Descrizione del progetto
Sviluppo di standard di cura per il trattamento del cancro durante la gravidanza
I casi sempre più frequenti di cancro in gravidanza presentano un ampio spettro di decisioni mediche ed etiche difficili e conflittuali. Il progetto CRADLE, finanziato dal CER, intende sviluppare un nuovo standard di cura per i casi di cancro durante la gravidanza, analizzando le sfide a livello tanto del feto, quanto della madre e della barriera placentare. Il fulcro di questo progetto è costituito dalle informazioni disponibili provenienti da un registro internazionale di donne incinte affette da cancro, da un registro dei loro figli e da biobanche di campioni materni, placentari, di sangue del cordone ombelicale e di tumore. La ricerca prevede studi clinici e di laboratorio su larga scala, tra cui indagini farmacologiche e analisi del sequenziamento dell’RNA. I risultati positivi contribuiranno notevolmente al benessere della madre e del feto in una gravidanza complicata dal cancro.
Obiettivo
The evolution in drug regulation of the last 50 years has left pregnant women and their fetuses orphaned. This is particularly problematic for cancer during pregnancy, which raises a difficult and conflicting medical ethical decision process and which has recently become increasingly frequent. In 2012 we published the first prospective study indicating that antenatal exposure to cancer treatment can overall be considered safe. Building on this proof of concept, the current proposal wants to take a groundbreaking step towards developing a standard of care for cancer during pregnancy by addressing –in an integrated fashion- the challenges at the level of the fetus, the mother and the fetomaternal barrier. At the core of this proposal lies an international registry of pregnant women with cancer, along with a registry of their children, and biobanks of maternal, placental, cord blood and tumoral tissues. Research track ‘child’ aims to deliver robust evidence of fetal safety. Research track ‘mother’ aims to address the emerging concerns in the oncological management of the mother, and specifically, the possible distinct biology of pregnancy-associated breast cancer, the most frequent cancer type in pregnancy. The research approach includes large-scale clinical follow-up studies along with laboratory studies on patient biomaterials, including pharmacological investigations and RNA-sequencing studies. Complementary to these studies is research track ‘placenta’ in which cutting-edge models of human placental research are used to address the poorly understood physiological basis of the placental barrier function in this specific situation. This ambitious program will rely on a multidisciplinary team of experts. Not only may the scientific deliverables of this proposal constitute a major step forward to the well-being of both mother and fetus in a pregnancy complicated by cancer, the methodological approach may also provide critical impetus to further research in this field.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-COG - Consolidator GrantIstituzione ospitante
3000 Leuven
Belgio