Descrizione del progetto
Le vescicole extracellulari come fonte per l’analisi dell’instabilità dei microsatelliti nel cancro dell’endometrio
Il carcinoma dell’endometrio è il tumore ginecologico più comune e vi è la necessità di sviluppare diagnosi e trattamenti efficaci in fase precoce per questo tipo di cancro. L’immunoterapia migliora i tassi di sopravvivenza in varie tipologie di tumore, ma richiede biomarcatori affidabili per la selezione delle pazienti. L’instabilità dei microsatelliti è stata individuata come biomarcatore candidato per la selezione dell’immunoterapia. La valutazione di tale instabilità richiede materiale genetico tumorale, che può essere ricavato da vescicole extracellulari del flusso sanguigno. Il progetto EVOLVE, finanziato dal programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, si concentrerà sullo sviluppo dell’arricchimento e dell’analisi delle vescicole extracellulari dai fluidi corporei delle pazienti con carcinoma dell’endometrio, per valutare l’instabilità dei microsatelliti, utilizzando metodi lab-on-a-chip e microfluidici in combinazione con i biomarcatori del DNA e la tecnica di spettroscopia Raman amplificata da superfici.
Obiettivo
Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynaecological cancer, and has an estimated incidence rise of more than 50% worldwide by 2040, mainly associated with increasing obesity prevalence. In 2018 alone, there were approximately 380,000 new cases and close to 90,000 deaths attributed to EC worldwide. Thus, there is a growing need for the development of better platforms for inexpensive, early stage EC diagnosis and treatments. Immunotherapy has shown a sharp increase in survival rate in various cancers, but only in a small percentage of treated patients. The lack of reliable biomarkers for the selection of this sub-group of patients is a great hindrance to its broader application in the clinical setting. However, microsatellite instability (MSI) has been shown to be a good candidate for immunotherapy selection. MSI evaluation requires genetic material from tumors, which can be found in extracellular vesicles released by EC cells to the bloodstream. “Isolation and Analysis of Extracellular Vesicles using OptofLuidics for the eValuation of Microsatellite Instability in Endometrial Cancer (EVOLVE)” is thus a project focused on the development of an integrated solution for the enrichment and analysis of extracellular vesicles from body fluids of endometrial cancer patients to assess microsatellite instability using lab-on-chip, microfluidics methods in conjunction with DNA biomarkers and surface-enhanced Raman scattering technology.
Campo scientifico
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesmicrotechnologylab on a chip
- natural sciencesbiological sciencescell biology
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncology
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologyimmunotherapy
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutritionobesity
Programma(i)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Meccanismo di finanziamento
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinatore
4715-330 Braga
Portogallo