Project description
Glycan neoantigens as new targets for cancer immunotherapy
Cancer immunotherapies include therapeutic cancer vaccines, cellular therapeutics and immune checkpoint blockade. The limited success of these therapies is mainly associated with the difficulties in identifying target antigens. Carbohydrate chains (glycans) are ubiquitously present on the surface of the cells. Cancer cells' antigenic aberrations are defined, in particular, by sialic acid structure modification, and the presentation mode and heterogeneity of glycans affect immune recognition. The primary objective of the EU-funded GlycoTherapy project is to design a comprehensive cancer immunotherapy approach targeting glycan neoantigens. The discovery strategy includes a modular platform to study engineered carbohydrate-based cancer vaccines and T cells combined with checkpoint blockade for therapeutic glycan immune recognition in mouse models.
Objective
Cancer remains a major cause of death despite phenomenal progress in current immunotherapy, that aims to boost host immune responses of antibodies and T cells, and their ability to distinguish cancer from normal cells. The three main cancer immunotherapies are therapeutic cancer vaccines, cellular therapeutics and immune checkpoint blockade, but those have only limited success mainly due to difficulties in identifying target antigens. Carbohydrate chains (glycans) ubiquitously occupy surface of cells, but on cancer they are aberrantly-expressed, in particular with a wide collection of sialic acid-glycans. Their antigenic complexity arise by sialic acid structure modification, linkages, length, protein/lipid scaffolds, surface organization and density. The presentation mode of glycans and their heterogeneity affect their immune recognition, but the fundamental knowledge of how these factors contribute to efficient cancer therapy in vivo has not been defined systematically. The primary objective of this proposal is to design a comprehensive novel cancer immunotherapy approach targeting glycan-neoantigens. We propose an innovative interdisciplinary approach that integrates glycobiology, immunology and nanotechnology, to design and fully investigate new frontiers in cancer GlycoTherapy in vivo. Our discovery line is based on a two-arms modular platform to study both engineered carbohydrate-cancer vaccines and T cells, and their combined effects with checkpoint blockade on therapeutic glycan immune recognition in mouse models. Efficacy will be evaluated in detail by systematic characterization of immune cell and humoral responses with cutting-edge tools, including glycan microarrays, to track response repertoire and kinetics. Successful establishment and in-depth understanding of these therapies will provide a platform to devise and validate potent novel glyco-cancer diagnostic tools and therapeutics, and will instigate their prospective clinical translation in humans
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology nanotechnology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules carbohydrates
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunotherapy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2020-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
69978 Tel Aviv
Israel
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