Project description
Insight into the role of metabolism and immunity in ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder that also affects other systems apart from the central nervous system. The EU-funded MegaALS is investigating the hypothesis that the interplay between metabolism, gut microbiome and adaptive immunity drives ALS pathophysiology. Scientists are using proteomic, metagenomic and immune-response data from a population-based case-control study of ALS in Stockholm to validate this hypothesis. Moreover, they will employ an ALS mouse model to test an innovative disease prevention and treatment strategy that combines a high-caloric diet with a faecal microbiota transplant from healthy human donors. Results will unveil the pathophysiological mechanisms of ALS and identify novel preventive and therapeutic targets.
Objective
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare but devastating neurodegenerative disorder that in lack of effective treatments leads to death within a few years of diagnosis. ALS is increasingly being recognized as a systemic disease affecting not only the central nervous system but also other physiological aspects. We hypothesize that there is a disease-specific interplay between metabolism, gut microbiome and adaptive immunity, which substantially contributes to the etiopathogenesis of ALS. The overarching aim of this project is therefore to explore such interplay, and to assess the effectiveness of a treatment regimen that specifically targets it. Using a population-based case-control study of ALS in Stockholm, I will first characterize the complex interactions between metabolism, microbiome, and immunity in ALS, through comprehensive proteomic, metagenomic and immune-response profiling. The specificity of these interactions will be tested in contrast to healthy individuals at high risk for ALS (siblings), individuals with similar environmental and lifestyle factors (spouses), and unrelated population-controls. I will then use an established ALS mouse model (SOD1G93A) to understand the usefulness of combining a high-caloric diet with a fecal microbiota transplant from healthy human donors in disease prevention and treatment. To better understand the underlying mechanisms, I will compare microbiome and immune-response profiles before and after the intervention. The proposed research is unique as it 1) combines innovative molecular platforms with a high-quality epidemiological study design, 2) uses a novel strategy of investigating multiple aspects of human physiology, and 3) offers a possibility to directly translate findings between human observational and animal experimental studies. The ultimate goal is to significantly advance our knowledge about ALS as a disease, and more importantly to identify novel and highly warranted preventive and 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.
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
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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)
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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-2018-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.
171 77 STOCKHOLM
Sweden
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.