Objective
Therapy-resistant solid tumors, sustained by the interplay of extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffening and metabolic plasticity of cancer stem cells (CSCs), remain among the most intractable problems in oncology. In cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), these mechano–metabolic adaptations converge as dense fibrotic stroma, mitochondrial hyperactivity, glycolytic reprogramming, and immune exclusion—together blocking therapy penetration and driving recurrence. No existing treatment integrates ECM mechanics, metabolic rewiring, and mitochondrial targeting into a single, ordered sequence. MORPHEUS is the first nanomedicine to achieve this, executing a rare triple-gate cascade—ECM remodeling, glycolysis disruption, and mitochondrial collapse—within a rigid, C3-functionalised triptycene scaffold. Its architecture enforces geometric orthogonality, kinetic insulation, and scalable synthesis, overcoming the crosstalk and instability of conventional nanocarriers. The cascade initiates with a lactate-sensitive shield that unmasks ECM-modulating agents to soften desmoplastic stroma and enhance immune and drug infiltration. The second gate, triggered by lactyl-CoA or GLO1/GLO2, releases glycolysis-targeting payloads to eradicate glycolytic CSCs. The third gate senses mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), deploying OXPHOS inhibitors/ROS disruptors to collapse energy production in OXPHOS-dependent CSCs. Integrated companion diagnostics will quantify ECM stiffness, metabolic phenotypes, and CSC composition, enabling patient-tailored configurations. Validation across 3D tumor-mimetic systems, patient-derived organoids, and orthotopic xenografts ensures translational robustness. By reshaping tumor biology to open transient “windows of vulnerability,” MORPHEUS represents a bold high-risk/high-gain paradigm shift, first addressing CCA as an orphan indication and extending as a scalable blueprint for stroma-rich, therapy-refractory cancers.
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 medical biotechnology nanomedicine
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology cells technologies stem cells
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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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.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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 - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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-2025-ADG
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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.
46012 Valencia
Spain
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.