Objective
The presence of self-renewing “cancer stem cells” responsible for tumour initiation and maintenance has been well defined in multiple types of solid and haematologic tumours; however, our knowledge of their biology is very limited. While it is believed that leukaemia stem cells (LSC) – like normal haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) – depend on the interaction with a specialized microenvironment or ‘niche’ for their self-renewal and maintenance, the identity and function of this leukaemic niche are essentially unknown. A better understanding of these processes is critical to the development of better therapies, because complete erradication of the tumour requires elimination of LSC. MLL-induced leukaemias represent a group of malignancies with poor clinical outcome, underscoring the need for more effective therapies. In these leukaemias, the presence of self-renewing LSC has been well documented. Here I propose to investigate the contribution of the haematopoietic microenvironment to the development of MLL-induced leukaemias and its role in LSC maintenance and, at the same time, to expand our understanding of the normal HSC microenvironment. We will specifically characterize the role and requirement of nestin+ mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), previously shown to be essential for normal haematopoiesis, as a niche component for LSC. The role of specific extracellular signals (in particular the chemokine SDF), potentially mediating the interaction of MSC with normal and leukaemic HSC, will be investigated. Finally, I propose to study the effects of oestrogens and oestrogen receptor modulation on the proliferation, survival and self-renewal of HSC and their leukaemic counterparts, and their potential role in modifying leukaemic cell chemosensitivity. This project will ultimately attempt to establish the feasibility of targeting the haematopoietic microenvironment as a novel therapeutic approach, and to assess its efficacy in experimental models of MLL-induced leukaemias.
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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology cells technologies stem cells
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology leukemia
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.
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.
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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2011-CIG
See other projects for this call
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.
MC-CIG - Support for training and career development of researcher (CIG)
Coordinator
28029 Madrid
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.