Project description
Targeting epigenetics in cancer
During cancer development, cells accumulate both genetic and epigenetic alterations. The latter include chemical modifications of DNA and histones and impact the expression of genes such as tumour-suppressor genes. polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) participates in gene silencing in cancer and its inhibition constitutes a promising therapeutic target. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the Rewiring PRC2 project will use cutting-edge techniques to identify effectors that can rewire PRC2 function. The work will lead to novel compounds for cancer therapy that can inhibit PRC2 and derepress silenced tumour-suppressor genes.
Objective
Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which incorporates repressive methyl-lysine marks on histone H3 to facilitate global transcriptional repression, is an integral epigenetic modifier in normal development. Components of this complex, especially EZH2, are hyperactive or overexpressed in a broad range of cancers, resulting in excessive silencing of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). Moreover, cancers with defects in the SWI/SNF complex, the most frequently mutated chromatin regulatory complex in cancer, are dependent on PRC2 function for survival. While inhibition or degradation of PRC2 components have become extremely attractive approaches to cancer therapy, they still suffer from suboptimal kinetics and perturbation because they must rely on opposing epigenetic modifiers and transcriptional regulators to derepress expression of silenced TSGs. Thus, I aim to overcome this issue by leveraging the cancer driver itself to derepress silenced TSGs. In this regard, I will utilize a high-throughput protein recruitment screen, coupled to next-generation sequencing, to identify proteins (effectors) that, when recruited to PRC2, can rewire its function to directly derepress a PRC2-silenced locus. This screen will be used a base to develop novel proximity inducing compounds, which can rewire the function of PRC2. The compound that produces the strongest transcriptional derepression and anti-proliferative effects in cancer cells will then be characterized via transcriptomics, and chromatin profiling to determine its effects on endogenous gene expression. Ultimately, this study will establish a new class of PRC2 targeting compounds that will pave the way for improved cancer therapies, which both inhibit PRC2 methyltransferase activity and directly derepress PRC2-silenced TSGs.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
1090 Wien
Austria
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.