FNR 2025 CORE Call results

Five projects involving the LIH selected for funding

• Funding
• Department of Cancer Research
• Department of Infection and Immunity
• Department of Precision Health
• Cancer Metabolism Group
• Immuno-Pharmacology and Interactomics
• Proteomics of Cellular Signaling
• Ageing, Cancer, and Disparities Research Unit – ACADI

The Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) announced the final results of its 2025 CORE Call. A total of 44 projects were retained for funding, corresponding to an FNR financial commitment of EUR 28.5 million. Five projects led by or involving LIH were confirmed for funding across multiple areas.

CORE is the central funding programme of the FNR, aiming to strengthen the scientific quality of Luxembourg’s public research and implement the country’s research priorities. The five LIH projects selected for funding address a range of pressing unmet clinical needs, from cancer and Parkinson’s disease to pain management and public health.

Of the five funded projects, two are led by LIH, namely:

• KillER (Understanding and exploiting hard-wired metabolic dependencies of cancer cells during ER stress): led by Dr Johannes Meiser, Director of the LIH Department of Cancer Research (DoCR), the project of the Cancer Metabolism research group aims to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy by targeting metabolic vulnerabilities in cancer cells. While chemotherapy remains a key treatment for many cancers, its success is often limited by severe side effects and resistance mechanisms. Cancer cells rely on distinct metabolic adaptations to survive stressful conditions such as poor oxygen supply and treatment-induced cellular stress. Building on previous research, the team has identified a specific metabolic intervention that can interfere with cancer cells’ ability to cope with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a condition frequently triggered by chemotherapy. The project will investigate the molecular mechanisms behind this impaired stress response and assess whether the intervention can enhance chemotherapy outcomes. Given its low toxicity, this approach has the potential to improve cancer treatment while minimizing harm to healthy cells. The project was granted EUR 776,000 under the FNR CORE programme. It is carried out in partnership with the GIGA Institute of the University of Liège.
  
• ACKROS (Atypical Chemokine Receptors in the Regulation of the Opioid System and Pain Signaling): led by Drs Andy Chevigné and Martyna Szpakowska of the Immuno-Pharmacology and Interactomics group of the LIH Department of Infection and Immunity (DII), this international research project brings together scientists from the LIH and the Universities of Sherbrooke and Montreal to investigate the role of the membrane receptor ACKR3 in pain regulation. Recent LIH findings suggest that ACKR3 limits the action of the body’s natural pain-relief molecules by capturing opioid peptides before they reach their targets, raising the possibility that blocking this receptor could enhance endogenous pain control. By elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying ACKR3’s function in pain pathways, the project aims to support the development of safer, non-opioid approaches to pain treatment. The project was granted EUR 377,000 under the FNR CORE programme.

In addition, LIH is a partner in the following three projects funded through the CORE programme:

• RiboPD (The role of ribosome speed control in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease): Prof Dr Gunnar Dittmar, leader of the Proteomics of Cellular Signaling group at LIH, will contribute to this project led by the University of Luxembourg. It aims to investigate how alterations in the speed of protein synthesis contribute to protein misfolding and neuronal dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease (PD). By analysing pathological changes in translation speed in PD neurons and their impact on protein folding and solubility, the project will combine biochemical data on translation regulators with patient-derived data to identify genetic variants that disrupt protein homeostasis. The findings will be used to screen for drugs that modulate translation speed in order to restore proper protein folding and promote neuronal survival, offering a new conceptual framework for PD pathology and a potential new class of therapeutic targets. The project received a total funding of almost EUR 893,000 under the CORE call.
  
• INDA (Integrative Multiscale Neurodegenerative Disease Analysis): Prof Dr Dittmar and his team will also be participating in INDA, a project led by the University of Luxembourg in collaboration with the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine. The study aims to understand why certain brain cells are vulnerable while others remain resilient in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Using human brain cells derived from patient stem cells, the project combines targeted manipulation of cellular processes, such as calcium signalling and gene activity, with advanced imaging, molecular profiling, and data analysis, with a particular focus on mitochondrial function. By integrating laboratory findings with patient data, INDA seeks to identify disease-relevant markers and mechanisms that could support earlier diagnosis and the development of more precise therapeutic strategies. The project was awarded over EUR 1.1 million under the FNR CORE call.
  
• ProMulti (Parents, Educators and Healthcare Professionals promoting Multilingualism): Dr Sophie Pilleron from the Ageing, Cancer and Disparities Research Unit of the LIH Department of Precision Health (DoPH) will contribute to ProMulti, a project led by the University of Luxembourg exploring how parents, educators, and healthcare professionals can best support multilingual development in children, particularly those from migration backgrounds. The team will investigate the beliefs, advice, and practices of families and professionals through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observations, examining how these factors influence children’s language learning, wellbeing, and future opportunities. The findings will inform evidence-based resources for parents, training materials for professionals, and strategies to foster collaboration between families and the education and healthcare sectors, helping to reduce inequalities in language development and educational outcomes. The study received over EUR 500,000 in funding.

“We are extremely grateful to the FNR for renewing their commitment to our research, as well as to our partners for supporting our joint efforts in the context of the awarded projects”, states Dr Frank Glod, Deputy CEO at LIH. “The funded studies all address clear clinical needs and societal challenges, and are expected to provide concrete insights into some of the most pressing diseases, paving the way for new treatment and diagnostic approaches.”

The complete list of projects funded by the 2025 FNR CORE call can be found here.