Project description
Detecting hope: early detection of Richter transformation lymphoma
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is the most common adult leukaemia, yet 5-10 % of patients face a devastating complication: Richter transformation (RT). This aggressive lymphoma is currently diagnosed only after it becomes a full-blown tumour, leading to poor patient outcomes. The ERC-funded earlyRTdx project aims to detect RT ‘seeds’ years before they manifest clinically. By using a novel single-cell assay to analyse specific genomic and molecular features, the researchers expect to distinguish RT from CLL cells. Beyond clinical validation, the project will focus on protecting and licensing this technology. The project’s goal is to provide a first-in-class diagnostic tool to identify and eradicate RT at an early, treatable stage.
Objective
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common form of adult leukemia in Western countries with an incidence of ~4.6 newly diagnosed cases per 100,000 people per year. Among them, 5-10% of patients with CLL develop Richter transformation (RT), an aggressive transformation of CLL into a high-grade lymphoma, conferring poor outcome. RT is currently the principal unmet medical need in patients with CLL. Thanks to recent findings by our group, we know that there is a time window for early detection of RT years to decades before it is currently diagnosed using available pathological techniques as a full-blown tumor, often disseminated throughout the body. An early detection of RT may allow the design of early intervention schemes aiming to treat and eliminate RT at an early, probably indolent and clinically inoffensive, stage. The aim of this project is to design, test, and validate a novel single-cell-based solution, named earlyRTdx, capable of detecting the seeds of RT before their final expansion and clinical manifestation. To that aim, we will (1) select the genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic (DNA methylation) features that distinguish RT and CLL cells, (2) ensemble the joint analysis of these different molecular features into a unique, single-cell-based assay, which will be validated by screening both previously studied and new CLL/RT samples from different hospitals as well as by assessing its performance within a real diagnostic environment, and (3) conduct innovation activities to protect the intellectual property generated and license the solution. Altogether, the earlyRTdx shall represent the first-in-class in vitro diagnostics solution for early RT detection. This solution will provide a timely diagnosis of RT, which is the first step towards aiming to eradicate the seeds of this aggressive – lethal in most situations – evolution of CLL.
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 genetics DNA
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology leukemia
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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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.
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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
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC
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08036 Barcelona
Spain
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