Project description
Novel technology assists the discovery of RNA-targeting drugs
RNA molecules are master regulators of many biological processes, and emerging evidence underscores their role in disease. However, using small molecules to target RNA therapeutically has proven technologically challenging. To address this problem, scientists of the EU-funded incPRINT-DRUG project propose to use their high-throughput RNA–protein interaction technology designed to identify small molecules that target specific pathogenic RNA–protein complexes. This technology simultaneously assesses the efficacy, specificity and toxicity of drugs in living cells. The aim of the incPRINT-DRUG project is to adapt this tool for RNA drug discovery and contribute to the biomedical field.
Objective
RNA transcripts have emerged as key regulators of diverse biological phenomena and are implicated in many human diseases including neurodegenerative disorders, cancers, viral infections and antibiotic resistance. As such, RNA represents an untapped source of therapeutic targets. Bioavailable small molecules have been recently successfully applied to target RNA. One caveat, however, is that lead compounds are not easily designed from RNA sequence or structure and therefore targeting RNA by small molecules remains challenging. One of the strategies to target RNA with small molecules is to target RNA-protein interactions or RNA elements stabilized by protein binding. However, the unbiased in vivo identification of small molecules that selectively target RNA-protein interactions with little cellular toxicity remains unachieved due to the lack of technology. In the incPRINT-DRUG project, we will adapt our innovative high-throughput RNA-protein interaction technology for unbiased identification of small molecules that target specific pathogenic RNA-protein interactions. Our unique technology enables drug testing in living cells combined with the simultaneous testing of drug specificity and toxicity. Our core technology has been extensively validated over the past years and proved to be robust to be optimized and adapted for the RNA drug discovery. Our business development strategies will follow several possible scenarios: (1) license the technology, (2) generate new IP with the technology and license the IP to industrial partners, (3) industrial partnership by providing service to biotech and pharma companies. All three options will be explored with our Technology Transfer & Industrial Partnership Office. incPRINT-DRUG is expected to have a strong biomedical and economic impact given the growing interest in finding small molecules targeting pathogenic RNAs and the technological gap to achieve it using data-driven experimental methods.
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 basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug discovery
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug resistance antibiotic resistance
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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.1.1. - 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-POC - Proof of Concept 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-PoC
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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.
75231 Paris
France
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.