Project description
A Trojan horse against cancer
Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR Ts) constitute a powerful new approach for instructing the immune system to fight cancer. Despite their great promise, CAR T cell clinical success against solid tumours has been hampered by toxicity and immunosuppression. To overcome these limitations, the EU-funded TRAP-CART project proposes to induce a supportive tumour microenvironment for CAR T function. The rationale is to engineer haematopoietic stem cells to produce progeny that can deliver inflammatory and CAR T activation signals in the immediate vicinity of the tumour. This strategy can employ rather inert CAR Ts that become armed in the tumour microenvironment, thereby avoiding off-target effects.
Objective
Two major issues hamper successful treatment of solid cancers with CAR T cells. First, immunosuppression imposed by the tumor microenvironment (TME) can compromise CAR T cell function. Second, CAR T cells require specific antigens for precise tumor recognition to limit/avoid toxicities associated with on-target/off-tumor activity. Initial attempts to overcome these challenges included immune checkpoint blockade and tunable CAR T cells. Here, we propose to develop a conceptually new framework for solid tumor therapy that introduces genetically modified, blood-derived TME cells as Trojan horses to deliver inflammation and broadcast “intratumor” signals that activate programmable CAR T cells. Overall, we will design a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-directed strategy for Tumor microenvironment-Regulated Activation of Programmable CAR T (TRAP-CART). This project builds on the host lab’s expertise in high-throughput genomics, bioinformatics, and CAR T cells, and on my own background in HSC engineering.
Through epigenome/transcriptome profiling, we will systematically identify gene-regulatory elements that are specific to blood-derived cells in the TME. We will use such regulatory sequences for HSC-directed gene therapy, such that their progeny will express a programmed transgene only in the immediate vicinity of tumor cells. This TME-regulated transgene will induce inflammation (to help overcome the hostile immune environment of many solid tumors) and/or release localized activatory signals for CAR T-cells (making it possible to use weakly specific CARs while avoiding on-target/off-tumor activity elsewhere in the body). We will focus on melanoma as our “model cancer”, which has a high mutational burden, good mouse models and is widely used for testing cutting-edge immunotherapies.
Specific Objectives:
1)Develop a promoter/enhancer toolbox for HSC gene therapy targeting the TME
2)Induce a CAR T-supportive TME that activates programmable CAR T-cells in situ
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology genetic engineering gene therapy
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology skin cancer melanoma
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology cells technologies stem cells
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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.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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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.
1090 Wien
Austria
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.