Descrizione del progetto
Stabilire il contenuto di zinco in presenza di tumori tramite risonanza magnetica
La diagnosi e le terapie tempestive per il cancro del pancreas sono limitate, conducendo a una triste prognosi e un basso tasso di sopravvivenza. Da un lato prove emergenti suggeriscono che le cellule tumorali del pancreas sono caratterizzate da livelli bassi di trasportatori di zinco e di contenuto di zinco e dall’altro risulta che trattamenti utilizzando cliochinolo a base di ionofori di zinco inibiscono la crescita tumorale. Il progetto tZR-CA-InVivo, finanziato dall’UE, si propone di sviluppare uno strumento di risonanza magnetica per immagini, ovvero un mezzo di contrasto sensibile allo zinco per quantificare il contenuto di zinco nei tessuti. Il mezzo di contrasto sarà concepito appositamente per colpire il tumore e fornire uno strumento per la misurazione dei livelli di zinco nei pazienti affetti da cancro per valutare la necessità di aumentarne la quantità.
Obiettivo
Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of all cancers in Europe, the median survival time is only a few months due to the lack of test for early diagnosis, and no effective therapies for metastatic forms. Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC), like prostate and hepatocellular cancers present a down regulation of zinc importers and low zinc content. Treatment with clioquinol, a zinc ionophore, to increase the amount of zinc in the tumor has shown to inhibit tumor growth.
This project aims at creating new tool to better detect PDAC by Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and the evaluation of di zinc ionophore to elevate the content in zinc in the tumor environment.
Using the same modular approach, a normal and a zinc responsive contrast agent targeted to the PDAC will be synthesized by conjugation of a peptidic sequence known to target the tumor bearing a Single Core Multimodal Imaging Platform for quantification, with a peptide functionalized with a normal or zinc responsive contrast agent. After careful characterizations in vitro and ex vivo, they will be used in mice implanted with orthoptic pancreatic tumors.
One of the projects developed by the “Metallic complexes for MRI” group, consist designing and using MRI probe for various substrates, including zinc. The group masters all the techniques to characterize the contrast agents, and the experience researcher (ER) will bring the knowledge about zinc biology, and infrared microscopy to quantify the contrast agent in tissues.
Benefiting from the competitive interdisciplinary environment of CBM, and within the group, the ER will acquire new technical skills, knowledge and network the frontier between chemistry, biology and MRI imaging, in particular working with animal model (mice), to adequately implement the project and complete her skill set to become an independent researcher interested in developing tools to study the role of metals in biological context.
Campo scientifico
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologyprostate cancer
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metals
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomolecules
- engineering and technologymedical engineeringdiagnostic imagingmagnetic resonance imaging
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologypancreatic cancer
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinatore
75794 Paris
Francia