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Role of the cardiac neural crest cells in heart development and regeneration

Project description

Unveiling heart development

The cardiac neural crest (CNC) cell lineage has a fundamental role in heart development, interacting with several cell populations of distinct embryonic origin. Emerging evidence in zebrafish indicates that CNC cells also contribute to cardiomyocyte development and exhibit a remarkable regenerative potential. Scientists of the EU-funded Heart2019 project are interested in investigating if this CNC capacity is preserved in other phylogenetically important vertebrates. By determining the gene expression profile of CNC cells and their in vitro ability to differentiate into cardiomyocytes, the project will answer fundamental questions on the role of the CNC developmental structure in heart regeneration with cues of therapeutic relevance.

Objective

In all vertebrates, heart development is dependent on the interplay of several cell populations of distinct embryonic origin. One of these cell populations is the cardiac neural crest (CNC) which contributes to the outflow tract and spiral septum in amniotes. However, CNC cells also migrate to the ventricles and differentiate into cardiomyocytes both in zebrafish and in amniotes. Interestingly, recent results from one of the host lab have shown that CNC-derived cardiomyocytes in zebrafish have an extraordinary capacity for regeneration and that ablation of these cells blocks heart regeneration. Here, I will explore whether this regenerative capacity of cardiomyocytes is unique to zebrafish or represents an ancestral state of characters for vertebrates in general. The goal of the proposed research is to use phylogenetically important vertebrates (lamprey, sturgeon, and axolotl) to answer fundamental questions about the development of the CNC and its role in heart regeneration across vertebrates. Thus, we aim to i) examine the fate of CNC in three species; ii) determine the potential of CNC to differentiate into cardiomyocytes; iii) examine the gene expression profile of CNC cells and neural crest-derived cardiomyocytes; iv) ablate neural crest-derived cells and examine their function in heart regeneration.

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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019

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Coordinator

JIHOCESKA UNIVERZITA V CESKYCH BUDEJOVICICH
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.

€ 255 756,24
Address
BRANISOVSKA 31A
370 05 Ceske Budejovice
Czechia

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Region
Česko Jihozápad Jihočeský kraj
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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.

€ 255 756,24

Partners (1)

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