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H2020Doctoral network2019–2023

TRAIN-HEART · TRAIN-HEART

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2019-06-01 → 2023-08-31
EU contribution
€3,940,389
Participants
16
Scheme
MSCA-ITN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

TRAIN-HEART

Heart failure (HF) is a widespread and burdensome condition characterized by pathological changes in the myocardium, resulting in pump failure and potential sudden death. Despite its prevalence, our understanding of the disease mechanisms remains limited, leading to a one-size-fits-all approach in HF therapy, which overlooks the various disease subtypes and individual differences. In the Western world, the primary cause of HF is ischemic heart disease, often stemming from conditions like myocardial infarction (MI). To address this, a paradigm shift in HF research is required, focusing on groundbreaking concepts that can pave the way for an entirely new class of therapeutics targeting specific molecules and mechanisms within cardiomyocytes. Advances in cardiovascular biology have ushered in a gene-level approach to cardiac repair, known as gene therapy. Within this framework, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including small ncRNAs (<200 nt, such as microRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs; >200 nt), have emerged as potent regulators of cellular and tissue function at the post-transcriptional level. Notably, alterations in local ncRNA levels have been linked to disruptions in normal cellular processes and the development of conditions like cardiac remodeling and hypertrophy, highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets in HF patients. The TRAIN-HEART program sought to broaden the scope of scientific inquiry and expedite the development of RNA-based therapeutics for the treatment of ischemic heart failure. MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, in particular, play pivotal roles as regulators of cardiac tissue remodeling under chronic cardiac stress. Innovative therapies that target these RNA molecules hold significant promise in addressing the root causes of ischemic heart failure. Currently, aside from heart transplantation, no curative therapy exists for this debilitating disease. However, advancements in chemically modified oligonucleotides and drug delivery strategies are making substantial progress, addressing challenges related to delivery, specificity, and tolerability of RNA therapeutics.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

TRAIN-HEART brings together leading academic teams and (biotech) companies to train the next-generation of innovation-minded researchers who can expand the scientific horizons and accelerate future development of RNA-based therapeuticsfor the treatment of ischemic heart failure. Under chronic cardiac stress, non-coding RNAs, in particular microRNAs and longnon-coding RNAs, act as critical regulators of cardiac tissue remodelling. Innovative therapies targeting these RNAmolecules hold great promise in treating the underlying causes of ischemic heart failure. With the exception of hearttransplantation, there is no curative therapy available for this detrimental disease. Given the challenges related to delivery,specificity and tolerability of RNA therapeutics, developments in chemically modified oligonucleotides and drug deliverystrategies are growing substantially. TRAIN-HEART’s proposition is to train a league of 15 promising fellows that harnessnovel insights in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart failure, study the therapeutic potential of existing RNA therapeutics and improve its efficacy by the design of novel drug delivery systems.TRAIN-HEART provides such training in a European network of top-level academic teams and (biotech) companies activein the fields of cardiovascular biology, functional genomics and drug development. All individual research projectsdemonstrate multidisciplinary content and supervision arrangements, momentous intersectoral exchanges andinternational synergies. These PhD programmes are complemented with the right combination of specialised research- and transferable skills trainings to encourage excellent science, innovation and long-term employability. The TRAIN-HEARTfellows are envisioned to become entrepreneurial researchers who are keen to bring cutting-edge scientific concepts in RNAtherapeutics to the clinic.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • UNIVERSITEIT MAASTRICHT · MaastrichtCoordinatorNetherlands
  • ACCELERO BIOANALYTICS GMBH · BerlinGermany
  • DESCIN BV · VinkeveenNetherlands
  • DINABIOS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH · HAMBURGGermany
  • HARTERAAD · S-GravenhageNetherlands
  • HUMANITAS MIRASOLE SPA · Rozzano (Mi)Italy
  • KANEKA EUROGENTEC · SeraingBelgium
  • KING'S COLLEGE LONDON · LondonUnited Kingdom
  • MEDIZINISCHE HOCHSCHULE HANNOVER · HannoverGermany
  • MILTENYI BIOTEC GMBH · Bergish GladbachGermany
  • MIRABILIS THERAPEUTICS BV · MaastrichtNetherlands
  • SOCIETE EUROPEENNE DE CARDIOLOGIE · BIOTFrance
  • TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN · MuenchenGermany
  • UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO · PortoPortugal
  • UNIVERSITAETSKLINIKUM HAMBURG-EPPENDORF · HamburgGermany
  • UNIVERSITE LYON 1 CLAUDE BERNARD · Villeurbanne CedexFrance

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union