RADICAL PHARMACOLOGY

"Free Radical Pharmacology: Generators, Targets and Therapeutic Implications"

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Personalised Medicine is the next revolution in medicine. It is anticipated that we will see a dramatic shift towards predictive diagnostics and mechanism-based, individualised therapies. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of death and disability and in Europe cause over 4.3 million deaths (48%) per annum. Since the mechanisms of CVD are not understood, the majority of current therapeutic approaches are symptom-orientated and imprecise. Therefore, we need innovative strategies to develop mechanism-based drugs, i.e. drugs, which target the cause of disease. A prerequisite for this is a detailed knowledge on the causes of CVD. One such highly promising mechanism of CVD is oxidative stress, i.e. the increased occurrence of oxygen radicals, an area of utmost medical significance but where so far all clinical trials using antioxidant treatment have failed. Here three major aims are proposed: to identify targetable sources of radical signals that are relevant for CVD, to establish strategies for reversing the molecular damage caused by oxidative stress, and to develop new markers for diagnosis of CVD in humans and mechanism-based treatments. Thereby, a conceptual shift in treating oxidative stress will be achieved. In the long-term, this research will provide measurable outcomes in improved health, new products, and economic benefits by lowering the public health burden and facilitate the growth of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in Europe. This will result in a net decrease of health burden and will ensure sustainability of the healthcare system. This fellowship will also help to further attract leading international researchers to Europe to support the internationalisation of the European health and medical research, and to enhance EU’s reputation as place of excellence in biomedical research and translation.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Researchers have identified potential molecular targets for the treatment of stroke, as well as diabetes-related kidney, artery and retina damage.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The findings have emerged from an ongoing EU-funded research project known as ?Free radical pharmacology: Generators, targets and therapeutic implications? (RADICAL PHARMACOLOGY). The main aim of the study is to develop personalised, targeted therapies against oxidative damage, a potential mechanism of cardiovascular disease.

Oxidative damage is caused by the presence of free radicals, which are generated by enzymes known as NADPH oxidases (NOXs). The research team identified two of these enzymes, NOX4 and NOX1, as novel, mechanism-based targets for ischaemic stroke and diabetic-related complications, respectively.

Further work will focus on developing antibodies against the NOX enzymes, as well as novel animal models to validate the targets. The models will also aid in finding new biomarkers for the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease in humans.

In terms of capacity building in this research field, RADICAL PHARMACOLOGY has allowed for the establishment of a dedicated laboratory at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Networking with leading European scientists in the field has also been successful and several large companies have been drawn into collaborations.

Broadly speaking, this research will help Europe meet the challenge of caring for a growing aged population. It should also help to stimulate biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.