Project description
Insight into pancreatic cancer perineural invasion
Cancer cells from aggressive tumours such as pancreatic cancer can migrate and invade nerves, leading to a pathological process known as perineural invasion (PNI). PNI causes severe pain and is associated with poor prognosis and poor survival. Although PNI is poorly understood, Schwann cells are believed to interact with and become activated by cancer cells to promote PNI. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PCPNIHyp project aims to investigate the role of metabolic dysregulation caused by cancer cells in PNI. The study will identify biomarkers for early PNI diagnosis and potential therapies, leveraging advanced NMR signal-enhancement techniques by hyperpolarisation by parahydrogen-induced polarisation (PHIP) and cellular and molecular biology.
Objective
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease with 5-year survival rate of less than 7%. Existing treatments are limited because 90-100% of patients develop perineural invasion (PNI). PNI is associated with severe pain, poor prognosis, poor survival, and tumor recurrence, and involves nerve invasion by cancer cells, as a result of dynamic interactions between them and other cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Schwann cells (SCs) are part of this TME and are activated by cancer cells to become PNI promoters. To date, the question of how metabolic dysregulation generated by cancer cells, characterized by different levels of lactate and an acidic TME drives SCs-mediated-PNI remains unanswered. Taking account that PNI is still poorly understood and that there are no PNI-targeted diagnosis methods or effective therapies, this project pursues the study of the role of metabolic alterations induced by PDAC cells on SCs, and how that drives SCs activation and PNI. To achieve this goal, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) mediated hyperpolarization of metabolites as contrast agents that could be used later in clinical diagnosis without adverse effects will be used. Hyperpolarization by Para-Hydrogen-Induced-Polarization (PHIP) boosts the detectable NMR and magnetic resonance image (MRI) metabolites signals by a factor of >10000, it allows obtaining precise kinetic data on metabolites’ inter-conversion on short timescales, and the insights from cells can be directly translated into in vivo studies. All of this represents an advantage over standard biological studies, which often struggle to capture these types of events. Using NMR-PHIP technology with cellular and molecular biology-based techniques on SCs-PDAC cells co-cultures and on an in vivo PNI model, this project will contribute to identifying new predictive biomarkers for future monitoring and early diagnosis of PNI, as well as to the potential development of PNI-targeted therapies.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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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.
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
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.