Project description
Protein alterations in the ageing muscle
Muscle mass and strength decline with age and can reach critically low levels in the elderly, culminating in a condition known as sarcopenia (SP). Current lack of information on SP heterogeneity and its genetic and environmental determinants hamper the development of effective interventions. The EU-funded AmyloAge project is working under the hypothesis that a high-fat diet induces amyloid-containing aggregates in ageing muscles, causing phenotypes similar to inclusion body myositis (IBM). Scientists will investigate the evolution of muscle protein composition and find potential genetic determinants of muscle decline. Results will unveil mechanisms of protein aggregation and metabolic dysfunction in the ageing muscle with potential therapeutic significance.
Objective
After the age of 30, our muscle strength declines by ~14% per decade. In up to 40% of the elderly, this decline culminates in sarcopenia (SP), critically low muscle mass, causing impaired mobility and longer hospitalizations. Muscle decline rates vary greatly between individuals due to genetic and environmental factors. Yet, our lack of insight into these factors impedes developing effective measures against SP.
SP is clinically similar to inclusion body myositis (IBM), the most common myopathy in the elderly, and their molecular phenotypes are very similar. Preliminary data from my host lab, the Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology (LISP), show that high-fat diet induces amyloid-containing aggregates in the muscles of aging mice. Such aggregates are hallmarks of muscle proteinopathies such as IBM. Hence, these diseases may be the pathological extremes of natural protein aggregation in the muscle.
LISP recently described the protective, therapeutic role of activating mitochondrial stress responses in aggregation diseases. Activating these pathways prevents aggregate formation in cells, worms and transgenic Alzheimer’s mice. I thus hypothesize that mitochondrial dysfunction worsens the pathology of muscle aggregation diseases and SP.
My project AmyloAge will explore natural aging in muscle in large, genetically diverse populations of worms, mice and humans. I will use my expertise in proteomics to study the evolution of muscle protein composition and find the genetic determinants associated with unhealthy protein aggregation and muscle decline. With my expertise in biostatistics, I will build an analysis pipeline to find the genes and molecular pathways responsible for protein aggregation and metabolic dysfunction in the muscle.
AmyloAge will increase our knowledge of the molecular and physiological variability in muscle aging. This will lay the groundwork for preventive interventions against SP and protein aggregation diseases like IBM.
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 basic medicine neurology dementia alzheimer
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pathology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
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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.
1015 LAUSANNE
Switzerland
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.