Objective
The ERC starting grant CellControl awarded to the Principal Investigator Yaakov Benenson funds research directed toward rational design and construction of gene circuits and networks for programmable control of cell physiology. One of the potential applications of this research is in the development of next-generation anticancer treatments that incorporate recently acquired knowledge on the complexity of cancer-related regulatory pathways, tumor development and differentiation, and the rise of cancer clones resistant to standard therapies. These new treatments are necessarily more complex than small molecule drugs, yet they are within reach of latest tools developed in gene therapy and they hold the promise of much higher efficacy and lower toxicity as well as robustness to the emergence of resistant clones. Thus our approach could be of great potential for treating metastatic and primary malignant tumors.
We have already shown an engineered circuit that selectively detects and eliminates specific cancer cells in vitro. Powered by additional developments in the framework of the ERC starting grant, we have designed an even safer and more selective circuit that can serve as a starting point for pre-clinical and eventually clinical testing. In this proposal we describe proof-of-concept experiments that will show feasibility of our approach in a mouse model. Successful demonstration will pave the way to large-scale translational R&D financed by private investors, and eventually to the deployment of these new therapies in the clinic.
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 medical biotechnology genetic engineering gene therapy
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
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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.
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.
ERC-2012-PoC
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.
Host institution
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland
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.