Millions of people worldwide suffer from diseases that impose significant health and economic burdens. Ocular disorders, including blindness and vision impairment, affect over 2.5 billion people, costing Europe around €20 billion annually. Neurological diseases, such as dementia and neurodegeneration, result in €800 billion in healthcare costs per year across Europe, yet effective treatments remain scarce. Cancer is responsible for 1 in 6 deaths globally, with incidence projected to rise to 29 million cases by 2040, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide, costing over €100 billion annually and affecting 15 million Europeans.
To address these critical health challenges, CRYSTAL3 (Grant Agreement 101007931) was established under the EU Horizon 2020 MSCA-RISE programme, with a total funding of €887,800. This international consortium brings together 15 partners from 9 countries, integrating expertise from academia and industry to explore the therapeutic potential of Cysteinyl Leukotriene (CysLT) signalling in cancer, cardiovascular, ocular, and neurological diseases.
CysLTs are potent inflammatory mediators that play a critical role in immune responses. While CysLT receptor-targeting drugs are currently prescribed for airway inflammation, emerging evidence suggests that these receptors also regulate tumour growth, neuroinflammation, and cardiovascular dysfunction. However, their therapeutic potential beyond respiratory diseases remains largely unexplored.
Objectives of CRYSTAL3
1) Understand the role of CysLT signalling in human diseases – Investigating how it influences the progression of cancer, cardiovascular, ocular, and central nervous system (CNS) diseases.
2) Develop new targeted therapies – Exploring novel drug candidates and biological mechanisms to modulate CysLT signalling for potential therapeutic applications.
3) Enhance commercialisation and industry collaboration – Translating research findings into marketable diagnostic tools, drug discovery platforms, and clinical applications.
Through CRYSTAL3, researchers have uncovered the important role of Cysteinyl Leukotriene (CysLT) signalling in disease progression, offering new insights into its potential as a therapeutic target in cancer, cardiovascular and ocular disorders. The project has resulted in novel preclinical models, promising drug candidates, and biomarker discoveries, some of which are now being explored for commercialisation. The collaboration between academic institutions, SMEs, and industry partners has strengthened research capacity in Europe, fostering 177+ months of intersectoral secondments and facilitating knowledge transfer. CRYSTAL3’s findings have not only expanded scientific understanding but have also paved the way for translational applications, with some results already feeding into follow-up projects and commercial initiatives. The project leaves a strong legacy in inflammation-related disease research, offering new opportunities for future drug development, personalised medicine, and commercial innovation beyond its completion.
By facilitating knowledge exchange and intersectoral collaboration through secodnments across academic and industrial partners, CRYSTAL3 has advanced scientific knowledge and paved the way for future breakthroughs in the treatment of inflammation, cancer progression, and degenerative disorders.
