Skip to main content
Aller à la page d’accueil de la Commission européenne (s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)
français fr
CORDIS - Résultats de la recherche de l’UE
CORDIS

Immunity under Pressure: Mapping Compression Driven Tumor–Immune Rewiring to Potentiate Immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer

Objectif

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.

Champ scientifique (EuroSciVoc)

Mots‑clés

Programme(s)

Thème(s)

Régime de financement

HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

Voir tous les projets financés dans le cadre de ce programme de financement

Appel à propositions

(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) ERC-2026-STG

Voir tous les projets financés au titre de cet appel

Institution d’accueil

UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 1 500 000,00
Adresse
AVENUE PANEPISTIMIOU 2109 AGLANTZI
1678 Nicosia
Chypre
Région
Κύπρος Κύπρος Κύπρος
Type d’activité
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Liens
Coût total
€ 1 500 000,00

Bénéficiaires (1)