relevance. Finally, we will combine the tools and knowledge developed in the two aforementioned areas into a novel platform to optimise skeletal muscle gene and cell therapies. This project will bring together tissue engineering, drug development and cell therapy under the same translational technology, advancing the understanding of pathogenesis and the development of therapies for muscle diseases.
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.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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-STG - Starting 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-2017-STG
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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.