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Synthetic nucleic acid co-transcriptional networks as diagnostic and therapeutic tools

Project description

Innovative tumour diagnostic and therapeutic tools

The diversity of tumours complicates diagnosis and treatment, as a single tumour can present multiple relevant molecular markers. Cost-effective analytical tools are needed to provide fast and effective patient care. The ERC-funded CO-TRANS-NET project will develop synthetic nucleic acid units that respond to tumour biomarkers, offering new tools for biosensing and therapeutics through cell-free in vitro transcription. By combining the programmability of synthetic nucleic acids with the sensitivity of cell-free systems, it will create co-transcriptional networks capable of detecting a range of targets (including proteins, small molecules and antibodies) and triggering the transcription of functional RNA to produce measurable signals or therapeutic drugs. The project aims to develop nanodevices for simultaneous cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Objective

WHY: The heterogeneity of tumors often makes their diagnosis and treatment a very hard task. A single tumor can have many different diagnostically-relevant molecular markers which can also be used to monitor the efficacy of treatment. Innovative, simple, cost-effective, and quantitative analytical tools for diagnostic and therapeutic applications are urgently needed to ensure rapid and appropriate patient care.
WHAT: CO-TRANS-NET project addresses this need by developing synthetic nucleic acid units that can respond to a wide range of tumor biomarkers and can provide innovative tools for biosensing and therapeutics through cell-free in-vitro transcription.
HOW: The ground-breaking idea of CO-TRANS-NET is to harness the high programmability of synthetic nucleic acids together with the high sensitivity and versatility of cell-free systems to develop co-transcriptional networks that, in one pot, through nature-inspired recognition mechanisms, can respond to a variety of targets including proteins, small molecules and antibodies and trigger in-vitro transcription of functional RNA. The transcribed RNA can provide a measurable signal or produce a therapeutic drug. CO-TRANS-NET aims to develop single theranostic nanodevices in which cancer diagnosis and theraphy can be simultaneously achieved- This goes beyond the state of the art and represents a breakthrough in the field of diagnostics, biosensing, synthetic biology and nucleic acid-based therapeutics.

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Topic(s)

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HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG

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Host institution

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA TOR VERGATA
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 1 499 750,00
Address
VIA CRACOVIA 50
00133 Roma
Italy

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Region
Centro (IT) Lazio Roma
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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.

€ 1 499 750,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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