Project description
A novel anti-RAS treatment
RAS are a family of genes whose mutations are implicated in a variety of different cancers. Despite their ubiquitous oncogenic activity, no effective anti-RAS therapies exist today. Prior work by researchers of the EU-funded RASATaC project had shown that a class of scaffold proteins bind to mutated forms of RAS proteins in cancer to moderate RAS signalling. This triggers cytotoxic signalling and leads to cell death. As a result, they plan to develop drugs that mimic the activity of these scaffold proteins as an innovative approach to target RAS-driven cancers. The results will offer a novel cancer treatment option to patients that do not respond to current standards of care.
Objective
More than a quarter of all cancers are driven by mutations in the RAS family of genes. Considering the key role of these oncogenes, and despite intensive effort, no effective anti-RAS strategies have successfully made it to the clinic. In our ERC-CoG project, we found that a class of scaffold proteins, expressed in cancer, bind to active/mutated forms of RAS proteins to moderate RAS signalling. Accordingly, we find that loss of one of the scaffolding protein isoforms in RAS-mutant cancers triggers cytotoxic signalling, leading to cell death. As such, drugging this scaffold protein could not only i) represent a completely innovative approach to target RAS-driven cancers that exploits the oncogene’s function, but also ii) deliver the first truly effective cancer treatment for patients that do not respond to current standards of care. In this ERC-PoC, we aim to prove that therapeutic targeting of the scaffold protein is effective in vivo, and to explore the commercial avenues to exploit this finding.
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 proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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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-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum Pilot
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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-2019-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.
20014 Turku
Finland
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.