Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

3D Metastatic Tumor Model Coupled with Targeted mRNA Immunotherapy for the Effective Management of Breast Cancer Brain Metastases

Project description

Therapy for breast cancer metastases in the brain

Breast cancer metastases in the brain are common yet remain difficult to treat due to late diagnosis and the blood-brain barrier. With conventional therapies like chemotherapy and radiotherapy offering limited success, there is a need for novel treatments capable of reaching the brain. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the 3DMETACARE project will develop a novel mRNA-based immunotherapy using lipid nanoparticles. These nanoparticles will be functionalised with mannose on their surface to facilitate delivery across the blood-brain barrier. Testing will take place in ex vivo 3D models of breast cancer metastases in the brain. This interdisciplinary approach aims to improve diagnosis time, therapy evaluation, and treatment outcomes in metastatic breast cancer.

Objective

Breast Cancer Brain Metastases (BC-BM) signifies second most common (30%) among all cancers, majorly effecting women population in the age group 45-69, and almost 40% of BC patients have been diagnosed with BC-BM during BC disease conditions. Conventional BC-BM management (chemo + radiotherapy), despite of progression into loco-regional therapies, have showed major limitations for effective management of BC-BM includes blood–brain barrier (BBB) in brain and substantial diagnosis at preliminary stage of disease. In last two decades several pre-clinical and clinical investigations of BC vaccines based on tumour-associated antigens and tumour-specific antigens approaches but none of the has been approved for either treatment or prevention. However, messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccination has the potential to expand the responders using targeted lipid nanoparticles (LNP) to counter challenging tumor microenvironment (TME) and BBB obstacles for metastatic tumour. Thus, 3D-METACARE will be focused on the fabrication of targeted LNP-HER2+mRNA immunotherapy decorated with mannose to effectively target Macrophage mannose receptor 1 with improved permeation through BBB and will target BC-BM. Followed by, robust 3D spheroid (cancer cell lines) and organoid (cancer tissues) model of BC and BC-BM, respectively will be established as effective preclinical models for understanding metastatic behaviour of HER2+ cancer and screening of anticancer therapies. Further, in-vitro 3D models will be conjugated with modified Raman spectroscopy techniques (SERS, CARS and SERM) for quantitative determination of the immunotherapeutic impact (T cell analysis) of LNP-mRNA in the ex-vivo BC and BC-BM models and metabolic activities in the native TME. Overall, 3DMETACARE will be novel interdisciplinary (nanotechnology+bioengineering+photonics) platform converging on current EU’s leading cancer research priorities such as early diagnosis and targeted therapeutics.

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.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

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.

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.

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.

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.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK
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.

€ 268 568,64
Address
NATIONAL TECHNOLOGICAL PARK, PLASSEY
- Limerick
Ireland

See on map

Region
Ireland Southern Mid-West
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
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.

No data
My booklet 0 0