Project description
Transplanted body cells get a clean slate to start anew
Eggs and sperm are different from all the other (somatic) cells in a vertebrate's body, so it is somewhat miraculous how a fertilised egg produces all the differentiated and varied somatic cells that lead to tissues, organs and organ systems. This ability is referred to as totipotency. Eggs can also reprogram transplanted somatic nuclei to restore totipotency and enable the production of all cell types in a cloned organism, promising exciting potential for tissue regeneration and clinical applications. Enhancing the efficiency of this process via insight into the mechanisms of cell fate reprogramming will be the focus of the ambitious EU-funded ReproMech project.
Objective
Vertebrate eggs can induce the reprogramming of transplanted somatic nuclei to enable the generation of all cell types of a cloned organism. However, the efficiency of nuclear reprogramming is low, and only a small proportion of the nuclear transfer embryos generated from differentiated cells reach a reproductive adulthood. How the egg achieves the erasure of the previous somatic cell identity and the establishment of totipotency only in some instances remains a question of fundamental importance. Epigenetic modifications were shown to be major roadblocks to reprogramming, but how these roadblocks resist removal by the egg factors and how they are instead propagated during early embryonic cell divisions to induce inappropriate expression of genes in nuclear transfer embryos is not known. This proposal aims at identifying the molecules in the egg that a) help to overcome the epigenetic barriers during successful reprogramming events and b) cause resistance when reprogramming fails. We will then c) interfere with these mechanisms to improve cell fate conversion. The gained molecular insights into cell fate reprogramming via the natural activities present in the egg can then be utilized to develop efficient reprogramming strategies for therapeutic purposes such as enhancing regeneration or improving cell replacement therapies.
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.
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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-2018
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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.
85764 Neuherberg
Germany
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.