Project description
Nature's cargo carriers may deliver preventative medicine across historically closed borders
Over the last few decades, a growing body of research suggests that chronic inflammation may be the common factor in numerous diseases. Aside from the obvious ones such as ulcerative colitis or rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammation has been linked to coronary artery disease, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Persistent DNA damage activates immune pathways leading to chronic inflammation and early onset neurodegeneration and metabolic disorders in mice. Current anti-inflammatory therapies also activate the immune system. The EU-funded InflaCare project is developing an exosome-based, non-immunogenic therapy that can even cross the blood-brain barrier, meaning its circulation in the blood could reach the brain and fight inflammation-related neurodegeneration. If successful, a simple systemic treatment could stall or stop the progress of many devastating diseases.
Objective
DNA damage triggers the activation of innate immune signaling leading to chronic inflammation and the premature onset of e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, metabolic diseases and neurodegenerative disorders in man. Based on our ERC consolidator program DeFiNER, we recently discovered that persistent DNA damage triggers the innate immune system stimulating broad inflammatory and antiviral immune countermeasures that lead to chronic inflammation and the premature onset of severe metabolic complications and neurodegeneration in mice. Here, we propose a sophisticated a therapeutic anti-inflammatory strategy aimed at lowering chronic inflammation in preclinical animal models with pronounced metabolic diseases or neurodegeneration. Unlike available anti-inflammatory therapies, the proposed therapeutic approach is non-immunogenic, allows the therapeutic cargo to circulate for extended periods within the body and to cross the blood brain barrier with no biocompatibility complications and minimal to no inherent toxicity issues in mice. This novel strategy provides, therefore, the means towards an innovative medicine that will effectively address real but unmet therapeutic needs for a wide range of devastating diseases associated with chronic inflammation.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine rheumatology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine endocrinology diabetes
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology
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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)
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.
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-2019-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.
700 13 IRAKLEIO
Greece
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.