Descripción del proyecto
Red europea-latinoamericana para la predicción precoz del cáncer de hígado
Los tumores del hígado, los conductos biliares y la vesícula biliar son una causa significativa de mortalidad en todo el mundo y especialmente agresivos en América Latina. Los principales factores relacionados con la excesiva mortalidad de estos tumores son la falta de métodos de detección fiables y la complejidad del diagnóstico, que requiere una tecnología de imagenología avanzada e implica tejidos de difícil acceso. En el proyecto ESCALON, financiado con fondos europeos, se agrupa un equipo de especialistas de Europa y América Latina que incluye médicos y científicos de base con conocimientos en inmunología y proteómica. El equipo aspira a identificar herramientas novedosas que permitan predecir las etapas iniciales del desarrollo del cáncer de hígado, que sean fácilmente accesibles y reduzcan drásticamente la mortalidad asociada con el cáncer.
Objetivo
Hepatobiliary malignancies represent a major cause of mortality globally and are uniquely aggressive in Latin America. The most common tumors are: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) affecting young individuals in Latin America and being the second most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide; cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) with minimal survival upon diagnosis and largely understudied in the region; gallbladder cancer (GBC) being a rare tumor worldwide but representing the second most common cause of cancer-related death in women in Chile. Key factors related to the excessive mortality of these tumors are the lack of reliable screening methods and the complexity of diagnosis, which requires advanced imaging technology and difficult-to-access tissue. These barriers are amplified by poor accessibility present in resource-limited regions, all of which leads to tumors being diagnosed at advanced stages in which curative therapy is not an option.
To overcome these barriers, we propose to: A) validate immune-related markers in serum to predict HCC in South America and evaluate factors associated to early HCC development; B) define the utility of extracellular vesicles in serum as biomarkers for diagnosis of CCA and determine genetic and infectious factors that increase risk for this cancer; and C) identify biomarkers for GBC detection and evaluate novel immune factors that affect the geographical impact of this tumor.
This project advances the field by focusing on a unique approach to screen and diagnose tumors based on serum detection of biomarkers before a tumor is visible on imaging, allowing for early tumor detection in a cost effective manner that will lead to implementation of curative therapies. In addition, this project addresses modifiable risk factors for hepatobiliary tumors that could be targeted for prevention. This project will result in novel tools that are easily accessible and will dramatically reduce the burden of cancer-related mortality in Latin America.
Ámbito científico
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaConvocatoria de subcontratación
H2020-SC1-2018-Single-Stage-RTD
Régimen de financiación
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinador
3015 GD Rotterdam
Países Bajos