DDRNA-based cancer therapy targeted telomeres

Project Information

DDRNA

Grant agreement ID: 664713

DOI

10.3030/664713

Project closed

EC signature date 18 May 2015

Start date 1 June 2015

End date 30 November 2016

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 149 425,00

EU contribution

€ 149 425,00

Coordinated by

IFOM-ISTITUTO FONDAZIONE DI ONCOLOGIA MOLECOLARE ETS
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DDRNA (DDRNA-based cancer therapy targeted telomeres)

Reporting period: 2015-06-01 to 2016-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

There is a clear unmet medical need for a subset of cancer patient population, 10-20% of all tumors, which rely on an alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanisms to allow their growth. ALT positive tumors are generally more aggressive and resistant to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Thanks to the support of the ERC, we could extend the study of the impact of our anticancer approach to different human cancer cell lines. By doing so, we could confirm its efficacy and, most importantly, characterize better its specificity.
We also performed several experiments to establish a tentative mechanism of action, investigating the impact of our treatment at both the molecular and cellular level. Finally we tested its efficacy in in vivo cancer models, providing a strong preclinical evidence for a potential therapeutic application.
Importantly we have conducted the experimental activities always in tight conjunction with the exploitation of the results for maximizing the testing and commercial efforts.
The conclusions of these studies make us confident on the potential of our approach.