Project description
Genetic mechanisms in pathobiology of paediatric sarcomas
Current treatment of sarcomas, including paediatric sarcomas, has limited therapeutic options compared to other cancers. Therefore, generation of in vitro and in vivo models for sarcoma research is urgently needed for better understanding of the pathobiology of these tumours. Many types of soft tissue paediatric sarcomas have a similar underlying genetic mechanism, where chromosomal translocations generate fusion oncoproteins that serve as drivers of the disease. The EU-funded PedSarc project aims to take advantage of these genetic specifics of paediatric sarcomas to develop effective and specific therapies. Researchers will employ CRISPR/Cas9 and RNAi technologies to identify key players in epigenetic deregulation in paediatric sarcomas, and generate new mouse models to assist clinical translation and development of the new therapeutic targets for the diseases.
Objective
Sarcomas are an extremely heterogeneous group of mesenchymal tumors that arise in a multitude of tissues from many different cell types. Several genetic events have been identified in different sarcoma sub-types, but very few models were developed to study their role in tumorigenesis aiming at exploiting them as therapeutic vulnerabilities. As a result, the treatment of sarcoma has extremely limited advancement in therapeutic options compared to other cancers. Therefore, the generation of faithful in vitro and in vivo models for sarcoma research is urgently needed to provide insights into the pathobiology of these tumors and discover novel vulnerabilities in these lethal but yet understudied disease. Many types of soft tissue sarcomas arising in children and young adults have a unifying underlying genetic mechanism, where chromosomal translocations generate fusion oncoproteins that serve as drivers of the disease. Exploiting this genetic simplicity provides an exceptional opportunity to develop effective and specific therapies. My past research has applied cutting edge technology to define epigenetic vulnerabilities associated with the SS18-SSX gene fusion, the defining event in synovial sarcoma (one subgroup of pediatric sarcomas), and to study its chromatin occupancy genome-wide. In this proposal my team will combine a toolbox consisting of CRISPR/Cas9, RNAi technology and expertise in mouse models to systematically elucidate key genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in the pathobiology of pediatric sarcomas. This work will help to understand key players in epigenetic deregulation in pediatric sarcomas, generate new sarcoma models to assist clinical translation, and identify new therapeutic targets for these deadly diseases.
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.
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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)
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.
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
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.