Objective
Brain disorders affect ~179 million people and their families in Europe alone, with an annual cost to the taxpayer estimated at €800 billion- a greater economic burden than cardiovascular disease and cancer combined. Despite diverse etiology, overlap in clinical symptoms and comorbidities between brain disorders suggests shared patho-mechanisms. In particular, hyperexcitible states driven by glial activation and neuroinflammation appear near ubiquitous. Targeting these mechanisms offers the potential to ameliorate symptoms and reverse disease progression across a broad span of brain disorders. Functioning as a gatekeeper to neuroinflammation and mechanistic link between neuronal hyperexcitability and glial activation, the ATP-gated, ionotropic purinergic P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) offers the most promising target for pharmacological intervention in the neuroinflammation-hyperexcitability pathway, to date. With breakthroughs in understanding P2X7R function, highly promising effects demonstrated for antagonists in models of brain disease and vast investment in P2X7R-related drug development programmes, now is the perfect time to pool resources. PurinesDX brings together global leaders in translational research in purinergic signalling, Europe’s leading clinical specialists in a broad range of brain diseases, and industrial partners specializing in drug and biomarker development. Sharing unique genetic tools, newly developed diagnostic devices and novel, selective and brain-stable P2X7R antagonists, the synergism facilitated within PurinesDX will extend to the training of an urgently needed new generation of highly skilled, innovative, creative and entrepreneurial scientists. Alongside the provision of this interdisciplinary, international and intersectoral environment, an original and high level training in state-of-the-art neuroscience will be provided, nurturing a cohort of highly competitive researchers with potential to drive a new era of neuroscience research.
Field of science
- /medical and health sciences/basic medicine/neurology/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- /medical and health sciences/clinical medicine/cardiology/cardiovascular diseases
- /medical and health sciences/basic medicine/neurology/epilepsy
- /natural sciences/biological sciences/neurobiology
Programme(s)
Call for proposal
H2020-MSCA-ITN-2017
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
MSCA-ITN-ETN - European Training NetworksCoordinator
2 Dublin
Ireland
Participants (8)
80539 Muenchen
28040 Madrid
1083 Budapest
80539 Muenchen
41013 Sevilla
MK40 3JY Bedford
2100 Goedoello
28049 Madrid
Partners (12)
2340 Beerse
Dortmund
53227 Bonn
D24 X095 Dublin
28029 Madrid
28034 Madrid
1085 Budapest
Frankfurt Rhein-main
80539 Muenchen
CV4 8UW Coventry
28049 Madrid
2100 Godollo