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The discovery of the genes causing cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) initially heralded a fruitful search for etiopathogenic molecular pathways in this rare cerebrovascular disease. Recent studies have identified the relevance of CCM proteins for much more common vascular biology and pathologies.
Although anti-inflammatory drugs have shown promising results in preclinical cardiovascular research, they have yielded little benefit in clinical trials. Before we can expect positive outcomes, we need to find ways of stratifying patients based on their infectious, inflammatory and autoimmune profile, and identify the right time of treatment.
The European Research Council (ERC) provides opportunities each year for researchers to apply for various grant programs to fund their research. One of these grant categories is the ERC Starting Grant, which is specifically designed for early-career scientists who are prepared to work independently. This grant is open to researchers from any field and any nationality provided that they have 2–7 years of experience since completing their PhD and are conducting their research at public or private research organizations in EU member states or associated countries. The competition for this prestigious funding opportunity is fierce, but successful projects can receive up to €1.5 million for a period of 5 years.