Objective
Chemotherapy remains one of the most common treatment modalities for cancer. It is typically administered in cycles of bolus injections following 21 days of drug-free break periods. However, tumor regrowth between drug intervals is often observed, due in part, to rebound angiogenesis. Our previous studies demonstrated that bone marrow derived proangiogenic cells are acutely mobilized following certain chemotherapy treatments, accompanied by enhanced tumor angiogenesis, which can be blocked by prior treatment with antiangiogenic drugs. These findings indicate that unknown host-derived mechanisms induced by chemotherapy, can stimulate tumor growth. Since the efficacy of antiangiogenic drugs is dependent on several parameters such as tumor type, stage, and the type of chemotherapy, such a therapy is not beneficial for all patients, and thus, necessitates the identification of surrogate biomarkers to predict clinical outcome. To address this issue, we will integrate basic, translational, and clinical approaches to:
(i) identify molecular and cellular host systemic responses following treatments;
(ii) isolate novel factors by proteomic approaches which are altered during the course of the treatment, and evaluate their feasibility as biomarkers to predict clinical outcome;
(iii) determine the relevance of these factors in clinical specimens;
(iv) screen for therapeutic compounds which can block host responses mediating tumor growth in order to increase treatment efficacy.
We believe that this strategy of combined approach will lead to the development of new tools in clinical oncology. Profiling individual host response to anti-cancer drug treatment may serve as a biomarker for treatment outcome and further promote the concept of personalised medicine in cancer therapy.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
ERC-2010-StG_20091118
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Funding Scheme
ERC-SG - ERC Starting GrantHost institution
32000 Haifa
Israel