Understanding and controlling the spatial organisation of cancer

Project Information

CAN_ORGANISE

Grant agreement ID: 101019366

DOI

10.3030/101019366

EC signature date 14 September 2021

Start date 1 October 2021

End date 31 March 2027

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 2 500 000,00

EU contribution

€ 2 500 000,00

Coordinated by

THE FRANCIS CRICK INSTITUTE LIMITED
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CAN_ORGANISE (Understanding and controlling the spatial organisation of cancer)

Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 2024-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The project CAN_ORGANISE seeks to understand the spatial organisation of tumours. This is important because cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality across the world and 1 in 2 people in Europe will have cancer in their lifetime. How tumours are organised is linked to their ability to spread through the body and how they respond to treatment. In this work, we want to change how tumours are organised to make them less dangerous and easier to treat.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

We have set up new mathematical ways of measuring patterns in space in tumours. To try to control the patterns in tumours, we have set up a new method for studying cancer patterns in a dish. This is helping us to understand how tumours keep out the body’s defence cells (T-cells). We have now found out how to let these cells in, and are testing if this helps to treat tumours.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Our new methods and tools will enable new ways of changing how tumours are organised to be discovered. In particular, we expect to find new 'gene switches' that change the spatial organisation of tumours. These will be good targets for developing new drugs to improve the treatment of cancer.