Project description
Advanced cell-based immunotherapy against solid tumours
T cells engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR T cells) have shown encouraging results against haematological malignancies. However, the immunosuppressive environment of solid tumours prevents CAR T cells from reaching the tumour site, necessitating enhancement strategies. The EU-funded MechanoIMM project proposes to exploit biophysical and mechanical cues to modulate antitumour immunity. Researchers will design nanoparticles that respond to the mechanical cues of tumours and deliver T cell-supporting drugs. Moreover, they will engineer T cells that can discriminate between the stiffness of the tumour and healthy tissues, thereby improving the specificity of the cell therapy.
Objective
Cancer immunotherapy harnessing the power of a patient’s immune system to fight cancer is transforming the standard-of-care for cancer. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT), a potent immunotherapy that directly infuses a large number of tumour-reactive T cells into patients, has elicited dramatic clinical responses in leukaemia patients recently. However, solid tumour remains a major challenge as tumour employs a number of strategies to prevent effector T cells reaching the tumour sites and attacking cancer by generating a highly immunosuppressive microenvironment. Current strategies are focused on controlling the immune system or the microenvironment using biochemical immunomodulatory reagents to enhance T cell based immunotherapy. Approaches exploiting biophysical and mechanical cues for immunomodulation are largely underappreciated. In this proposal, we aim to exploit mechanical immunoengineering strategies through biophysical cues to develop novel immune related treatments to enhance the efficacy and safety of adoptive T cell therapy for cancer. We will first develop a mechano-training approach to promote the T cell infiltration into tumour tissues using engineered microfluidic system for controlled force application on T cells in a high through-put manner. Second, we will develop a mechano-responsive nanoparticle delivery system to selectively deliver T-cell-supporting drugs in tumour to overcome the immune suppression in the microenvironment and enhance T cell functions for killing cancer. Third, we will develop mechano-inducible cytokine-secreting T cell therapies to augment the efficacy and minimize the toxicity of ACT by exploiting and targeting the difference in tissue stiffness between tumour and healthy tissues. This proposed project will open a new horizon for immunoengineering through biomechanical modulation of immunity for enhanced cancer immunotherapy and provide insight into the fundamentals of mechanotransduction in immune system in health and disease.
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.
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunotherapy
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology leukemia
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology cells technologies
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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.
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.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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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) ERC-2018-STG
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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.
1015 LAUSANNE
Switzerland
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.