Project description
Brain tumour recurrence: could it be down to inflammation?
Primary brain tumours such as glioblastoma or secondary brain tumours as a result of metastasis are associated with poor survival. Surgical resection is the proposed first-line treatment followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the GlioSurg project aims to investigate if the reappearance of brain tumours is affected by surgery. In particular, researchers will study the role of surgery in brain neuroinflammation in the brain. Emphasis will be given to astrocytes, a type of glial cells found in the central nervous system with a known role in neuroinflammation.
Objective
Malignant primary and secondary brain tumors represent the deadliest types of human cancer. Glioblastoma is the most common and the most lethal primary brain tumor. Standard of care is based on maximal surgical safe resection, followed by fractionated radiotherapy, with concomitant and adjuvant systemic chemotherapy. Despite optimal treatment, the recurrence rate is higher than 90%. On the other hand, brain metastases (secondary brain tumors from distant organs) remain a substantial contributor to overall cancer mortality, being the main cause of death in up to 50% of affected patients. Research on the resistance to chemo and radiotherapy has been widely performed; however, studies on the impact of surgery on the cellular biological phenotype have been curiously neglected even if the standard of care requires that all patients receive surgical resection if possible. The contribution of the neuroinflammation to cancer progression is extensively studied. However its role after surgical injury remains to be elucidated. Therefore, we aim to mechanistically decipher the role of reactive astrocytes (key regulators of neuroinflammation) on the post-surgery recurrence of primary and secondary brain tumors. We will use intravital microscopy, digital pathology, genetic and pharmacological selective targeting of reactive astrocytes and ultimately, we will evaluate novel therapeutic approaches to improve clinical benefit.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
MSCA-PF - MSCA-PFCoordinator
75231 Paris
France