Project description
Uncovering the causes of renal, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer
The goal of the EU-funded DISCERN project is to understand the geographical distribution and causes of the high incidence of renal, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer in central and eastern Europe. The study will be supported by the combination of state-of-the-art molecular profiling techniques and machine learning, using large-scale biorepositories from population-based cohorts and tumour case series. The initiative will focus on the potential new causal risk factors for these cancers, applying innovative exposomics and proteomics scans, as well as geospatial and environmental exposure information from large-scale epidemiological studies. The identified cancer risk factors and the cellular mechanisms will be further evaluated in stem cells and colon, renal, and pancreatic 3D organoids.
Objective
"The overall goal of DISCERN is to understand the causes of three poorly understood cancers in Europe; renal, pancreatic and colorectal cancer, and help to explain their geographical distribution, including their high incidence in central and eastern Europe. This will be achieved by combining large-scale European biorepositories comprising population-based cohorts and tumour case-series with state-of-the-art molecular profiling techniques and machine learning approaches. In particular, DISCERN will identify potential new causal risk factors for the three cancers using novel exposomics and proteomics scans, as well detailed geospatial and environmental exposure information from 16 large-scale epidemiological cohorts including almost 900,000 individuals. It will also explore biological mechanisms on how these risk factors are potentially causing these cancer types with a focus on promoting factors in normal tissues using deep sequencing, single cell multi-omics and spatial proteomics. The causal effects of identified cancer risk factors and the cellular signalling responses they trigger will be further evaluated using a panel of stem cells and colon, renal and pancreatic 3D organoids. The results from DISCERN will be disseminated to citizens, patients and policy makers through collaborating patient and participant organizations. DISCERN will provide the critical evidence base required to develop new prevention strategies to tackle the growing burden of renal, pancreatic and colorectal cancer in Europe.
This action is part of the Cancer Mission cluster of projects on ""Understanding""."
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsproteomics
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologycells technologiesstem cells
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologycolorectal cancer
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemachine learning
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.2.1 - Health Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
69007 Lyon 7eme
France
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Participants (17)
3584 CS Utrecht
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601 77 Brno
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08028 Barcelona
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75007 Paris
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2311 EZ Leiden
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100 44 Stockholm
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51005 Tartu
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3542 DR UTRECHT
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1040 Bruxelles / Brussel
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10124 Torino
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08908 L'HOSPITALET DEL LLOBREGAT
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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.
Participation ended
08908 L'Hospitalet De Llobregat
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91 348 Lodz
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02-781 Warszawa
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86077 Pozzilli Is
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
9019 Tromso
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1000 Bruxelles / Brussel
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Partners (2)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
SW7 2AZ LONDON
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
OX1 2JD Oxford
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