Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Micro-Fat Tissue on Chip

Objective

Human fat tissue has evolved to serve as a major energy reserve. An imbalance between energy intake and expenditure leads to an expansion of adipose tissue. Maintenance of this energy imbalance over longer times leads to obesity and metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, for which clinical cures are not yet available. Adipocytes are the main cell type within the adipose tissue and can be divided into white, beige, and brown subtypes. White adipocytes store and mobilize energy, whereas beige and brown adipocytes store and burn energy during cold exposure to generate heat. An attractive strategy to restore the energy imbalance and treat obesity is to activate or increase the number of beige adipocytes in white adipose tissue. The main research obstacles affecting our ability to induce beige adipocytes is our lack oflaboratory test systems recapitulating the microenvironmental conditions of the adipose tissue. Therefore, this research project aims to develop adipose tissue models outside organisms in sizes of micrometers for studying the differentiation of human inducible pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into mature adipocytes. For assembly of the micro-fat tissues, we combine microfluidic and bioprinting technologies. In particular, the integration of micro-fat tissue on microfluidic chip platforms will be exploited to dynamically control the chemical, cell architectural, and mechanical microenvironment of hiPSCs incorporated in the micro-fat tissue. With novel single-cell-resolution in situ detection systems, we will aim to reveal, which microenvironmental stem cell niche factors are required to differentiate hiPSCs into metabolically active beige adipocytes. The acquired experimental data will help to mechanistically understand the role of natural stem cell niches, determine how to simulate them under laboratory conditions and finally provide patient-specific, clinically relevant information for developing new cell-based treatments for obesity.

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.

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)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

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.

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.

ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant

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.

(opens in new window) ERC-2017-COG

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

HELMHOLTZ ZENTRUM MUENCHEN DEUTSCHES FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUER GESUNDHEIT UND UMWELT GMBH
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 1 775 000,00
Address
INGOLSTADTER LANDSTRASSE 1
85764 Neuherberg
Germany

See on map

Region
Bayern Oberbayern München, Landkreis
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

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.

€ 1 775 000,00

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0