Project description
Cell identity regulators in development and disease
Molecular master regulators that activate gene networks during development are well characterised, whereas the mechanisms that terminally repress alternative cell fates and determine cell identity and function remain poorly understood. The EU-funded SafeFate project will demonstrate that active terminal repression is a universal mechanism determining cell identity. A recent discovery by the team showed that the neuron-specific transcription repressor Myt1l is essential for neuronal cell identity as it represses non-neuronal programmes in neurons. SafeFate investigates if there is a distinctive class of terminal repressors that prevent alternative lineages from developing. Ultimately, the project aims to understand how to fight diseases associated with loss of cell identity and to reprogram cells for regenerative medicine.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
Host institution
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
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Beneficiaries (1)
69120 Heidelberg
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