Description du projet
Faire progresser l’immunothérapie du cancer grâce à la conception de récepteurs immunitaires
L’immunothérapie constitue une approche prometteuse en vue d’éradiquer le cancer et d’induire une immunité durable. Les stratégies actuelles doivent toutefois être améliorées pour réduire les effets secondaires et gagner en efficacité contre un plus grand nombre de types de cancer. Financé par le programme Actions Marie Skłodowska-Curie, le projet EN-ACTI2NG entend améliorer les récepteurs immunitaires conçus dans les lymphocytes T et comprendre leurs mécanismes d’action. Il s’est fixé pour objectif de relever les défis liés au manque de réactivité et d’efficacité au niveau de la tumeur, et de la toxicité sur la cible et hors cible. Le projet formera des doctorants au développement d’immunothérapies anticancéreuses médiées par des lymphocytes T, encourageant les compétences de communication entre le monde universitaire, l’industrie et le public. Les résultats pourraient mener à des innovations scientifiques et thérapeutiques.
Objectif
The EN-ACTI2NG program (European Network on Anti-Cancer Immuno-Therapy Improvement by modification of CAR and TCR Interactions and Nanoscale Geometry) emanates from the recent clinical evidence that T cells expressing engineered tumor-specific immune receptors can eradicate certain tumors that do not respond to conventional treatment. To obtain T cells with reactivity to a wider array of tumors and to improve efficiency and on- and off-target toxicity are current challenges Therefore the EN-ACTI2NG program aims 1) to train PhD students with expertise in development of new and improved T cell-mediated cancer immuno-therapies; 2) to endow the PhD students with the ability to establish efficient communication between the academic and industrial research environments and between scientists and the general public; 3) to improve T cell mediated anti-cancer immuno-therapy by the identification and development of new cancer-specific immune receptors and enhancing their function by identifying and modifying their molecular mechanism of action. To reach these objectives we have designed individual research projects ranging from biophysical analysis of immune receptors, via molecular modification of their structure and testing their tumor killing capacity in cell-based and pre-clinical assays to product development. Secondments will assure that each PhD student will be exposed to these complementary approaches and that there will be synergic feedback between the projects, producing innovative results that could otherwise not be achieved. Extensive training in research-specific skills, career development and a continuous training in communication skills will allow the PhD students to become facilitators of the process of transformation of scientific innovation into products with social and economic value. As such, the EN-ACTI2NG program should contribute to overcoming the more general challenge of converting the European Community into an innovation-driven society.
Champ scientifique
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
MSCA-ITN-ETN - European Training NetworksCoordinateur
28006 Madrid
Espagne