Project description
Turning cancer cells into immune cells with chemical reprogramming
Despite the potential of immunotherapies, their clinical effectiveness against solid tumours is hindered by tumour evasion mechanisms and is often accompanied by severe side effects. Funded by the European Innovation Council, the RESYNC project proposes an innovative immunotherapy strategy: converting cancer cells into immunogenic antigen-presenting dendritic cells with small molecule mediated cell fate reprogramming. Researchers will isolate the small molecules to elicit reprogramming and develop nanoparticle formulations to deliver them into cancer cells not only intratumourally but also enabling systemic delivery. The idea is to trigger personalised anti-tumour immunity by facilitating the presentation of tumour antigens to the host immune system. The project promises a breakthrough in immune-oncology therapeutics, paving the way for personalised, safer and more effective cancer immunotherapies.
Objective
THE CHALLENGE: Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment but most patients do not respond due to immune evasion mechanisms, including heterogeneity and lack of tumor antigen presentation. Moreover, these therapies have met limited success in the treatment of solid tumors and are frequently associated with severe adverse effects.
RADICAL VISION: The radical vision of the RESYNC consortium is to revolutionize cancer immunotherapy through small-molecule (SM)-based reprogramming of cancer cells into immunogenic (neo)antigen-presenting dendritic cells type 1 (cDC1) to elicit a personalized anti-tumor immunity. Cell reprogramming will be coupled with nanoparticle formulations enabling safe, low cost and efficient systemic targeting of disseminated tumors. The proposed platform will enable breakthrough innovations in the cellular reprogramming-based therapeutics space and have a broad and disruptive effect on the immune-oncology therapeutics scientific field and market. With a complementary consortium, we expect to achieve proof-of-concept for chemical cDC1 reprogramming by the end of the project (2026).
IMPACT: This approach will for the first time harness the full potential of cellular reprogramming to induce immunity against tumour antigens with the tractability of systemic delivery of cDC1-inducing SMs. This project will result in next generation platforms for in vivo reprogramming and cell-targeted delivery of SMs with high cell specificity, low price and improved safety. SM-mediated antigen presentation will be combined with immune checkpoint blockade enabling immunotherapy in all patients. Ultimately, this project will set the stage for a new era of personalized, off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapies.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC GrantsCoordinator
22100 Lund
Sweden