Project description
A closer look at risk factors associated with lung cancer
Smoking tobacco is the biggest risk factor for lung cancer. However, it is not the only risk factor. For example, uranium (found in rocks and soils) is a cancer-causing agent. So is asbestos, arsenic, nickel, coal smoke, soot and diesel fumes. The EU-funded LUCIA project will focus on personal risk factors, external risk factors, and biological responses to those risk factors. It will develop a toolbox for analysis that will include databases, AI models, wearable devices, sensors and multi-omics. After identifying the effects of various risk factors, the project will study the molecular changes associated with these risk factors. The findings will be translated into policy recommendations and used in lung cancer screening programmes and digital diagnostics.
Objective
Lung Cancer (LC) is the biggest cancer killer worldwide, with five-year survival following diagnosis varying between 5% to 25%. Though tobacco smoking has long been recognized as the major risk factor for LC, many cases (incl. LC patients that are non-smokers) cannot be explained by this reason. In this sense, LUCIA aims to establish a novel toolbox for discovering and understanding new risk factors that contribute to LC development. The toolbox encompasses the analysis of three aspects: (i) personal risk factors, which include a person’s exposure to chemical pollutants and behavioural and lifestyle factors; (ii) external risk factors, such as urban, built and transport environments, social aspects and climate; and (iii) biological responses to the personal and external risk factors, including changes in genetics, epigenetics, metabolism and aging. Key components of the toolbox for analysing personal and external risk factors include retrospective and prospective cohort databases, AI models, wearable devices, novel non-invasive sensors, and multi-omics. Together, these tools will be used to identify the effects of a wide range of environmental, biological, demographic, community and individual-level risk factors associated with the formation of LC. Molecular changes associated with the risk factors identified by this set of tools will then be validated by cell and molecular biology methods and through in vivo analysis. The impact of the identified personal and external risk factors and the associated biological responses will be then validated in three clinical use cases: general population risk assessment and screening, precision screening of high-risk populations, and digital diagnostics. The resulting evidence within LUCIA will be translated into policymaking recommendations, with the aim to implement them in a screening program for LC.
This action is part of the Cancer Mission cluster of projects on ‘Understanding'.
Fields of science
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesinternetinternet of things
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologylung cancer
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsepigenetics
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biology
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.2.1 - Health Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
32000 Haifa
Israel
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Participants (22)
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
32000 Haifa
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69120 Heidelberg
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08028 Barcelona
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Participation ended
08003 Barcelona
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20009 Donostia San Sebastian
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
69117 Heidelberg
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35430 İzmir
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
28040 Madrid
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48003 Bilbao
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1586 RIGA
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4000 Liege
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41071 Sevilla
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
41013 Sevilla
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2614 JZ Delft
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1000 Bruxelles / Brussel
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1000 Bruxelles / Brussel
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00179 Roma
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
4250574 Netanya
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
3877701 EMEK HEFER
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
48903 Barakaldo Bizkaia
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz
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08028 Barcelona
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Partners (1)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
BT52 1SA Coleraine
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