Project description
Platelet-mediated mechanisms in aortic valve disease
Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is characterised by pathological thickening and calcification of the aortic valve. Accumulating evidence indicates that CAVD progression exhibits a sex bias and morphology variations, but the underlying aetiology remains poorly understood. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PlateCAV-3D project aims to investigate the role of activated platelets in early CAVD. The hypothesis is that platelet mediators like TGF-β induce endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition and contribute to CAVD. Researchers will follow an interdisciplinary approach to identify and validate platelet-derived factors of CAVD. The study is expected to lead to new therapeutic targets and alternative interventions to valve replacement surgery.
Objective
Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is an increasing global health burden. Once symptomatic and untreated, CAVD confers a 2-year mortality rate of ~50%. Crucially, costly and highly specialised valve replacement surgery remains the only treatment. Additionally, while male and female patients present with calcific or fibrotic tissue degeneration, respectively, experimental studies mostly use male models. The rising disease burden, lack of understanding of differential pathophysiological mechanisms underlying CAVD onset and progression, and inequality in accessing surgical intervention impose the need to uncover novel therapeutic targets to delay disease development. Haemostatic alterations, including platelet activation, are implicated in CAVD, and may particularly compromise patients with bicuspid vs. tricuspid valves. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition of valvular endothelial cells is a hallmark of CAVD onset and potently induced by platelet-derived mediators such as TGF-β, suggesting the direct involvement of activated platelets. The differential platelet-mediated mechanisms underlying both the valve morphology- and sex-specific disease
pathophysiology remain elusive. We will perform unbiased global proteomics to identify novel platelet-derived mediators in the onset of CAVD. These mediators will be used to induce CAVD in a biologically relevant, sex-specific 3D bioprinted in vitro model. By combining histopathology, imaging, proteomics, and bioinformatics, PlateCAV-3D will characterise the contribution of platelets to the onset of CAVD and infer valve morphology- and sex-specific disease trajectories to uncover novel therapeutic targets. Identification of patient-specific therapeutic target candidates provides the opportunity to design clinical trials to decelerate disease onset/progression and ultimately diminish the need for surgical intervention, globally decreasing health care costs, and eradicating the inequality in access to interventional therapies.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- social sciences sociology demography mortality
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine surgery
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology pathophysiology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine cardiology
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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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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.
4 Dublin
Ireland
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.