EU invests in a research with Brazil to fight inflammatory disorders, the IRB is one of the grantees

Takes place today in Bruxelles the kick-off meeting of the collaborative research programme – Targeting novel mechanisms of resolution in inflammation (TIMER) – which will accelerate the development of novel and powerful strategies to fight inflammation. TIMER is co-funded with €3M by the European Commission to establish robust collaboration with Brazil in the strategic area of inflammatory disorders with a high socio-economic impact. Scientists from 9 research partners in 4 European countries and 3 research partners in Brazil will collaborate in this new programme.

The IRB will participate with the group of Dr. Uguccioni that will study the expression and activity of key molecules (such as chemokines, cytokines and their receptors) which orchestrate the cell migration at inflammatory sites in pathological conditions such Inflammatory Bowel Diseases or Rheumatoid Arthritis.

 “This is a unique opportunity for European scientists to strengthen ties with Brazilian colleagues addressing central issues related to inflammation, of broad potential in immune-based pathologies. The project will capitalize on productive interactions. The availability of natural resources, models of diseases, original paradigms and molecular approaches will be conducive to synergistic interactions” says Alberto Mantovani, coordinator of TIMER and director of the Istituto Clinico Humanitas which is based in Milan / Italy.

TIMER comprises a team of competitive European universities and research institutions next to top Brazilian groups. The project is reinforced by the presence of a pharmaceutical company and an SME for promoting translational research.

From basic research to public health
This research programme covers a wide range of crucial aspects leading to resolution of inflammation; from discovery of novel natural compounds and basic research to clinical trials. The project will therefore lead to: improved collaboration with Brazilian scientists which have the privilege to have access to natural compounds acting on receptors which modulate inflammation, translation to the clinic available information and new data generated in the TIMER pipeline, and widespread knowledge on such an important theme for public health.

Details of TIMER project

Start date: 01/01/2012
End date: 31/12/2015
Project cost: €4 million
EU contribution: €3 million
Coordinator: Alberto Mantovani, Fondazione Humanitas per la Ricerca, Rozzano (Milano) – Italy
email: [email protected]
 

Participants
Fondazione Humanitas per la Ricerca, Italy
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
Universidade of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Brazil
Fondazione per l’Istituto di Ricerca in Biomedicina, Switzerland
University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Telormedix SA, Switzerland
The Provost Fellows & Scholars of the Holy and Undivided
Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, Ireland
Merck Serono SA, Switzerland
ALTA Ricerca e Sviluppo in Biotecnologie S.r.l.u., Italy