Project description
Insulin-gold nanoplatform for targeted cancer therapy
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are promising cancer therapies that selectively target tumours while sparing healthy tissue. However, their effectiveness against solid tumours is often limited by design and delivery challenges. The ERC-funded Golden-ADC project aims to address these challenges by developing gold nanoparticles (GNPs) that leverage insulin to deliver large therapeutics, including antibodies, across biological barriers. Recent research has shown that these insulin-GNPs can be transformed into an ADC nanoplatform, enabling the efficient conjugation of various antibodies and drugs. This platform has demonstrated efficacy in cancer cell models, improving tumour accumulation, penetration, and distribution. The project will focus on testing this nanoplatform for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer, a condition that currently lacks effective therapies.
Objective
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have emerged as promising therapies by combining the precision targeting abilities of antibodies with the potency of chemotherapy drugs, to directly attack cancer cells and minimize damage to healthy tissue. However, approved ADCs show low efficacies in treating solid tumours, due to inherent challenges. These include design challenges, which limit the drug-antibody ratio and the ability to integrate multiple drug types, and delivery challenges, in which pharmacokinetics and tumor barriers limit ADC accumulation and distribution within tumours.
In the framework of the ERC-CoG project, we are developing gold nanoparticles (GNPs) that harness insulin for delivery of large therapeutics, including antibodies, across biological barriers. As part of this research, we have recently revealed that these insulin-GNPs can be further developed as an ADC nanoplatform. This Golden-ADC nanoplatform enables simple conjugation of large payloads of multiple antibodies and drug types, shows efficacy in cancer cell models, and enhances in vivo tumor accumulation, together with deep penetration and wide distribution throughout the tumour.
In this PoC proposal, we will test our Golden-ADC nanoplatform for effective and safe treatment of triple negative breast cancer, due to the potential high benefits that our nanoplatform can provide for this hard-to-treat cancer, which has a long-standing paucity of effective therapies. Within GOLDEN ADC, we aim to acheive significant progress in the technology development process, by proof of concept demonstration of efficacy and safety of the Golden-ADC conjugated with multiple drugs in in-vivo triple negative breast cancer models. We also intend to achieve business readiness, via consolidating the IP strategy, undertaking a comprehensive market analysis, end-user engagement and developing the business strategy.
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 oncology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmacokinetics
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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) ERC-2023-POC
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
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.
52900 Ramat Gan
Israel
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.