Objective
MACROIMAGING is a highly interdisciplinary project encompassing the preparation and optimisation of innovative fluorogenic imaging tools with high selectivity for metastasis-associated macrophages.
The metastatic potential of tumours is defined by the tumour microenvironment (TM), where macrophages are the most abundant cells. However, the role of macrophages in the TM remains elusive mainly because of the lack of technologies to target these unique populations of cells in vivo. CD11b+ metastasis-associated macrophages are recruited by metastasing cancer cells. Their depletion reduces the number and size of metastasis, suggesting that their recruitment is essential for persistent growth of cancer cells. However, there is a need for imaging tools that report the localisation and cell fate of these macrophages to understand how they help tumour cells to progress in the TM.
By means of Dynamic Combinatorial Chemistry, libraries of cyclic peptides will be generated from individual tetrapeptides through reversible disulfide bonds. Governed by thermodynamics, DCC will amplify cyclic peptides showing high affinity for CD11b+ macrophage receptors, involved in the development of metastasis. This technique will supply specific cyclic peptides targeting CD11b. Click chemistry (i.e. CuAAC) will allow the conjugation of these peptides to macrophage-specific fluorophores to generate FLUOROMACS. FLUOROMACS will enable selective imaging of CD11b+ macrophages by means of receptor-mediated endocytosis. Selectivity will be confirmed in vitro using macrophages from normal cohorts and knockouts. Finally Fluoromacs will be optimised as in vivo imaging probes for metastasis-associated macrophages.
In a nutshell, MACROIMAGING will provide the first generation of chemical probes for imaging metastasis-associated macrophages in vivo. This methodology will also have enormous impact in other areas of chemical biology, such as protein recognition, drug discovery and theranostics.
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 basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug discovery
- medical and health sciences basic medicine medicinal chemistry
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
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.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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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.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2014
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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.
EH8 9YL Edinburgh
United Kingdom
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.