Periodic Reporting for period 1 - STEPUPIORS (TWINNING FOR A EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM OF RECTAL CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS THROUGH STEPPING UP SCIENTIFIC, TECHNOLOGICAL AND INNOVATION EXCELLENCE OF IORS)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-10-01 bis 2025-09-30
Colorectal cancer begins in the colon or rectum and often develops slowly from precancerous polyps. For patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), the current standard treatment is neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). However, not all patients respond in the same way, and there is a growing need to better understand the biological factors that determine treatment success.
The EU-funded STEPUPIORS project was created to address this challenge. Its mission is to identify biomarkers that can predict how each patient will respond to CRT by analyzing their tumour’s molecular profile both at diagnosis and during treatment. This knowledge could enable more precise and personalized treatment decisions: patients likely to benefit from CRT could be selected with greater confidence, while unnecessary toxicity and adverse effects could be avoided for those less likely to respond.
For patients who achieve a complete clinical response (cCR), less invasive surgery—or even a non-operative “watch-and-wait” approach—may be possible. These options can improve quality of life and reduce treatment costs. The project also aims to uncover new therapeutic targets for patients who do not respond well to CRT.
STEPUPIORS pursues three objectives:
1. Identify molecular signatures linked to CRT response through a newly formed rectal cancer consortium pooling complementary expertise.
2. Strengthen the research, management, and administrative capacities of the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia (IORS), including establishing a rectal cancer biobank.
3. Build long-term collaboration among participating institutions through sustained knowledge, personnel, and sample exchange.
The project aligns with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021–2024 within the health cluster
The EU-funded STEPUPIORS project was created to address this challenge. Its mission is to identify biomarkers that can predict how each patient will respond to CRT by analyzing their tumour’s molecular profile both at diagnosis and during treatment. This knowledge could enable more precise and personalized treatment decisions: patients likely to benefit from CRT could be selected with greater confidence, while unnecessary toxicity and adverse effects could be avoided for those less likely to respond.
For patients who achieve a complete clinical response (cCR), less invasive surgery—or even a non-operative “watch-and-wait” approach—may be possible. These options can improve quality of life and reduce treatment costs. The project also aims to uncover new therapeutic targets for patients who do not respond well to CRT.
STEPUPIORS pursues three objectives:
1. Identify molecular signatures linked to CRT response through a newly formed rectal cancer consortium pooling complementary expertise.
2. Strengthen the research, management, and administrative capacities of the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia (IORS), including establishing a rectal cancer biobank.
3. Build long-term collaboration among participating institutions through sustained knowledge, personnel, and sample exchange.
The project aligns with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021–2024 within the health cluster
Under Objective 1, researchers analysed the molecular characteristics associated with CRT response using a wide range of omics technologies. This work was carried out by the newly established rectal cancer consortium. The resulting scientific publications are publicly available on the project website (https://www.stepupiors.eu/publications/(öffnet in neuem Fenster)).
Under Objective 2, the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia strengthened its research, management, and administrative capacities through targeted training activities. A rectal cancer biobank and a research management department were also established, both of which will support future national and international research efforts.
Under Objective 3, the consortium created a sustainable framework for exchanging knowledge, personnel, and biological samples. As a result, partners submitted 24 joint project applications, with two successfully funded by the end of STEPUPIORS.
Under Objective 2, the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia strengthened its research, management, and administrative capacities through targeted training activities. A rectal cancer biobank and a research management department were also established, both of which will support future national and international research efforts.
Under Objective 3, the consortium created a sustainable framework for exchanging knowledge, personnel, and biological samples. As a result, partners submitted 24 joint project applications, with two successfully funded by the end of STEPUPIORS.
The project’s multidisciplinary and multi-omics strategy enabled the identification of an informative panel of biomarkers linked to CRT response. An integrated predictive model combining these biomarkers has been developed and will be included in a forthcoming patent application to the Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia. Data will remain confidential until patent approval.
Further research into the exact time points of liquid biopsy sampling and types of analyses needed to refine the profiling of the response to nCRT in patients with LARC will be sought in future joint scientific projects and externally validated in prospective patient cohorts.
Further research into the exact time points of liquid biopsy sampling and types of analyses needed to refine the profiling of the response to nCRT in patients with LARC will be sought in future joint scientific projects and externally validated in prospective patient cohorts.