Project description
Designing the means to stop metastasis in its tracks
The directional movement of cells in response to environmental signals (chemotaxis) is essential in biology. Immune cells use chemotaxis to traffic towards disease sites, however, metastatic cells often remain undetected. The design of chemotactic biosensors for metastatic markers can manipulate the immune system's spectrum of actions. Studies have identified soluble secreted factors that promote the initial escape of tumour cells, their intravasation into circulation, and extravasation into metastatic niches. The EU-funded Biosensor Design project aims to build and validate a general computation-based platform for rational biosensor design. The immediate objective is to create biosensors that will elicit migration of engineered cytotoxic immune cells towards vulnerable metastatic cells.
Objective
Directional movement of cells in response to environmental cues (e.g. chemotaxis) is essential throughout biology, and the membrane receptors that initiate cell migration offer a key opportunity for modulation by synthetic biologists. The design of chemotactic receptor biosensors for metastatic markers has the potential to expand the immune system’s spectrum of actions. Metastatic cancers are extremely lethal, and tumor cells that escape to seed a secondary tumor in a distant organ often escape immunosurveillance. Extensive studies on metastasis have identified soluble secreted factors that promote the initial escape of tumor cells, their intravasation into circulation, and extravasation into metastatic niches where they can proliferate and form new malignant tumors. We will employ a host of computational design techniques developed in the Barth Lab to build novel biosensors that will elicit chemotactic responses towards molecular indicators of metastatic cells at various key points during their journey to secondary sites when they are vulnerable to engineered cytotoxic immune (T and NK) cells. By harnessing the migratory potency of a chemokine receptor scaffold, we will design several novel chemotactic receptors sensing molecules of increasing complexity to ultimately build and validate a general computation-based platform for rational biosensor design. At a fundamental level, engineering membrane receptors that can respond to a diversity of molecules is a stringent test of our biophysical understanding of protein structure and function, but also has far-reaching applications in basic and translational research with immediate relevance and impact for cancer therapeutics.
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.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors biosensors
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology
- 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.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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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.
1015 Lausanne
Switzerland
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.