Project description
Mechanistic insight into radioresistance in glioblastoma
Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain tumour with a high recurrence rate despite surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This has been attributed to glioma-initiating cells which seem to reside in the perivascular space and show resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation. The scope of the EU-funded VESSEL CO-COPTION project is to investigate the hypothesis that these stem cells gain radioresistance by moving along the pre-existing vasculature through a process known as vessel co-option, which constitutes an alternative to angiogenesis. Using cutting-edge methods, scientists will decipher the mechanism by which glioma stem cells become resistant to radiotherapy, providing insight for the improvement of this treatment regimen.
Objective
Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the deadliest types of human cancer. Despite a very aggressive treatment regime – including resection of the tumor, radiation and chemotherapy – its estimated recurrence rate is more than 90%. Recurrence is mostly caused by the regrowth of highly invasive cells spreading from the tumor bulk, which are not removed by resection. To develop an effective therapeutic approach, we need to better understand the underlying molecular mechanism of radiation resistance and tumor spreading in GBM.
Radioresistance in GBM is attributed to glioma stem cells (GSCs), a fraction of perivascular, self-renewing, multipotent and tumor-initiating cells. Growing evidence highlights the perivascular space as a niche for GSC survival, resistance to therapy, progression and dissemination. The unknown factor is the dynamics of GSCs, how they end up in the vascular niche and how this impacts on radioresistance.
My overall hypothesis is that GSCs reach the perivascular niche through vessel co-option - the directional migration of tumor cells towards vessels - and that targeting vessel co-option has the potential to radiosensitize GBM.
With this project, we aim to uncover the exact molecular and cellular connections among vessel co-option, GSCs, the vascular niche and radioresistance. Using multiple strategies, such as multiphoton intravital microscopy, orthotopic models of GBM, organotypic cultures, screenings and survival studies, we will investigate and mechanistically change the dynamics of GSC and differentiated GBM cells in order to understand the role of their interaction with brain vessels and whether this confers resistance to radiotherapy.
These studies will provide clinically relevant insights into the involvement of GSCs, the vascular niche and vessel co-option in the resistance of GBM to therapy. Since all GBM patients receive radiotherapy, many would benefit from therapeutic strategies aimed at increasing its efficacy.
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.
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- 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.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
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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.
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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.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) ERC-2018-STG
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75231 Paris
France
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