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Understanding and targeting cancer persister cells

Objective

Despite tremendous progress in cancer therapy, many patients still succumb to the disease following an initial successful response to treatment. In addition to the long-appreciated contribution of genetically mutated cells to disease recurrence, persister cells, a rare subpopulation of cells that evade therapy in the absence of any known resistance-mediating mutation, have recently emerged as orthogonal drivers of therapy failure. While there has been much progress in targeting genetic resistance, the paucity of molecular tools that can capture persister traits, as well as the lack of a robust methodological framework for their study have significantly hampered our understanding and ability to target persister cells. Nevertheless, recent breakthroughs in molecular profiling techniques, as well as growing access to human residual disease clinical samples, now provide the opportunity to uncover the molecular underpinnings of this crucial cellular state. In this project, I propose to combine state-of-the-art single-cell lineage tracing techniques with functional approaches to (1) identify the determinants that control the ability of persister cells to escape therapy-induced senescence; (2) elucidate the cellular processes that govern the duration of persister drug-induced arrest; (3) investigate how epigenetic memory shapes persisters response to subsequent cycles of therapy. CancerPersisters will establish the tools that are needed in order to study key persister traits and further our understanding of this important cancer phenotype. Successful completion of this project may instruct the development of new classes of cancer drugs that can resensitize patients to subsequent cycles of therapy by erasing cellular memory and increase progression-free survival by modulating the duration of drug-induced arrest.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2023-STG

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Host institution

TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 728 750,00
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 728 750,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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