Objective
Leishmaniases are among the world's most neglected diseases. It´s causative agent - Leishmania - is transmitted by the bite of a sand fly. In the host, the parasite is taken up by macrophages and proliferates in the harsh conditions of the host phagolysosome. Currently available drugs for treatment present major drawbacks, urging the need for more effective, safer, and cheaper drugs. The molecular and cellular mechanisms that enable Leishmania to subvert macrophage defence mechanisms and cause disease remain largely unclear.
Thanks to modern comparative transcriptomic analysis, the identification of hundreds of genes overexpressed in intracellular amastigote forms was possible for the first time and identified cell surface proteins, transporters, peptidases and many uncharacterized genes with possible roles in host-pathogen interactions. Only recently, a high-throughput gene editing method based on CRISPR-Cas9 allowed for the first time easy manipulation of Leishmanias´ complex genome and rapid functional analysis of genes.
For over 50 years membrane transporters have been extensively studied in kinetoplastida, due to their role in the intrinsic parasite nutrient needs, defence from host immune attack and uptake of drug formulations. Despite these efforts a large number of such transporters expressed in amastigotes remain uncharacterized. The present project proposes (1) the generation of a library of 48 L. mexicana mutants by systematic CRISPR-Cas9 mediated knockout of amastigote-upregulated genes encoding membrane transporters, (2) Identification of membrane transporters required for viability of the promastigote parasite form and the (3) Identification of membrane transporters required for differentiation into amastigotes, macrophage infection, intracellular survival. The results of this project are expected to provide new insight into functions of hitherto unexplored aspects of amastigote biology and identify potential new targets for anti-parasitic drugs.
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 medical biotechnology genetic engineering gene therapy
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics mathematical analysis functional analysis
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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-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.
OX1 2JD Oxford
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.