Project description
A novel therapy against muscular dystrophy
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a prevalent muscle disease caused by the aberrant myogenic expression of the transcription factor double homeobox 4 (DUX4), which activates apoptosis and triggers muscle wasting. Scientists of the EU-funded DREAM project have identified the first direct DUX4 inhibitor with putative therapeutic value. The scope of DREAM is to elucidate the mechanism of inhibitor function and develop a drug-like molecule capable of blocking the aberrant activity of DUX4 in muscle cells of FSHD patients. The project's results will shed light on FSHD pathogenesis and bring us a step closer to a rational treatment for FSHD.
Objective
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is the most prevalent muscle disease that indiscriminately afflicts children and adults of all ages and both sexes. Despite several clinical trials, there continues to be no cure or therapeutic option available to FSHD patients.
FSHD is caused by aberrant myogenic expression of the transcription factor double homeobox 4 (DUX4). In healthy subjects, DUX4 expression is restricted to stem cells and early stages of embryogenesis while being silenced in most tissues of the body. In FSHD, DUX4 mis-expression activates a pro-apoptotic transcriptional program leading to muscle wasting.
Compelling data obtained in our laboratory identified a novel regulator of DUX4 that allows us to examine the potential of inhibiting the cytotoxic activity of DUX4 as a therapeutic strategy to treat FSHD, and represents the innovation of this proposal. The goal of the proposal is to fully elucidate the molecular mechanisms that regulate DUX4 in order to develop novel therapeutic approaches for blocking the aberrant activity of DUX4 in FSHD.
Based on our preliminary data, I hypothesize that by inhibiting DUX4 we can prevent transcriptional activation of genes toxic to muscle cells.
As a corollary, we propose that a drug-like molecule interfering with the DUX4 pathway could be used to prevent the toxic effects of DUX4 expression in muscle cells from FSHD patients. This work is significant as it will clarify the molecular pathogenesis of the disease and bring us closer to a rational treatment to block muscle degeneration in FSHD.
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 muscular dystrophies
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology cells technologies stem cells
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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.
20132 Milano
Italy
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.