Objective
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a lethal inherited neurodegenerative disorder which currently has no cure. Patients develop a devastating loss of muscle control and brain function, with symptoms typically developing at 35 - 45 years of age, although they can start much earlier. Suffering is high for both patients and carers, with death generally occurring within 10 - 15 years of diagnosis. We are working on a novel, curative gene therapy approach based on reducing the levels of the HTT disease gene products, while maintaining the levels of the normal protein. It is based on the delivery of proprietary zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) to the brain. Efficient delivery is accomplished through the use of viral vectors that carry the sequences coding for our ZFPs. Such ZFPs are artificially engineered proteins that specifically bind the defective expanded HTT DNA sequences (but not the normal HTT sequences or other, unrelated sequences). Binding represses the synthesis of the toxic gene products. We have published data demonstrating efficient mutant HTT repression in mouse (Garriga-Canut, M., et al. & Isalan M. Synthetic zinc finger repressors reduce mutant Huntingtin expression in the brain of R6/2 mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109: E3136-E3145, 2012). We now need to improve the viral vectors for the long term expression of our ZFPs in the mouse brain, as the basis for a single-intervention, long-term therapy in humans (technical improvements). In parallel, we need to maintain the patent applications that protect the technology through various national and regional phases, and protect new developments that may arise (intellectual property), while engaging the necessary IPR and market studies/activities that help us find an industry partner that licenses our technology and moves it forward into the clinic (exploitation). This proof of concept grant is critical in all three aspects.
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 medical biotechnology genetic engineering gene therapy
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry transition metals
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
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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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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - 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.
ERC-POC - Proof of Concept Grant
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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-2014-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.
SW7 2AZ 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.