Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

The Role of Circulating Monocytes in the Development of Brain Metastases

Objective

Brain metastases, particularly from breast cancer, are a significant clinical problem. About one fifth of breast
cancer patients that develop metastatic disease will experience brain metastases. Survival is extremely poor, with a
median survival of approximately three months. One of the main issues with treating brain metastases is the late
stage at which the majority of brain metastases are diagnosed and the ineffectiveness of available therapies as a
consequence. At this late point, it is often too late for standard therapies to have a meaningful effect on the
progression of the tumours.

In recent years, the role of the immune system in the progression of systemic metastases has been described, with
circulating monocytes being found to play a significant role. However, little is known about the pathogenesis of
metastases within the brain. The brain possesses a very different environment to the rest of the body, with the blood
brain barrier (BBB) tightly regulating the movement of nutrients, drugs and cells into the brain. Consequently, the
processes that modeluate metastasis progression in other organs, such as lung and liver, may not be reflected within
the brain owing to its unique environment. The overall goal of this fellowship, therefore, will be to determine the
role of circulating monocytes in the development of brain metastases from breast cancer with the aim of identifying
potential therapeutic routes.

We believe that circulating monocytes may play a significant role in the development and progression of brain
metastases as a separate, distinct population from the resident macrophage population (microglia) within the brain.
We hypothesize that there is significant circulating monocyte infiltration into brain metastases, which is associated
with increased BBB breakdown and disease progression. On this basis, we propose that inhibiting these circulating
monocytes will significantly reduce both initiation and progression of brain metastasis.

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.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Programme(s)

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.

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.

MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2014

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 183 454,80
Address
WELLINGTON SQUARE UNIVERSITY OFFICES
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom

See on map

Region
South East (England) Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Oxfordshire
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

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.

€ 183 454,80
My booklet 0 0