Project description
A closer look at the cross-talk between ovarian cancer cells and tumor microenvironment
Treatment resistance in ovarian cancer (OC) is common. The EU-funded OVADEX project postulated this could involve metabolic crosstalk between the tumour microenvironment (TME) and OC cells. One possibility is that competition for serine between the TME and platinum-resistant OC cells could mediate treatment resistance. The project is developing a platform based on patient-derived explants (PDEs) that allows the study of TME interactions with cancer cells. The objectives are to expose the PDEs to standard and emerging therapies to define metabolic changes in OC cells and the TME before and after treatment. Links between serine metabolism and treatment resistance will be identified leading to a better understanding and overcoming of treatment resistance.
Objective
Treatment resistance in ovarian cancer (OC) is common. Recent efforts have identified new treatment approaches with potential to improve its management, but their therapeutic effects are limited due to treatment resistances.
Tumor microenvironment (TME) is emerging as a key contributor to treatment resistance, being the metabolic cross-talk between TME and OC one of the recently proposed mechanisms. The hosting lab has evidence that platinum-resistant OC cells have defects in serine biosynthesis which leads to an enhance uptake of serine. Importantly, exogenous serine is also required for some TME components, suggesting a possible competition for it and affecting their anti-cancer function. Thus, my working hypothesis is that metabolic cross-talk between TME and OC could involve serine metabolism, which could mediate treatment resistance.
Unfortunately, there is a lack of preclinical models of OC that recapitulate TME to study its role. In this regard, the secondment lab developed a new ex vivo platform based on patient-derived explants (PDEs) that allows the study of TME interactions with cancer cells. In OVADEX, I will use PDEs to dissect the role of TME components in treatment response in OC, and particularly, in the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells. My objectives are to generate OC PDEs and expose them to standard and emerging therapies, to define metabolic changes in OC cells and cellular and phenotypic changes in TME before and after treatment and to associate changes in TME and OC cells to serine metabolism and treatment resistance. To this end, I will integrate innovative techniques and the access of the hosting team to a unique registry of OC patients.
Through this work, I aim to broaden my scientific expertise and my international network for pursuing an academic career in Europe. OVADEX will contribute to actualize many objectives outlined in my career development plan to become a PI in the field of preclinical models for cancer applications.
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.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics mathematical analysis differential equations partial differential equations
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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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01
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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.
3000 LEUVEN
Belgium
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.