Project description
Insight into iron-dependent cell death
Understanding how cells regulate cell death is central for gaining insight into age-related degeneration and for fighting cancer. Ferroptosis is a recently identified iron-dependent regulated cell death pathway that is likely triggered under pathological conditions and leads to the destruction of membranes. The EU-funded IRONDEATH project aims to further investigate fundamental aspects of the process and determine the conditions under which cells undergo apoptosis or ferroptosis. Researchers will delineate the mechanism of ferroptosis regulation and identify targets for its modulation. The project's results will contribute to the rational design of small molecule ferroptosis modulators for therapeutic purposes.
Objective
The recognition of distinct regulated cell death pathways presents tantalizing possibilities for gaining control over life and death decisions made by cells to both prevent age-dependent (neuro)degenerative diseases and to fight cancer. For decades, apoptosis has been considered as the sole form of regulated cell death, while others were deemed unregulated, necrotic. In this context, pioneering work originating from my group enabled to establish “ferroptosis” as an iron-dependent cell death modality that is marked by the oxidative destruction of cellular membranes. Ferroptosis has sparked overwhelming interest in the last few years not only because it harbours many pharmacologically tractable nodes, but as it is likely induced only under pathological conditions, thus opening the unique opportunity for a broad therapeutic window of novel ferroptosis modulators. While some of the molecular players, metabolic contexts and respective small molecule inhibitors and inducers of ferroptosis have been recently described, pivotal questions have remained unanswered. In a holistic approach this project is conceived to tackle these fundamental questions by providing answers to (i) whether there are yet-unrecognized key ferroptosis nodes that may explain why certain cells are highly vulnerable to ferroptosis while others are not, (ii) the nature and subcellular compartment where the initial ferroptosis priming signal is being generated and (iii) why certain cells and tissues die by apoptosis while others succumb to ferroptosis. Successful implementation of the herein proposed aims will yield novel ferroptosis regulating genes as potential future drug targets, decipher and localize the death signal affording the rationale design of refined small molecule ferroptosis modulators and enable the precision-based treatment of patients suffering from early cell loss and tissue demise or cancer.
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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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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-ADG - Advanced 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-ADG
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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
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