Project description
Role of enteric neurons in inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a debilitating condition affecting millions worldwide; yet up to 40 % of patients gain no benefit from existing anti-inflammatory treatments, largely because the biological drivers of persistent gut inflammation remain a mystery. Enteric neurons may be the answer. They form a dense network of cells lining the gut that sense and respond to nutrients, microbial metabolic products and inflammatory signals. They also communicate with immune cells to regulate inflammation, tissue homeostasis and antimicrobial immunity. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the UNTANGLED project aims to determine whether and how these neurons change during IBD, potentially worsening inflammation. Combining cutting-edge molecular biology, genomic and microfluidic technologies at leading institutions in the USA and the Netherlands, the first-ever characterisation of the role of enteric neurons in IBD could open new avenues for treatment.
Objective
Up to 40% of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) do not respond to standard of care treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs. Unfortunately, the mechanisms driving persistent inflammation are unknown, resulting in a lack of specific therapies and an important burden for patients and society. Enteric neurons are highly specialized cells that sense and respond to nutrients, microbial products and inflammatory signals and densely innervate the gut. Besides regulating gastrointestinal motility, emerging studies indicate that crosstalk between enteric neurons and immune cells regulates inflammation, tissue homeostasis and antimicrobial immunity. However, this has not been investigated in the context of IBD. I hypothesize that enteric neurons become rewired during IBD and acquire an inflammatory signature that amplifies inflammation. Recent technological advancements will allow the investigation of enteric neurons via the use of cutting-edge tools in microfluidic droplet generation, molecular biology and functional genomics. We will leverage the Xavier lab’s expertise in the field of the enteric nervous system at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard during the outgoing phase, the expertise of Dr. D’Haens in IBD during the return phase at the Amsterdam University Medical Center and my expertise in pre-clinical IBD models in vitro and in vivo to characterize the role of enteric neurons in IBD for the first time and find potential treatment targets.
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 neurobiology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine gastroenterology inflammatory bowel disease
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
- natural sciences biological sciences molecular biology
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
1081 HV Amsterdam
Netherlands
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.