Objective
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a dense, stiff stroma and elevated compressive forces within its tumor microenvironment, yet mechanical abnormalities are overlooked in treatment decisions. My prior work has shown that compression reprograms PDAC cells, activating pathways that drive migration and chemotherapy resistance. While chemotherapy remains the standard of care, its toxicity and limited survival benefits highlight the need for alternatives, such as immunotherapies, which harness the immune system but show minimal efficacy in PDAC. My preliminary data indicate that compression drives immune evasion, metabolic rewiring, and an immunosuppressive niche, yet the mechanisms linking compressive stress to immunotherapy failure remain unresolved. MechanoImmunoMap integrates experimental and computational approaches to map how compressive forces reprogram tumor-immune interactions. Bioengineered 3D coculture models of tumor and immune cells under tunable compression, combined with multiomic profiling and mathematical modeling, will identify mechano-immunoregulatory pathways. These pathways will be validated in vivo using mechanically characterized orthotopic PDAC models to build a comprehensive map of compression-driven tumor-immune rewiring. Linking mapped pathways to therapeutic target databases will identify drugs capable of counteracting compression-induced resistance. Prioritized drug candidates will be tested in vitro with immunotherapy and validated in vivo to deliver novel combination therapies that potentiate immunotherapy. Finally, machine learning models will be employed to link compressive stress with multiomic tumor-immune profiling, establishing an engineering framework for immunotherapy response prediction. MechanoImmunoMap transforms compressive forces from a neglected barrier into a biomarker and therapeutic target, laying the foundation for mechanically informed precision oncology in PDAC and other solid tumors.
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 basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug discovery
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology prostate cancer
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunotherapy
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology pancreatic cancer
- natural sciences mathematics applied mathematics mathematical model
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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)
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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.
Funding Scheme
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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 - HORIZON ERC 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-2026-STG
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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.
1678 Nicosia
Cyprus
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