Objective
Resistance to current anticancer therapies remains a major public health burden, driving a substantial number of cancer-related deaths in the EU and worldwide. In particular, KRAS-driven lung cancer – one of the most aggressive tumour types – urgently requires new strategies, as resistance to the approved KRAS-G12C inhibitors almost invariably emerges within months after treatment, undermining their clinical benefit. Mounting evidence highlights that cancer cells can adopt a dynamic and heterogeneous tolerant state early upon treatment, allowing the survival of a small fraction of cancer cells that later fuels resistance and, ultimately, patient relapse. Yet, targeting this tolerant phase remains insufficiently explored to translate to clinical practice that proactively targets cancer resistance.
Therefore, RAS-PUNCH aims to overcome this challenge by pioneering a sequential ‘1-2 punch’ strategy that first reprograms and then eliminates tolerant cells in KRAS-driven lung cancer, building on their unique dynamic and heterogeneous nature. Moving beyond conventional strategies, RAS-PUNCH will comprehensively define the phenotypic plasticity underlying RAS inhibitor-induced tolerance, identify small molecule ‘reprogrammers’ through high-throughput phenotypic screening and integrate them into a preclinical ‘1-2 punch’ framework.
By delivering the first phenotypic atlas of RAS inhibitor-induced heterogeneity and advancing mechanistically informed ‘1-2 punch’ strategies, RAS-PUNCH addresses a central unmet need in oncology. The expected outcomes will provide proof-of-concept for innovative sequential treatments that prevent resistance in lung cancer, with potential to extend across multiple cancer types. In doing so, the project directly contributes to the EU Cancer Mission’s ambition of saving and improving the lives of cancer patients.
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 health sciences public health
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology lung cancer
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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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.
171 77 STOCKHOLM
Sweden
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.