Project description
Stimulated tissue regeneration could provide a 'cure' for a heart attack where there was none
Heart attack, scientifically referred to as myocardial infarction, is primarily due to a sudden deprivation of blood supply to the heart muscle. The tissue, deprived of oxygen and nutrients, becomes necrotic and forms scar tissue over several weeks. The lasting damage can weaken the heart and impair its ability to effectively pump blood. The EU-funded CuRE project is seeking a revolutionary breakthrough in treatment of this increasingly prevalent condition, namely therapy that stimulates regeneration of functioning cardiac cells. Beginning with libraries of factors that may do so, the team will use a combination of in vitro and in vivo testing leading to identification of the most effective ones and development of a suitable therapy relying on them.
Objective
Biotechnological therapies for patients with myocardial infarction and heart failure are urgently needed, in light of the breadth of these diseases and a lack of curative treatments. CuRE is an ambitious project aimed at identifying novel factors (cytokines, growth factors, microRNAs) that promote cardiomyocyte proliferation and can thus be transformed into innovative therapeutics to stimulate cardiac regeneration. The Project leads from two concepts: first, that cardiac regeneration can be obtained by stimulating the endogenous capacity of cardiomyocytes to proliferate, second that effective biotherapeutics might be identified through systematic screenings both in vivo and ex vivo. In the mouse, CuRE will take advantage of two unique arrayed libraries cloned in adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, one corresponding to the secretome (1200 factors) and the other to the miRNAome (800 pri-miRNA genes). Both libraries will be functionally screened in mice to search for factors that enhance cardiac regeneration. This in vivo selection approach will be complemented by a series of high throughput screenings on primary cardiomyocytes ex vivo, aimed at systematically assessing the involvement of all components of the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway, the cytoskeleton and the sarcomere on cell proliferation. Cytokines and miRNAs can both be developed to become therapeutic molecules, in the form of recombinant proteins and synthetic nucleic acids, respectively. Therefore, a key aim of CuRE will be to establish procedures for their production and administration in vivo, and to assess their efficacy in both small and large animal models of myocardial damage. In addition to this translational goal, the project will entail the successful achievement of several intermediate objectives, each of which possesses intrinsic validity in terms of basic discovery and is thus expected to extend technology and knowledge in the cardiovascular field beyond state-of-the art.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
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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-ADG - Advanced 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-ADG
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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.
WC2R 2LS 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.