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Beyond neuroInflammation: new Concepts to Elucidate the immune system’s vital role in Parkinson’s disease

Project description

The role of the immune system in Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement, causing symptoms like tremor, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. Treatment typically includes medications to manage symptoms, along with physical therapy to improve mobility. However, the underlying disease mechanisms remain elusive. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the BICEPS project is working under the hypothesis that immune system dysfunction plays a role in PD. By considering PD as a systemic disease, the consortium proposes to deviate from a solely brain-centred approach and study peripheral immune responses as well. BICEPS will utilise advances in systems biology and AI towards new diagnostics and therapies.

Objective

Decades of research into Parkinson's disease (PD) have fallen short in fully comprehending its mechanisms, leaving us without a cure. Current treatments merely alleviate symptoms temporarily, but are unable to impede the progression of the disease. Clearly, PD research has hit a wall, and new approaches are needed.

Recent discoveries of the involvement of the peripheral immune system in PD have sparked a groundbreaking proposition by BICEPS: PD must be considered a systemic disease with an immune response involving both brain and periphery. Thus, to revolutionize PD research, we must shift away from the neuro-centric approach of past decades and extend our focus to studying the immune system outside the brain. Furthermore, recent advancements, such as systems biology and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven data mining, diagnosis, and drug development, hold significant promise for advancing PD research.

Therefore, BICEPS is uniting PD researchers, immunologists, and experts in AI and systems biology from leading European academic institutions, startup companies, and established pharmaceutical firms into a unique consortium. The primary objective is to train a new generation of PD researchers with interdisciplinary expertise in these fields.

This ambitious goal will be realized through an intensive training program that encompasses cutting-edge methodologies, encourages innovation, nurtures transferable skills, and provides immersive, hands-on research experiences. Thereby, the BICEPS network aims to shape the future of PD research by adopting a fresh perspective and expediting the development of diagnostics and therapies for PD, with a particular focus on the immune system.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral Networks

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-01

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Coordinator

RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN
Net EU contribution
€ 823 111,20
Address
Broerstraat 5
9712CP Groningen
Netherlands
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (10)

Partners (6)