Project description
Innovative tumour targeting tools for diagnosis and treatment
Proteases are often strongly overexpressed in the tumour microenvironment (TME), and their active sites allow high-affinity binding of vectors. That makes proteases ideal candidates for tumour targeting, and recent innovations involve small molecule vectors to target TME proteases. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the OncoProTools project aims to make a breakthrough in cancer diagnosis and therapy by developing innovative approaches for protease targeting in chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, discovering new vectors that bind more of the TME proteases, and introducing innovative diagnostics, based on a better understanding of TME biology. In addition, the OncoProTools will deliver training to 10 doctoral candidates, providing them with the capabilities to become leaders in cancer research.
Objective
Europe has a high cancer burden: in 2020, 2.7 million EU citizens were diagnosed with the disease and 1.3 million lost their lives to it. This toll is expected to increase further, mainly because Europe's population is ageing: by 2035, cancer will be the leading cause of death in the EU. In 2021, the EC published its ‘Europe's Beating Cancer Plan’ (EBCP), calling for a big push in cancer research. Cancer diagnostics and therapeutics should rapidly become more effective and selective, patient-friendly and personalized.
All these goals are directly addressed by developing better tumor targeting strategies. Typically, they consist of equipping diagnostics and therapeutics with a vector unit. The vector unit binds to a protein that is overexpressed on cancer cells or in the Tumor Micro-Environment (TME), causing the diagnostic or therapeutic payload to accumulate in the tumor. Over the last decades, huge effort has gone in approaches that use antibodies as vectors, but return-on-investment has overall been rather poor. Exciting, recent innovations rely on small molecule vectors that target TME proteases. Proteases are ideal candidates for tumor targeting: they are often strongly overexpressed in the TME and possess an active site that allows high-affinity anchoring of vectors. Members of this consortium have played a leading role in these developments.
OncoProTools wants to force breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis and therapy by:
1) Exploring innovative venues for protease targeting in CAR T cell therapy.
2) Discovering novel vectors that bind to other TME proteases: cathepsins S, B, L and granzyme B
3) Personalize applications of protease targeting: deliver innovative diagnostics through deeper understanding of TME biology.
At the same time, OncoProTools will deliver a training program that truly captures the MSCA values, to 10 Doctoral Candidates. They will be provided with all capabilities to become leaders of tomorrow's R&I in Europe.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral NetworksCoordinator
2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
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Participants (7)
1165 Kobenhavn
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01328 Dresden
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55122 Mainz
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1047 Budapest
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
28006 Madrid
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1649-003 Lisboa
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40125 Bologna
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Partners (13)
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2600 Berchem
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3590 Diepenbeek
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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2650 Edegem
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3012 Bern
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1085 Budapest
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28049 Madrid
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40126 Bologna
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01069 Dresden
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10243 Berlin
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Participation ended
1210 Bruxelles / Brussel
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
3010 Bern
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
1000 Bruxelles / Brussel
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