Project description
Metabolism and T cell motility in cancer
Cancer has evolved immune evasion mechanisms including the ability to restrict the motility of tumour-infiltrating T cells. Insight into these mechanisms may help unlock the power of T cells as an anti-cancer therapy. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the MOTM project aims to determine the role of metabolism in T cell motility. Researchers will employ human cancer samples to associate metabolism and T cell motility as well as identify the impact of metabolic modulation. The generated information will improve the engineering of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells as well as promote ways to increase T cell infiltration into tumours.
Objective
Background.
The tumor microenvironment markedly limits intra-tumoral T cell motility and the contact with tumor cells. Such a defective intra-tumoral motility of T cells is one of the main reasons explaining why current treatments based on reinvigoration/infusion of T cells to fight human solid cancers are unsuccessful. Metabolic reactions support T cell migration. Although T cell metabolism is severely de-regulated within different tumor areas, how this specifically affects intra-tumoral T cell motility is unknown. This aspect is important, since the metabolism of tumor-infiltrating T cells could be in principle easily modulated, opening a window of opportunity to improve current immunotherapy approaches against solid cancers, whose ineffectiveness is often associated with a poor intra-tumoral T cell motility.
Objectives.
I want to understand (i) which are the metabolic determinants of T cell motility, (ii) how the metabolic alterations within the TME affect T cell motility, and (iii) how to manipulate the metabolism of T cells and CAR T cells to improve their intra-tumoral motility and anti-cancer response.
Main Methodologies.
Viable tissue slices from human and murine tumors will be used to measure intra-tumoral T cell motility (real-time imaging microscopy) and metabolism (multiparameter imaging approaches, spatial gene expression, histo-cytometry) and to assess the consequences of the manipulation of the metabolic milieu on T cell distribution and motility. Also, CAR T cells will be engineered with new metabolism modules to improve their infiltration into solid tumor.
Expected Results.
The findings of this project will provide new insights into (i) how to improve the metabolic regimen of human solid cancer patients to increase T cell infiltration into tumor islets, and (ii) how to improve the infiltration of CAR T cells during adoptive cell immuno-therapy approaches by modulating their metabolism.
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 cell biology cell metabolism
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunotherapy
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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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01
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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.
75654 Paris
France
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.