Objective Current chemotherapeutic agents are potent enough to kill cancer cells. Nonetheless, failure of chemotherapies for many cancers (e.g. breast and pancreatic cancers and various sarcomas) is primarily because these agents cannot reach cancer cells in amounts sufficient to cause complete cure. The abnormal microenvironment of these tumors drastically reduces perfusion and results in insufficient delivery of therapeutic agents. Tumor structural abnormalities is in large part an effect of mechanical stresses developed within the tumor due to unchecked cancer cell proliferation that strains the tumor microenvironment. Alleviation of these stresses has the potential to normalize the tumor, enhance delivery of drugs and improve treatment efficacy. Here, I propose to test the hypothesis that re-engineering the tumor microenvironment with stress-alleviating drugs has the potential to enhance chemotherapy. To explore this hypothesis, I will make use of a mixture of cutting-edge computational and experimental techniques. I will develop sophisticated models for the biomechanical response of tumors to analyze how stresses are generated and transmitted during tumor progression. Subsequently, I will perform animal studies to validate model predictions and indentify the drug that more effectively alleviates stress levels, normalizes the tumor microenvironment and improves chemotherapy. Successful completion of this research will reveal the mechanisms for stress generation and storage in tumors and will lead to new strategies for the use of chemotherapy. Fields of science medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologypancreatic cancer Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-PE8 - ERC Starting Grant - Products and process engineering Call for proposal ERC-2013-StG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Coordinator UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS Address Avenue panepistimiou 2109 aglantzi 1678 Nicosia Cyprus See on map Region Κύπρος Κύπρος Κύπρος Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Eliza Archeou (Mrs.) Principal investigator Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS Cyprus EU contribution € 1 440 360,00 Address Avenue panepistimiou 2109 aglantzi 1678 Nicosia See on map Region Κύπρος Κύπρος Κύπρος Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Eliza Archeou (Mrs.) Principal investigator Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Other funding No data
