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H2020Doctoral network2019–2023

INITIATE · INnate-ImmunomeTabolIsm as Antiviral TargEt

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2019-05-01 → 2023-04-30
EU contribution
€4,054,106
Participants
14
Scheme
MSCA-ITN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

INnate-ImmunomeTabolIsm as Antiviral TargEt

As illustrated by the COVID19 pandemic, viral outbreaks and epidemics continue to impose high morbidity and mortality burdens, emphasizing the urgent need for the continuous improvement and innovation of our antiviral strategies. Pivotal for effective anti-viral defences is the innate immune response, a research field now being revolutionized since the recognition that metabolic re-programming during immune cell activation has a major impact on host antiviral and inflammatory response to virus infections. The development of therapeutic strategies targeted to antiviral immunometabolism pathways represents an exciting underexplored research front. Our consortium INITIATE brought together a highly complementary team of world leaders, both academic and corporate, with track records in the historically distinct research fields of virology, innate immunology and metabolism. These partners have combined their strengths to discover novel regulatory mechanisms governing antiviral immunometabolism pathways. The overarching objective of INITIATE was to train a new generation of creative, innovative and entrepreneurial researchers who will be at the forefront of the emerging research field of ‘antiviral immunometabolism’ and will be able to face current and future challenges in viral diseases. The INITIATE training programme empowered its 15 early-stage researchers with appropriate scientific and transferable skills. This was facilitated through related and interdependent research projects, interdisciplinary and intersectoral secondments, supplemented with local and network-wide training activities. Next to scientific training activities, the programme included transferable skill workshops devoted to academia/industry collaboration, entrepreneurship, dissemination and public engagement, as well as maintenance of a successful research environment and future career prospects. Through this training programme, all ESRs obtained or will obtain their PhD. The INITIATE training programme delivered a new generation of researchers who will be highly attractive to European life sciences industry and academia on the exciting unexplored research frontier of antiviral immunometabolism.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Viral outbreaks and epidemics continue to impose high morbidity and mortality burdens in mankind and animals, emphasizing the urgent need for the continuous improvement and innovation of our antiviral strategies. The innate immune system is pivotal for effective anti-viral defences. This field is now being revolutionised by the recognition that metabolic re-programming has a major impact on the host antiviral and inflammatory response to virus infections. The development of strategies targeted to these pathways represents an exciting new frontier for antiviral remedies. To drive this emerging field of antiviral immunometabolism and its application to viral diseases, INITIATE (INnate-ImmunomeTabolIsm as Antiviral TargEt) brings together a highly complementary team of world leaders, both academic and corporate, from the historically distinct research fields of virology, innate immunity and cellular metabolism in order to train a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists. Specifically, INITIATE will deliver training on the interrelationships between viral infection, host metabolism and immune defences through related and interdependent research projects, complemented with interdisciplinary and intersectoral secondments. Local and network-wide scientific workshops will be supplemented with transferrable skill workshops devoted to academia/industry collaboration, research dissemination and translation of knowledge into novel therapeutic interventions, public engagement and a successful research environment. INITIATE will result in a new generation of creative, entrepreneurial and innovative top-level interdisciplinary researchers, who will be at the forefront of the emerging research field of ‘antiviral immunometabolism’. These scientists will be able to face the inevitable future challenges in combating viral and other diseases, and they will be highly attractive to European Life Sciences industry and academia.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • ERASMUS UNIVERSITAIR MEDISCH CENTRUM ROTTERDAM · RotterdamCoordinatorNetherlands
  • ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS LEIDEN · LeidenNetherlands
  • AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES DEUTSCHLAND GMBH · WaldbronnGermany
  • ASTRAZENECA AB · SodertaeljeSweden
  • BIOCRATES LIFE SCIENCES AG · INNSBRUCKAustria
  • CEMM - FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUER MOLEKULARE MEDIZIN GMBH · WienAustria
  • ELSEVIER BV · AmsterdamNetherlands
  • INSTITUTO PASTEUR ITALIA FONDAZIONECENCI BOLOGNETTI · RomaItaly
  • JANSSEN VACCINES & PREVENTION BV · LeidenNetherlands
  • NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU · TrondheimNorway
  • SOVALACC B.V. · AmsterdamNetherlands
  • STIMUNITY SAS · ParisFrance
  • THE PROVOST, FELLOWS, FOUNDATION SCHOLARS & THE OTHER MEMBERS OF BOARD, OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY & UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLIN · DublinIreland
  • UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT · UtrechtNetherlands

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union