Project: Generation of Improved cellular and animal Models for identification of disease phenotype and new therapeutic targets of Alzheimer’s Disease
| Acronym | MADGIC (Reference Number: 83) |
| Duration | 01/01/2016 - 31/12/2018 |
| Project Topic | Project Aim and Work Plan The overarching aim is to generate new advanced human cellular models allowing for the purification and identification of specific neural cell types involved in Alzheimer’s disease, which will be used to generate robust readouts beyond those currently existing. The generation of homogenous cultures of patient neural cells generated through reprogramming technologies, grown alone or in mixed 3D cultures, will be used to address disease relevant phenotypes both in vitro, and in vivo after transplantation into wild-type and AD mouse models (= new advanced experimental models). Relevance for the aims of the call Such approaches will allow accurate deciphering of the phenotypic heterogeneity of cell dysfunction and death processes in neurons and glia, whether these pathogenic mechanisms rely on cell-autonomous effects and/or propagation of pathogenic proteins, and the contribution of neuroinflammation by glial cells as determinants of disease progression. We will substantiate our approaches through the implementation of relevant stressors known to contribute to AD pathogenesis, considering the relationships between risk and protective factors (such as aging, ischemic insults, inflammation, oxidative stress) and genetic determinants. The usefulness of our approach will be validated across centers by monitoring disease phenotypes and progression, using these novel biological systems and innovative imaging techniques such as advance microscopy techniques, including MRI. Our clinically translational approaches will help to identify relevant disease phenotypes for the development of biomarkers for early diagnosis and for patient stratification and their recruitment in future clinical trials. Our discoveries will also allow identification of specific molecular targets for better design of drugs and application of personalized treatments to people suffering from AD. |
| Network | JPco-fuND |
| Call | Neurodegenerative diseases: risk and protective factors, longitudinal cohort approaches and advanced experimental models |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Eastern Finland /Itä-Suomen yliopisto | Coordinator | Finland |
| 2 | Lund Universitet/Lund University | Partner | Sweden |
| 3 | Lund Universitet/Lund University | Partner | Sweden |
| 4 | Université de Toulouse/University of Toulouse | Partner | France |
| 5 | Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa/ FFULisboa | Partner | Portugal |
| 6 | Universitätsklinikum Bonn/ University Hospital of Bonn/ Univerity of Bonn | Partner | Germany |
| 7 | Julius-Maximilians Universitaet Wuerzburg/ Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg | Partner | Austria |
| 8 | University of Eastern Finland /Itä-Suomen yliopisto | Partner | Finland |