Project description
Nanobot-enhanced drug delivery for mucus-secreting tumours
Mucus-secreting tumours such as pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) are characterised by the production of mucus, which can be found in various organs and normally acts as a defensive barrier for underlying cells. These tumours often present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to their tendency to produce thick, sticky mucus that can complicate treatment and contribute to aggressive disease progression. The ERC-funded MucOncoBots project aims to improve drug delivery for PMP by developing nanobots that can penetrate the mucus barrier and improve treatment efficacy. The study utilises patient-derived organoids and xenografts and is in the process of comparing this approach with standard care, aiming to translate findings into clinical practice.
Objective
Mucus is a defensive barrier that protects the underlying cells from pathogens and toxic compounds, although it also hinders the delivery of drugs whenever they are administered locally. There are different types of mucus-secreting tumours, such as pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), that could benefit from more efficient transmucosal delivery of anti-cancer drugs. PMP is a rare disease and the most mucinous tumour type, thus it will be used as a proof of concept for this project. In fact, it is characterised by the production of abundant mucus in the peritoneal cavity and is treated with cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, usually Mitomycin C. This approach has extended patient survival, but there is a significant proportion of recurrence, most probably due to the shielding effect of mucus. Therefore, there is an urgent need to offer new therapeutic strategies to PMP patients. Recently, Dr. Palmer’s lab has established a collection of PMP patient-derived organoids and xenografts and has shown that some PMP patients present oncogenic BRAFV600E mutations, introducing a new druggable targeted mutation. In this proposal, Dr. Sánchez’s lab (IBEC), in collaboration with Dr. Palmer’s research group (VHIO), aims to use nanobots able to overcome the mucus barrier that will be loaded with Mitomycin C or Encorafenib (BRAF inhibitor) to treat PMP. A comparative study will be performed to assess the treatment’s efficacy compared to the standard of care, and medical advice will be received from Dr. Élez (VHUH) to ensure the translation of the results to the clinic. We believe that using this all-in-one system will certainly enhance the delivery and efficacy of the active therapeutic compound, thus potentially improving current treatments.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine surgery
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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.
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-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-POC
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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.
08028 Barcelona
Spain
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.