Project description
A chimeric in vivo model for studying Alzheimer's disease
Despite extensive research into the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Therefore, better human-related models are needed that preserve disease genetics and more closely reflect the human brain environment. To address this problem, the EU-funded STEMAD3D project proposes to transplant into mice brain organoids derived from AD patient-induced pluripotent stem cells. This chimeric model will provide a physiological environment for investigating molecular and cellular changes during AD progression and delineating the role of the immune system. The project's findings have the potential to lead to novel therapies against AD.
Objective
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disease. Despite the significant progress made towards unpacking the pathomechanisms of AD, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying AD pathogenesis remain poorly understood. Previous studies mainly relied on animal models that do not capture human-specific biology, monolayer neural cultures that do not capture pathological hallmarks of the disease, and post-mortem tissues that only capture disease end-stage. There is thus a pressing need for new complementary approaches that preserve the disease genetics, mimic disease pathology, and more closely reflect human brain environment. I have developed a chimeric system for transplantation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC)-derived brain organoids into the mouse brain, providing a powerful platform to study AD under a physiological environment. This project aims to understand the molecular and cellular aberrations underlying AD pathogenesis. I propose to achieve this goal via a novel combination of a chimeric model, iPSC-based patient-specific brain organoids, transcriptomics, epigenetics, and genetic editing approaches. We will determine the disease-associated progressive changes at the transcriptome level, examine the cellular aberrations both in vitro and within the in vivo brain environment, and identify molecular regulators that underlie disease deficits and might enhance susceptibility to AD manifestation. Next, we will define perturbations in the epigenetic landscape associated with AD. Finally, this project seeks to extend towards identifying critical mechanisms that govern the interplay between neurons and the immune system in AD. I anticipate that this research will uncover novel molecular, cellular, and functional mechanisms that govern AD pathology, and may provide a basis for developing future therapeutic strategies.
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.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology dementia alzheimer
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA transcriptomes
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pathology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine transplantation
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics epigenetics
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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-STG - Starting 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-2020-STG
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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.
91904 JERUSALEM
Israel
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.