Project description
Novel anti-angiogenic drugs for cancer and retinopathies treatment
Our body responds to the increasing demand for oxygen and nutrient supply by forming new vessels, a process known as angiogenesis. At the same time, excessive or abnormal angiogenesis is a hallmark of cancer and various retinopathies, and contributes to the formation of metastases and vision loss, respectively. The scope of the EU-funded VeCare project is to develop novel targeting strategies against the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the main pro-angiogenic molecule, responsible for driving the formation of blood vessels. Through a novel screening method, researchers will identify novel anti-VEGF drugs that exhibit higher specificity, reduced toxicity and, as a result, enhanced clinical efficacy.
Objective
Angiogenesis is the mechanism of blood vessel formation from pre-existing ones and is vital for nutrient and oxygen delivery to all cells in the organism. However, dysregulation of angiogenesis is detrimental for the organism. Excessive or abnormal angiogenesis is a hallmark of cancer and various retinopathies and favours tumour growth and metastasis, and vision loss, respectively. Excessive or abnormal angiogenesis is fuelled by hypoxia-driven expression of high levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the main pro-angiogenic molecule that stimulates the formation of new blood vessels.
Although VEGF-centric anti-angiogenic therapies do exist, their efficacy is limited by their specificity and numerous side effects, hampering greatly their potential clinical benefits. Therefore, there is an urgent need for improved anti-VEGF therapeutic strategies.
The aim of this PoC project is to identify a novel class of anti-VEGF drugs. We designed an innovative and unique screening method to identify an unexplored mechanism to inhibit VEGF function in vivo, which has the prospect of reduced toxicity and, thus, enhanced clinical efficacy.
This project will enable the creation of a start-up company to commercialize the newly identified class of drugs for subsequent clinical development to curb cancer and retinopathies. We aim at improving patient survival and well-being, and reducing the economic burden associated with these 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.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine ophthalmology retinopathy
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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.
1649 028 Lisboa
Portugal
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.