Project description DEENESFRITPL An engineered niche for the education of anti-tumour T cells Over the years, a number of immunotherapy approaches have been developed to treat cancer, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and engineered T cells. Despite their excellent efficacy against haematological malignancies, their therapeutic impact on solid tumours has proved limited. The working hypothesis of the EU-funded INCITE project is that the clinical failure of immunotherapy is based on the fact that we do not educate the right type of anti-tumour T cells. Therefore, INCITE scientists will engineer a functional immune niche for the selection and expansion of tumour-rejecting T cells. Generating the fittest anti-tumour T cells for adoptive therapy will significantly improve cancer treatment. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Cancer is rapidly becoming the most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in the EU, accounting for a quarter of all deaths in EU. Without breakthroughs in treatment, cancer is likely to remain one of the biggest killers in the 21st century. Immunotherapy of cancer by checkpoint inhibitors, vaccines or adoptive T cell therapy is coming of age and has the potential to cure cancer, but is still hampered by some major limitations. For instance, Adoptive Cell Therapy (ACT) with unmanipulated or engineered T cells (TCR-transgenic and CAR-T cells) has indeed demonstrated success in the treatment of patients affected by leukemias, but is much less effective against lymphomas and solid tumors. One likely explanation is that we do not educate the right type of anti-tumor T cells. The T cells considered to be the gold standard for tumor therapy have stem cell memory features, but the proper and safe way to generate these fit T cells for clinical purposes is still an unresolved matter. Here we propose an advanced transformative technology termed INCITE, utilizing a novel high-resolution 3D microfabrication technology to engineer a specially tailored microenvironment that will be inhabited by cells central for T cells education in order to generate the fittest anti-tumor T cells for advanced adoptive T cell therapy. INCITE will bring together a transdisciplinary consortium capable of developing this innovative platform by combining state-of-the-art 3D printing, computer modeling, bioengineering, bioinformatics, immunology, developmental and cancer biology approaches, toward the development of a functional immune niche for selection and expansion of tumor-rejecting T cells. The INCITE platform will revolutionize the treatment of cancer patients with ACT, with a profound impact on the quality of life and well-being of millions of people. Fields of science medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologycells technologiesstem cellsmedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsvaccinesmedical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologyimmunotherapyengineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringadditive manufacturingmedical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologyleukemia Keywords Cancer Immunotherapy 3D printing Microfluidics Adoptive cell therapy T cells. Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.2. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Main Programme H2020-EU.1.2.1. - FET Open Topic(s) FETOPEN-01-2018-2019-2020 - FET-Open Challenging Current Thinking Call for proposal H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2020 See other projects for this call Sub call H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01 Funding Scheme RIA - Research and Innovation action Coordinator NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU Net EU contribution € 710 000,00 Address HOGSKOLERINGEN 1 7491 Trondheim Norway See on map Region Norge Trøndelag Trøndelag Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 710 000,00 Participants (7) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all UPNANO GMBH Austria Net EU contribution € 647 500,00 Address MODECENTERSTRASSE 22, D36 1030 Wien See on map SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes Region Ostösterreich Wien Wien Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 647 500,00 TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN Austria Net EU contribution € 239 365,00 Address KARLSPLATZ 13 1040 Wien See on map Region Ostösterreich Wien Wien Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 239 365,00 MEDIZINISCHE UNIVERSITAT INNSBRUCK Austria Net EU contribution € 462 540,00 Address CHRISTOPH PROBST PLATZ 1 6020 Innsbruck See on map Region Westösterreich Tirol Innsbruck Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 462 540,00 OSPEDALE SAN RAFFAELE SRL Italy Net EU contribution € 829 750,00 Address VIA OLGETTINA 60 20132 Milano See on map Region Nord-Ovest Lombardia Milano Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 829 750,00 DE DUVE INSTITUTE AISBL Belgium Net EU contribution € 381 500,00 Address AVENUE HIPPOCRATE 75/50 1200 Bruxelles / Brussel See on map Region Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/ Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest Arr. de Bruxelles-Capitale/Arr. Brussel-Hoofdstad Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 381 500,00 STIFTUNG LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR IMMUNTHERAPIE Germany Net EU contribution € 389 135,00 Address FRANZ JOSEF STRAUSS ALLEE 11 93053 Regensburg See on map Region Bayern Oberpfalz Regensburg, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 389 135,00 BOUKJE.COM CONSULTING BV Netherlands Net EU contribution € 338 875,00 Address BULKEMSTRAAT 4A 6369 XW Simpelveld See on map SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes Region Zuid-Nederland Limburg (NL) Zuid-Limburg Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 338 875,00