Objective
Angiogenesis is crucial in the progression of solid tumours and in the formation of metastases.
Although tumours 1-2 mm diameter can receive nutrients by diffusion, further growth depends on the formation of a network of new vessels. Furthermore these new vessels are target for invading tumour cells and represent the best way to spreading in other organs. Many clinical studies support this model and have concluded that the number and the density of vessels in different human cancers directly correlate with their potential to progress and produce metastases. In animal models, angiogenesis inhibitors gave favourable results on cancer progression. However, there are some conflicting data, such as the observation that not all angiogenic tumours produce metastases, or that metastases develop many years after the appearance of a well-vascularised tumour.
These observations indicate that a change in the phenotype of endothelial cells in the tumour is essential for the progression of the disease, rather than a simple increase of number of vessels.
The general objective of this proposal is to develop new instruments (diagnostic, therapeutic, experimental) on tumour angiogenesis to improve the information required for the prognosis and search new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer. These tools (mAbs to vascular cells, to angiogenic factors and their receptors, cDNAs, animal models, antagonist molecules) will be developed from the molecular and biological knowledge's obtained by the different partners. The availability of more sophisticated instruments and their evaluation in animal models and in selected series of patients will provide an invaluable asset to public health and European industry interested in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic agents for cancer disease. Therefore the identification of an endothelial phenotype more favourable to cancer progression, the development of Abs to this phenotype, or to molecules involved in it their expression (Section 1 and 2) will be a central focus of this project.
Section 2 will study molecules which regulate angiogenesis and their mechanisms of action. The aim of this section is to produce specific mutants with antagonistic activity or molecules which interfere with signal transduction pathways.
Section 3 will develop new animal models to test the reagents prepared by sections 1 and 2 and to define different angiogenic profiles. The diagnostic and therapeutic usefulness of tools developed by section 1 and 2 will be tested in clinical trials (Section 4).
The implementation of this project is expected to have a broad impact on the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies concerning solid tumours and to favour a better management of this disease.
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 health sciences public health
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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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.
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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.
Coordinator
10126 Torino
Italy
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.