Project description
New reagents to study the kinetics of T-cell activation
The activation of cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs) represents a key step in the adaptive immune response against cancer and viral infections. CTLs are activated by dendritic cells; the latter take up the vaccine antigens and process them to 8-10-mer peptides for presentation to CTLs on major histocompatibility (MHC) complexes. The EU-funded KineTic project aims to define new factors and quantify the kinetics and the subcellular route that the vaccine requires to reach the MHC loading site. The kinetic and routing information obtained for the new factors and parameters will allow us to better understand the key unknowns relating to cross-presentation in vivo and assess their importance for the success of CTL activation. Application of the vaccine models closely related to existing cancer vaccines will provide support for the rational design of better anti-tumour vaccines.
Objective
The activation of The activation of cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs) marks the key step in the adaptive immune response against cancer and viral infections. Vaccines that activate the CTL-response against tumours are currently hotly pursued, with those targeting tumour-specific mutations now reaching the clinic. However, the capacity of these vaccines to actually activate CTLs is low and rational design improvements are needed to broaden their application. For this, better in vivo knowledge on the processes leading to CTL-activation is needed.
CTLs are activated by dendritic cells. These cells take up the vaccine, and process it to 8-10-mer peptides for presentation to CTLs on MHC-I complexes. A process called cross-presentation. In this proposal, I aim to quantify key unknowns of this pathway, relating to its kinetics and the subcellular route a vaccine takes to reach the MHC-loading site. I will:
a) Quantify the kinetics of peptide-MHC appearance, persistence and disappearance, in vivo using vaccines carrying bioorthogonal protecting/blocking groups that allow me to chemically activate, and stop, the recognition by CTLs in time.
b) I will also study the sub-cellular route(s) the vaccine antigens take in vivo, by developing a second family deprotection and blocking reagents that are targeted to specific organelles.
This localised vaccine activation (or de-activation) will allow me to study the different proposed subcellular routes of the antigen in isolation and assess the importance of the many proposed subcellular routes in vivo to overall cross-presentation success.
The kinetic and routing information obtained from this new set of reagents, will allow me to shed light on some of the key unknowns relating to cross-presentation in vivo, and assess their importance to the success of CTL-activation. By using vaccine-models closely related to existing cancer vaccines, these data will in turn serve to support the rational design of better anti-tumour vaccines.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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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)
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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
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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-COG - Consolidator Grant
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2019-COG
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2311 EZ Leiden
Netherlands
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