Project description
An in vitro 3D model of dementia
Patients suffering from frontotemporal dementia (FTD) present with degeneration in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain associated with the formation of protein aggregates. Given the lack of FTD treatments today, the EU-funded FTD-Organoids project will employ 3D brain organoid cultures grown from embryonic stem cells as the first in vitro cerebral model of FTD. Scientists will characterise this model at the cellular and molecular level and investigate the mechanisms underlying FTD pathophysiology. The project's results have the potential to identify novel FTD targets for the development of therapeutic interventions.
Objective
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second most common form of dementia. A pathological hallmark is the formation of protein aggregates that consist mainly of Tau or TDP43. Patients suffer from the degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes with no effective treatments being available. The recent advancement of 3D brain organoid cultures grown from embryonic stem cells offer new possibilities to study disease mechanisms of neurological disorders and help validate therapeutic interventions. I therefore propose to generate the first cerebral organoid models of FTD. The new models will first be thoroughly characterized by immunohistochemical stainings and biochemical analysis. Furthermore, I will determine neuroaxonal degeneration, visualize protein aggregates and their cell-to-cell spreading and analyze the nucleation of the pathological protein conformation. In addition, I will determine if FTD-organoids recapitulate the brain region- and cell type-specific vulnerability that are observed in patients. FTD has also been linked to aberrant phase transition of proteins that can lead to disturbances in proteome and RNA homeostasis. However, molecular mechanisms and consequences of this processes in disease conditions remain largely unknown. I therefore propose to study the dynamics and molecular composition of stress granules, which are functional biomolecular condensates that arise through liquid-liquid phase separation during stress conditions, in FTD cerebral organoids. Disease-associated changes in stress granule dynamics and thus disturbances in RNA metabolism and regulation of neuronal translational might result in the lack of essential neuronal proteins. I will therefore identify and quantify key mRNA and protein components of neuronal stress granules in brain organoids. In summary, this project will provide new mechanistic insights into disease mechanisms of FTD and open new possibilities of therapeutic interventions.
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 biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology cells technologies stem cells
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology dementia
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
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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.1.3. - 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 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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-2019
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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.
1030 WIEN
Austria
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.