B-cell related gene and protein markers with prognostic and therapeutic value for cvd
Breakthrough approach to discover new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis
Vision & Mission
Advance the understanding of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and the clinical management of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) thus enabling stratification of persons at risk based on prognostic biomarkers, and development of tailor-made anti-atherosclerosis therapeutics with the long-term impact of preventative treatments of atherosclerosis.
Consortium
Problem to be solved
CVDs are responsible for 45% of deaths in Europe and are a leading global cause of morbidity and mortality. The primary cause of CVD is atherosclerosis, which is often left undetected and there are only a few biomarkers that can indicate the risk of major acute cardiovascular events. Current treatments rely on managing risk factors rather than treating CVD. Early detection and treatment of unstable atherosclerosis is crucial in preventing major acute cardiovascular events.
Proposed Solution
Findings from the B-specific consortium suggest that atherosclerosis should be considered as an autoimmune disease, which opens new possibilities for identifying biomarkers and therapeutic targets that were previously overlooked. We aim to classify and mitigate the risk of CVD by generating new types of genetic data and defining novel prognostic and therapeutic targets, based on the recent discovery of a specific subset of autoreactive B-cells (ABCs) and use Chimeric Autoantigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell technology to selectively eliminate the pathogenic ABCs from the circulation.
Starting
1st of October 2023
Duration
48 Months
Partners
6
Countries
5
Work packages
7
Funding
4.006.599,85 €
