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H2020Staff exchange2016–2020

Muscle stress relief · An integrated research program linking together basic research on secondary myopathies in stress states to innovative translation in applied myology.

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2016-03-01 → 2020-02-29
EU contribution
€1,458,000
Participants
21
Scheme
MSCA-RISE

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Muscle Stress Relief: An integrated research program linking together basic research on secondary myopathies in stress states to innovative translation in applied myology.

Secondary muscle pathologies induced by chronic stress or diseases in other organ systems are becoming endemic in Europe and the rest of the world. A variety of stress signals put striated muscles at risk by impairing their quality and contractile function. Understanding the underlying mechanisms and early recognition of such processes is clinically important because once in place, muscle inactivity many further aggravate the muscle quality in an ongoing vicious cycle of inactivity and muscle wasting. Such pathological events increase the occurrence of metabolic disease and of falls, resulting in high socioeconomic costs and reduced quality of life for millions of sufferers. MUSCLE STRESS RELIEF aims to improve understanding on how disease mechanisms impact on muscle quality (quantity and functionality), to develop innovation in detection methods for the early diagnosis & efficacious monitoring of muscle stress, and to set the basis towards making them commercially available. The diagnostic approaches and expertise generated by MUSCLE STRESS RELIEF will also provide possibilities to monitor therapeutic strategies, i.e. how muscle can be relieved from stress activation. An additional aim of MUSCLE STRESS RELIEF is to train the next generation of early-stage researchers (ESRs) as well as help experienced researchers (ERs) to update their skills and forge relationships with innovation actors. Together, the nine academic and five SME beneficiaries, with the four TC academic partners run an integrated intersectoral & international research program, tailored to achieve capacity building and innovation in the field of muscle research and development.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

A diverse variety of medical or lifestyle conditions lead to a progressive loss of muscle force by functionally impairing myofibril contractility and causing ultimately myofibril loss. Major underlying risk factors of chronic muscle force loss are ageing, inactive lifestyles, and unbalanced nutrition. Together, these factors are predicted to lead to an endemic incidence of muscle weakness both in the developed countries. Clinical research on the mechanisms involved requires a multidisciplinary approach covering aspects of ageing, metabolism, and on the humoral cross-talk of muscle with other key organs including heart, liver, kidney, and lung. To achieve this, six European groups with complementary expertise in inter-organ-cross-talk during stress-induced secondary myopathies will team-up with three leading teams in the U.S. with expertise in myopathy animal models, myofilament proteins and translation of muscle research into therapeutic interventions, and with one team from South Africa with cutting-edge expertise in the regulation of regenerative capacities in muscle. Importantly, five SMEs will participate in this RISE network that provide expertise in early muscle disease detection, monitoring, and the developing preventive strategies: Their knowledge on muscle disease detection at early stages and their monitoring during interventions will promote translational innovation. To implement innovation and our joint research program, both early stage and advanced researchers will be seconded from the academic nine teams to these five SMEs and vice versa. Thereby, this RISE scheme will establish a long-term collaborative University-SME driven translational innovative research program innovation in our interdisciplinary field of growing socioeconomic medical importance.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • PANEPISTIMIO THESSALIAS · VOLOSCoordinatorGreece
  • ASSOCIATION GENETHON · EvryFrance
  • CHRISTOS PAPADOPOULOS & SIA OE · KARDITSAGreece
  • DLD GESELLSCHAFT FUR DIAGNOSTIKA UND MEDIZINISCHE GERATE MBH · HAMBURGGermany
  • EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY · HeidelbergGermany
  • FONDAZIONE PER LA RICERCA BIOMEDICA AVANZATA ETS · PadovaItaly
  • IMMUNDIAGNOSTIK AG · BensheimGermany
  • KNIGHT SCIENTIFIC LIMITED · Plymouth DevonUnited Kingdom
  • MYOMEDIX GMBH · NECKARGEMUENDGermany
  • RUPRECHT-KARLS-UNIVERSITAET HEIDELBERG · HeidelbergGermany
  • STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY · StellenboschSouth Africa
  • STICHTING AMSTERDAM UMC · AmsterdamNetherlands
  • STICHTING VU · AmsterdamNetherlands
  • THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA · OaklandUnited States
  • THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL · LIVERPOOLUnited Kingdom
  • TZARTOS - DIAGNOSIS & RESEARCH IN NEUROIMMUNOLOGY MEDICAL LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY · AthensGreece
  • UNIVERSITAT KONSTANZ · KonstanzGermany
  • UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · GainesvilleUnited States
  • UNIVERSITY OF ST MARK & ST JOHN · PLYMOUTHUnited Kingdom
  • University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix · GilbertUnited States
  • ZENTRALINSTITUT FUER SEELISCHE GESUNDHEIT · MannheimGermany

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union