Personalized medicine in ovarian cancer: Design and development of a tool for response prediction to targeted platinated nanocarrier-based treatments

Project Information

OvaCTool

Grant agreement ID: 101106156

DOI

10.3030/101106156

Project terminated on 31 August 2024

EC signature date 21 April 2023

Start date 16 January 2024

End date 15 January 2026

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 181 152,96

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDAD DE OVIEDO
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - OvaCTool (Personalized medicine in ovarian cancer: Design and development of a tool for response prediction to targeted platinated nanocarrier-based treatments)

Reporting period: 2024-01-16 to 2026-01-15

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Ovarian cancer is a serious health problem for women. It is hard to detect early because the symptoms are vague, and there aren't good screening tools. By the time it is diagnosed, it is often advanced and difficult to treat. Many patients develop resistance to treatments, and the cancer often comes back. This makes ovarian cancer the deadliest type of gynecological cancer, with only 40% of patients surviving five years after diagnosis.
The OvaCTool project aims to help ovarian cancer patients by developing new, more effective treatments and a tool to predict which treatments will work best for each patient. Here is what the project involves:

1. Creating new cancer drugs: We aimed at developing special nanoparticles (tiny particles) that can carry cancer-fighting drugs directly to the tumor. These nanoparticles were made of iron and contained a form of platinum, which is known to kill cancer cells.
2. Understanding how cancer cells change: We aimed at studying how the proteins in ovarian cancer cells change after treatment. This information would help us understanding how the cancer responds to the new drugs.
3. Developing a prediction tool: Using an advanced technology called mass cytometry, we aimed at creating a tool that can analyze up to 50 different markers in cancer cells and their surrounding environment. This tool would help doctors predicting whether a patient is likely to respond well to the new treatments.
4. Studying how the body interacts with the nanoparticles: We aimed at investigating how proteins in the blood might stick to the nanoparticles, which could affect how well the treatment works when given to patients.

Overall, the goal of this project was to create better cancer drugs and a way to choose the right treatment for each patient. This could lead to improved survival rates for women with ovarian cancer, giving them a better chance at beating this difficult disease. By the (early) end of the project, we had developed the platinum nanocarriers systems and evaluated them in ovarian cancer cells confirming their killing capacities.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The OvaCTool project has worked on improving treatments for ovarian cancer, a serious disease that is often hard to detect early and treat effectively. So far, the project has made some important progress:

1. Cell models: We have selected and studied five different types of ovarian cancer cells. This helps us understand how the cancer behaves and how it might respond to new treatments.
2. New drug delivery system: We have developed tiny particles made of iron that can carry cancer-fighting drugs. These particles are so small you cannot see them without a powerful microscope. We have successfully attached a special form of platinum, which is known to kill cancer cells, to these iron particles.
3. Testing the new system: We have used various scientific techniques to make sure the drug-carrying particles are the right size and that the cancer-fighting drug is properly attached. This is important to ensure the treatment will work as intended.
4. Early results: We have started testing how well these new drug-carrying particles work against cancer cells in the lab. We have measured how many cancer cells survive after treatment and how much of the drug gets into the cells.
5. Next steps: We will work on analyzing the proteins in the cancer cells before and after treatment. This will help us understand exactly how the new drug delivery system affects the cancer cells.

While there is still more work to be done, these early results are promising. The hope is that this research will lead to better, more targeted treatments for ovarian cancer, potentially improving the lives of many patients in the future.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The OvaCTool project, though only running for 7.5 months, has made significant progress in ovarian cancer research that could have far-reaching benefits:

1. Scientific impact: The project has improved our understanding of ovarian cancer and how to deliver drugs more effectively to cancer cells. This knowledge could lead to better treatments in the future, not only for ovarian cancer but also for other tumoral conditions.
2. Economic impact: The new technologies developed, especially the nanocarriers for drug delivery, could create new opportunities in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. This might lead to new products, patents, and jobs in the medical field.
3. Societal impact: If these developments lead to better treatments, ovarian cancer patients could have better outcomes, longer survival, and improved quality of life. More effective therapies could also reduce the financial burden on patients, families, and healthcare systems.
4. Environmental impact: The project followed green principles by recycling materials and managing chemical waste responsibly. The targeted nanotherapies being developed could reduce chemical waste in cancer treatment, as they require less active compounds. Advanced analytical techniques also helped minimize the use of toxic substances in the research process.

In summary, this project showed promise in improving ovarian cancer treatment while also considering economic growth and environmental responsibility. While there is still more work to be done, these early results are encouraging for patients, healthcare providers, and the broader community.

Graphical summary of the OvaCTool project