INFLANET — Training European Experts in Inflammation: from the molecular players to animal models and the bedside

Results in brief

Training European Experts in Inflammation: from the molecular players to animal models and the bedside

The high prevalence of chronic inflammatory diseases has major impacts on life quality and healthcare costs in western societies. Accelerating the pace of anti-inflammatory drug discovery is a formidable challenge. This requires a comprehensive understanding of inflammatory processes, allowing us to link the underlying genetic, molecular and cellular events to the physiological processes in inflamed tissues. The goal of INFLANET is to: (1) Understand how inflammatory signals are detected, integrated and propagated in an organism. (2) Elucidate the genetic bases of inflammatory disorders and inform therapeutic strategies. (3) Use cutting-edge intravital imaging strategies in animal models to study inflammatory processes, and anti-inflammatory drugs actions. (4) Develop original mathematical modelling tools to analyse the wealth of data generated, to inform disease model development, and to provide tools for physicians to understand the pathological basis of inflammatory disorders. An enthusiastic group of fifteen Marie Curie Research Fellows have been recruited between 2021 and 2023. During the 51 months of the project from 2021 to 2025, they have been trained through research, PhD enrolment in their respective institutions and via 5 central network-wide training events with physical presence and digital conferences. They addressed critical issues related to inflammation by developing complex models, identifying novel anti-inflammatory drugs and therapeutic targets, and effectively communicating their findings to a broad audience.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

INFLANET, with full support from academia and industry, will train 15 future scientific experts of inflammation through a combination of individual research projects, collaborative efforts, and interdisciplinary and intersectoral training. The prevalence of chronic inflammatory diseases in western societies is 5-7%, having a major impact on quality of life and healthcare costs. Accelerating the pace of anti-inflammatory drug discovery and deepening insights into drug actions poses a formidable challenge. This requires a comprehensive understanding of inflammatory processes, allowing us to link the underlying genetic, molecular and cellular events to the physiological processes in inflamed tissues. The ultimate goal of INFLANET is to provide innovative solutions for key bottlenecks in the inflammation field. To this end, we aim to:(1) Understand how inflammatory signals are detected, integrated by inflammasome platforms, and propagated into tissues (2) Take omics approaches to elucidate the genetic bases of inflammatory disorders and inform therapeutic strategies(3) Use cutting-edge intravital imaging strategies in animal models to study molecular and cellular mechanisms of inflammatory processes, and anti-inflammatory drugs actions(4) Develop original mathematical modelling tools to analyse the wealth of data generated, to inform disease model development, and to provide tools for physicians to understand the pathological basis of inflammatory disordersOur unique training approach will unite scientists from very different fields of biology, including structural biologists, bioimagers, immunologists, and geneticists, with mathematicians, programmers and modellers. Moreover, our intersectoral training will foster business thinking and entrepreneurship. Together, INFLANET will deliver a complete curriculum for the next generation inflammation scientists, mastering phenomenological understanding, medical imaging, high content screening and therapeutic strategies.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

UNIVERSITE DE MONTPELLIER · MontpellierCoordinatorFrance
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS · ParisFrance
EOTVOS LORAND TUDOMANYEGYETEM · BudapestHungary
INSTITUT PASTEUR · ParisFrance
LUXENDO GMBH · HEIDELBERGGermany
SLOVENSKA TECHNICKA UNIVERZITA V BRATISLAVE · BratislavaSlovakia
STICHTING RADBOUD UNIVERSITAIR MEDISCH CENTRUM · NijmegenNetherlands
STICHTING RADBOUD UNIVERSITEIT · NijmegenNetherlands
TATRAMED SOFTWARE SRO · BratislavaSlovakia
THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH · EdinburghUnited Kingdom
THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD · SHEFFIELDUnited Kingdom
UNIVERSIDAD DE MURCIA · MurciaSpain
UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN · LeidenNetherlands

INFLANET · Training European Experts in Inflammation: from the molecular players to animal models and the bedside

Results in brief

Training European Experts in Inflammation: from the molecular players to animal models and the bedside

Project objective

Participants

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