Project description
Studying endometrial dysfunction in polycystic ovary syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age associated with irregular periods, excess male hormones and ovaries with small cysts. Ovulation in PCOS is often irregular and the womb lining is less responsive to progesterone. This reduces embryo implantation and increases miscarriage risk, leading to fertility issues. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the POTRET project will map how endometrial cells change during the menstrual cycle in women with PCOS. Researchers will develop patient-derived 3D models to study cell-to-cell communication and test new therapeutic targets. The project aims to improve diagnosis and future treatments of PCOS.
Objective
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 11-13% of reproductive-age women and is one of the leading causes of anovulatory infertility. Women with PCOS have elevated androgen levels, polycystic ovarian morphology, and ovarian dysfunction. The PCOS endometrium is exposed to constant estrogen, which leads to progesterone resistance and impaired decidualization. As a result, PCOS women are twice as likely to have a non-receptive endometrium. This hinders embryo implantation and increases the risk of pregnancy complications, such as miscarriage. However, whether changes in the cellular complexity and heterogeneity of the endometrium during the menstrual cycle contribute to PCOS-specific endometrial dysfunction remains unclear.
The overarching aim of this MSCA-PF project is to uncover PCOS and cell type-specific endometrial dysfunction across the menstrual cycle at the single cell level and to test whether the identified markers can serve as targets for future drug development. Using a unique collection of human endometrial biopsies from women with and without PCOS and single nuclei RNA sequencing, I will (1) map the endometrium at the single-cell level at four different menstrual stages, define the composition of cell types and key molecular regulatory networks; (2) establish and characterize 3D mono- and co-culture models of patients endometrium and investigate their ability to mimic tissue of origin; and (3) determine factors that facilitate PCOS-specific epithelial-stroma communication and endometrial response to novel drug treatments.
By accomplishing these goals and sharing the transcriptomic data as a PCOS endometrial cell atlas and protocols for patient-derived cell models, the proposed project will provide valuable resources for new discoveries. Ultimately, the project aims to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of endometrial dysfunction in PCOS. Further, it provides me with a strong training path towards academic independence in Europe.
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 clinical medicine obstetrics
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine embryology
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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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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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.
171 77 STOCKHOLM
Sweden
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