Project description
A better-tolerated treatment for myeloid leukaemia
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a haematological malignancy with poor outcome. Current treatment options entail chemotherapy followed by allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, most patients relapse, necessitating the development of more targeted and better-tolerated treatments. To address this unmet problem, the EU-funded LapIt project has developed a novel drug that targets a specific AML biomarker associated with poor prognosis. The idea is to conjugate the drug with an antibody against the interleukin-7 receptor that is overexpressed in AML cells. This is expected to improve the efficiency of drug targeting and minimise associated toxicity.
Objective
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, is the most common type of leukemia in adults (~350.000 new cases yearly worldwide), yet continues to have the lowest overall survival rate of all leukemias (26.9%). The disease is characterized by clonal expansion of undifferentiated myeloid precursors, leading to anomalous hematopoiesis and bone marrow failure. Current AML management still relies largely on intensive chemotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with treatment costs up to €300k per patient. Although some AML patients respond to chemotherapy and HSCT, most patients that go into remission show disease relapse (up to and 70%). In addition, minimal advances have been made for patients unable to tolerate intensive treatment, mostly representing older patients. This presses the need for new AML treatments that are (1) more effective and (2) tolerated by all patients. In LapIt, we will further develop a novel treatment strategy for AML, based on targeting a macromolecular target that is marker of poor prognosis for AML patients with the drug Lap. Importantly, to guarantee specific uptake of Lap by AML cells and minimize side effects to healthy cells, the drug will be further developed as an antibody-drug conjugate targeting a validated receptor which is overexpressed in AML and other leukemias. As such, our drug will not only be more effective than currently used AML therapies, but will also be tolerated by patients unable to tolerate intensive treatments. With our proposed drug candidate we are able to make, for the first time, AML treatment a clinical reality for any AML patient.
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.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug discovery
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology cells technologies stem cells
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine transplantation
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology leukemia
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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)
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.
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-POC - Proof of Concept 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-PoC
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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.
CB2 1TN CAMBRIDGE
United Kingdom
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.