Objective
Excess of plasma glucagon is frequently reported in diabetic patients, a misregulation that exacerbates hyperglycemia, a major complication of diabetes. This has spurred research into alpha-cell function and glucagon regulation, to find potential treatments, independent from insulin, for diabetes. To normalize glucagon secretion as a therapeutic strategy, it is crucial to have a better understanding of its regulatory mechanisms and the expression of specific genes regulating those mechanisms. Unfortunately, there is no consensus model explaining the regulation of glucagon secretion from pancreatic alpha-cells. However, calcium is known to be required for glucagon secretion, but its role is not completely understood.
We propose to evaluate the role of free calcium activity across islet α-cells in the regulation of glucagon secretion from mice, using a custom built light-sheet fluorescence microscope, allowing fast three-dimensional imaging for an extended amount of time.
The interest will be focused on the heterogeneity of the response, which forms subpopulations of α-cells. After, the attention will be addressed in discovering cellular expression patterns of transcription factors known to be relevant in alpha-cells through immunofluorescence, and to determine how these regulate their target genes using single molecule Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (smFISH). Particular attention will be focused on correlating the heterogeneities of calcium activity in subpopulations of alpha-cells with their differential gene expression.
By finding this differential expression, it will be possible to target specific genes in order to trigger various single-cells behaviors and discover novel therapeutic targets.
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 chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkaline earth metals
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine endocrinology diabetes
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
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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-SE - Society and Enterprise panel
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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-2017
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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.
20132 Milano
Italy
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.