Periodic Reporting for period 1 - STRIKE (Comprehensive STRategIes to tacKlE malignant tumors: from nanomedicine and theranostics to precision medicine)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2023-01-01 do 2024-12-31
The European Union requires highly trained scientists in the fields of design, synthesis, characterization, biological evaluation, and regulation of innovative multifunctional materials to remain competitive in advanced nanomedicine technologies. The STRIKE project (101072462 — STRIKE — HORIZON-MSCA-2021-DN-01) aims to foster excellence in both applied cancer research and the training of doctoral candidates (DCs). STRIKE is built on two main pillars: a) Establishing a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral research network to train a new generation of entrepreneurial, ultidisciplinary early-stage researchers (ESRs), b) Leveraging recent advancements in nanotechnology and liquid biopsy to develop innovative imaging and therapeutic strategies for osteosarcoma (OS) and breast cancer (BC) diagnosis.
The project started on January 1st , 2023, with a duration of 48 months and a maximum EU contribution of €2,106,835.20. The consortium consists of eight beneficiaries, coordinated by the University of Messina (IT).
The STRIKE Kick-off Meeting, held in Taormina, Italy (January 27-28, 2023), marked a crucial milestone, establishing a strong scientific network and facilitating discussions on project objectives. This in-person meeting, one of the first post-pandemic, led to key achievements such as the signing of the Consortium Agreement, the launch of the STRIKE website, and the finalization of the recruitment strategy for eight DCs.
To ensure broad visibility, STRIKE's recruitment campaign was extensively promoted via social media, academic platforms, Euraxess, and the project’s website (https://strike.unime.it(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)). The call attracted 291 applications from 187 candidates, the most suitable candidates were invited for the interview and the final selections was completed by May 2023.
In October 2023, all 8 DCs met online for the first time the STRIKE network, fostering connections and establishing communication and dissemination strategies for the project's website and social media platforms.
The first STRIKE scientific meeting took place on January 24-26, 2024, in Bologna, Italy. This event gathered DCs, board members, consortium members, and distinguished scientists. The project coordinator provided a comprehensive overview of the main objectives and strategic direction of the initiative. Additionally, each DC, alongside with their primary supervisor, delivered an introductory presentation covering their institution, academic background, research objectives, and initial project actions. A training session on “European Public Funding Schemes for R&D and Innovation and Technology Transfer “European Public Funding Schemes for R&D and Innovation” was delivered by the associated partner STEM Innovation. The training provided ESRs with essential skills and insights into navigating the complexities of research funding and innovation. Through theoretical lessons and proposal drafting exercises, they received valuable feedback from both instructors and peers, enhancing their understanding of effective proposal development and funding opportunities
The Second STRIKE Scientific & Progress Meeting took place on June 11-12, 2024, at Nantes University, France. This event provided a platform for DCs to present their initial research findings, exchange ideas, and plan future research activities. Additionally, expert researchers in cancer, microfluidics, and osteosarcoma delivered insightful presentations that enriched discussions and guided the next phase of the project. The meeting concluded on a high note, reinforcing the commitment to continued collaboration. In the following months, the DCs and their supervisors have maintained ongoing communication and monitoring to ensure the successful execution of experiments, protocols, and objectives in alignment with the project proposal.
The project started on January 1st , 2023, with a duration of 48 months and a maximum EU contribution of €2,106,835.20. The consortium consists of eight beneficiaries, coordinated by the University of Messina (IT).
The STRIKE Kick-off Meeting, held in Taormina, Italy (January 27-28, 2023), marked a crucial milestone, establishing a strong scientific network and facilitating discussions on project objectives. This in-person meeting, one of the first post-pandemic, led to key achievements such as the signing of the Consortium Agreement, the launch of the STRIKE website, and the finalization of the recruitment strategy for eight DCs.
To ensure broad visibility, STRIKE's recruitment campaign was extensively promoted via social media, academic platforms, Euraxess, and the project’s website (https://strike.unime.it(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)). The call attracted 291 applications from 187 candidates, the most suitable candidates were invited for the interview and the final selections was completed by May 2023.
In October 2023, all 8 DCs met online for the first time the STRIKE network, fostering connections and establishing communication and dissemination strategies for the project's website and social media platforms.
The first STRIKE scientific meeting took place on January 24-26, 2024, in Bologna, Italy. This event gathered DCs, board members, consortium members, and distinguished scientists. The project coordinator provided a comprehensive overview of the main objectives and strategic direction of the initiative. Additionally, each DC, alongside with their primary supervisor, delivered an introductory presentation covering their institution, academic background, research objectives, and initial project actions. A training session on “European Public Funding Schemes for R&D and Innovation and Technology Transfer “European Public Funding Schemes for R&D and Innovation” was delivered by the associated partner STEM Innovation. The training provided ESRs with essential skills and insights into navigating the complexities of research funding and innovation. Through theoretical lessons and proposal drafting exercises, they received valuable feedback from both instructors and peers, enhancing their understanding of effective proposal development and funding opportunities
The Second STRIKE Scientific & Progress Meeting took place on June 11-12, 2024, at Nantes University, France. This event provided a platform for DCs to present their initial research findings, exchange ideas, and plan future research activities. Additionally, expert researchers in cancer, microfluidics, and osteosarcoma delivered insightful presentations that enriched discussions and guided the next phase of the project. The meeting concluded on a high note, reinforcing the commitment to continued collaboration. In the following months, the DCs and their supervisors have maintained ongoing communication and monitoring to ensure the successful execution of experiments, protocols, and objectives in alignment with the project proposal.
STRIKE adopts a novel, interdisciplinary approach to developing and evaluating innovative magnetic nanomaterials, including nanotherapeutics, imaging agents, and magnetic beads for liquid biopsy.
The project is advancing as planned and aligns with the Description of Action (DoA). Specifically:
a) the recruitment of 8 DCs was carried out without delay and they started working on the STRIKE actions according to DoA;
b) STRIKE displays a good balance in terms of females recruitment: six DC are women, the same applies for the PIs, there are many women involved in the supervision of the fellows;
c) STRIKE secondments is perfectly aligned with DoA timetable, there will be a total of 51 months of secondments among all the DCs, nowadays, 53% (27/51 months) have been completed; d) STRIKE accomplished 19 deliverables (19/37) and achieved 8 Milestones ( 8 /11);
e) the results of the performed research activities led to the publication of two scientific papers, others are in the process and new data for new additional publications are being collected.
The STRIKE Communication, Dissemination, and Impact Strategy has developed a robust strategy to maximize impact, visibility, and stakeholder engagement. Given the consortium's diverse partnerships, a significant emphasis is put on tapping into the networks and communication channels that all project partners already have through their membership base, newsletters, social media reach, etc. Each partner serves as an ambassador for the project and is encouraged and expected to be involved to different degrees in communication and dissemination efforts.
The project is advancing as planned and aligns with the Description of Action (DoA). Specifically:
a) the recruitment of 8 DCs was carried out without delay and they started working on the STRIKE actions according to DoA;
b) STRIKE displays a good balance in terms of females recruitment: six DC are women, the same applies for the PIs, there are many women involved in the supervision of the fellows;
c) STRIKE secondments is perfectly aligned with DoA timetable, there will be a total of 51 months of secondments among all the DCs, nowadays, 53% (27/51 months) have been completed; d) STRIKE accomplished 19 deliverables (19/37) and achieved 8 Milestones ( 8 /11);
e) the results of the performed research activities led to the publication of two scientific papers, others are in the process and new data for new additional publications are being collected.
The STRIKE Communication, Dissemination, and Impact Strategy has developed a robust strategy to maximize impact, visibility, and stakeholder engagement. Given the consortium's diverse partnerships, a significant emphasis is put on tapping into the networks and communication channels that all project partners already have through their membership base, newsletters, social media reach, etc. Each partner serves as an ambassador for the project and is encouraged and expected to be involved to different degrees in communication and dissemination efforts.
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are a key focus in nanomedicine, offering multifunctional properties such as: such as superparamagnetic behavior, biocatalytic activity, biocompatibility, and chemical processibility.
Biomedical applications of MPN include magnetic targeted gene and drug delivery, hyperthermia (HT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
However, regulatory approval remains limited, and osteosarcoma applications are underexplored in existing literature.
The STRIKE consortium, comprising experts in chemistry, biology, pharmacy, medicine, and material science, aims to overcome physicochemical barriers in designing sustainable and customized anti-cancer MNP applications.
STRIKE is making significant progress in both scientific research and training. The project’s interdisciplinary collaboration and strong dissemination strategy ensure that research outcomes reach a wide audience, influencing both scientific innovation and policy-making.Upcoming activities, including the Vienna 2025 scientific meeting and Winter School, will further enhance training, knowledge-sharing, and the project's overall impact on the nanomedicine field.
Biomedical applications of MPN include magnetic targeted gene and drug delivery, hyperthermia (HT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
However, regulatory approval remains limited, and osteosarcoma applications are underexplored in existing literature.
The STRIKE consortium, comprising experts in chemistry, biology, pharmacy, medicine, and material science, aims to overcome physicochemical barriers in designing sustainable and customized anti-cancer MNP applications.
STRIKE is making significant progress in both scientific research and training. The project’s interdisciplinary collaboration and strong dissemination strategy ensure that research outcomes reach a wide audience, influencing both scientific innovation and policy-making.Upcoming activities, including the Vienna 2025 scientific meeting and Winter School, will further enhance training, knowledge-sharing, and the project's overall impact on the nanomedicine field.