Objective
Immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment, yet many patients fail to benefit because their tumors develop intrinsic mechanisms to block immune attack. Recent discoveries from our ERC-funded work revealed that the proteasome, a central protein degradation system, can be hijacked by tumors to suppress immune recognition and promote an immunosuppressive environment.
This Proof of Concept project aims to translate these findings into a novel therapeutic approach. We will develop and validate small molecules that block this tumor-associated mechanism, restoring the ability of the immune system to detect and eliminate cancer cells. Our focus will be on two major cancers with a high unmet need, non–small cell lung cancer and aggressive breast cancer, where resistance to immunotherapy remains a critical challenge.
The project will combine the development of a small molecule which will allow us to modulate proteasomes activity, together with preclinical validation, and a commercialization pathway including intellectual property protection and market analysis. By the end of the project, we expect to deliver optimized drug candidates and a biomarker-guided framework to identify patients most likely to benefit.
Ultimately, this work seeks to establish a new therapeutic class that enhances the effectiveness of existing immunotherapies, with the long-term goal of improving outcomes for patients whose cancers currently remain resistant to treatment.
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 lung cancer
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology breast cancer
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunotherapy
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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-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept 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-2026-POC
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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.
7610001 Rehovot
Israel
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.