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Structure guided inhibition of IDOL to treat atherosclerosis and the metabolic syndrome

Project description

Treating the world’s expanding waistlines

Sedentary lifestyles, increased screen time, overnutrition and obesity are all characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is increasing to epidemic proportions. MetS is associated with an increase in cardiovascular disease risk and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Treatment options for MetS-associated comorbidities, including dyslipidaemia, diabetes, obesity, and fatty-liver disease, are far from optimal. The EU-funded CHANCE project will address this challenge by capitalising on the high-resolution 3D structure of IDOL (inducible degrader of the low-density lipoprotein receptor), which can modulate cholesterol levels. The project will identify and validate small-molecule IDOL inhibitors by using a structure-guided development pipeline that combines an established virtual ligand docking protocol, and in vitro and in vivo validation.

Objective

The prevalence of the MetS and associated co-morbidities including cardiovascular disease has reached epidemic proportions in the developed and developing world. The cost of treating these conditions represents a substantial part of current European healthcare expenditure, and despite recent advances, treatments for MetS-associated lipid disorders are far from optimal; mainstay lipid-lowering treatments (e.g. statins) reduce cardiovascular risk by only ~30%, and recently-introduced PCSK9 inhibitors are promising, but prohibitively expensive. Moreover, epidemiologic and genetic evidence suggests that these treatment modalities are associated with a significant increase in the risk for development of diabetes. Treatments for other MetS-associated comorbidities, including dyslipidemia, diabetes, obesity, and fatty-liver disease are far from optimal or lacking. In ERC-CoG UNICOM we discovered that genetic inhibition of the E3-ubiquitin ligase IDOL protects mice from the detrimental development of multiple MetS-associated comorbidities. We therefore propose IDOL inhibition as a novel therapeutic strategy to concomitantly target multiple metabolic co-morbidities. However, absence of a high resolution IDOL structure has hampered structure-guided development of inhibitors. In CHANCE, we will capitalize on the high resolution 3D structure of IDOL that we recently obtained. Using this unique structure we aim to identify and validate small-molecule IDOL inhibitors by using a structure-guided development pipeline that combines an established virtual ligand docking protocol, and in vitro and in vivo validation. Lead hits will be used for development of a business and IP strategy to ensure the sustainable development of IDOL inhibitors for treating the MetS.

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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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.

ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum Pilot

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2019-PoC

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Host institution

ACADEMISCH MEDISCH CENTRUM BIJ DE UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 150 000,00
Address
MEIBERGDREEF 15
1105AZ Amsterdam
Netherlands

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Region
West-Nederland Noord-Holland Groot-Amsterdam
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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Beneficiaries (1)

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