Objective
The development of safer and more effective medicines is constrained by the late detection of drug-induced toxicity, one of the principal causes of attrition during drug development and a major contributor to escalating costs. Existing screening strategies are primarily designed to identify target engagement, whereas toxic liabilities frequently become apparent only during advanced preclinical studies or clinical trials, resulting in costly failures and significant delays in bringing new therapies to patients.
This ERC Proof-of-Concept project capitalises on discoveries arising from the ERC Consolidator Grant Form and Function of the Mitochondrial Retrograde Response (FIRM, ERC-2018-COG-819600), which identified mitochondrial pathway 18 (MP-18), a previously unrecognised and highly conserved stress-response pathway that is rapidly activated following cellular injury.
Importantly, MP-18 is triggered at an early stage of mitochondrial dysfunction, preceding conventional indicators of cellular toxicity. We will translate this discovery into a first-in-class live-cell toxicity detection platform by engineering mammalian reporter cell lines that generate a dual-colour fluorescent readout upon MP-18 activation. This ratiometric system enables real-time quantification of cellular stress while simultaneously measuring compound efficacy and toxicity within a single assay. Unlike existing approaches, the platform eliminates the need for endpoint measurements, pathogen manipulation, or separate toxicity assays, making it inherently scalable and readily compatible with high-throughput drug screening.
The project will deliver a validated MP-18 reporter assay prototype positioned for integration into pharmaceutical discovery pipelines, supported by a robust intellectual property strategy and a clear route to commercialisation. By enabling the earlier and more reliable identification of toxic compounds, this technology has the potential to reduce attrition, lower development costs, substantially reduce reliance on animal testing in line with the 3Rs principles, and accelerate the development of safer and more effective medicines.
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.
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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.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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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) ERC-2026-POC
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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.
E1 4NS LONDON
United Kingdom
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.