Project description
Improved radioligand therapy
Radioligand therapy is an emerging cancer treatment that delivers radioactive compounds directly to tumour cells, offering higher specificity than conventional therapies. Despite progress, current approaches often suffer from limited tumour killing and toxicity to healthy tissues. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the C2RTheranostics project explores a new approach called pretargeted click-to-release radioligand therapy that maximises binding and retention of potent radioactive payloads in tumours. This strategy uses molecules that selectively deliver a radioactive cargo into tumour cells, release it within the tumour and are rapidly cleared from the body. By testing different molecular designs and measuring how well they reach and enter tumour cells, the project aims to increase treatment effectiveness, reduce side effects and improve patient tolerability.
Objective
Radioligand therapy has recently received renewed attention as promising treatment option to improve cancer patient outcome. Compared to conventional cancer treatments, this strategy involves a more specific targeting of therapeutic radionuclides to the tumor, which aims to increase treatment efficacy. Despite recent progress, currently available treatments show insufficient tumor killing and normal tissue toxicity, and we hypothesize that a pretargeted click-to-release (C2R) strategy can bridge this gap. Within this strategy, we propose to explore Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP) inhibitors as tumor targeting vectors, to deliver a therapeutic radionuclide fragment intracellularly using cell permeable, cleavable transcyclooctene (dcTCO) constructs and compare it with conventional dTCOs. To reinsure intracelular release, after C2R, we designed new structures containing an RGD peptide (with integrin αvβ3 binding specificity). Our molecular constructs also aim to prevent FAP efflux, by using a guanidinium and nicotinoyl residualizing groups.
This project will evaluate the reactivity, in vitro stability, logD and radiochemical yield of the new molecules, and the C2R efficiency of the dcTCOs. A FAP inhibitor (dimer) will be weaponized with a tetrazine handle to be the targeting vector and biorthogonal pair of these new constructs, and it's affinity and selectivity will be evaluated in vitro, against other proteases. The dcTCOs and dTCOs with better reaction kinetics and C2R efficiency (dcTCOs) will be selected for the development of 18F- and 125I-radiolabeled probes. The celular uptake and internalization will be evaluated on tumor cells (FAP positive cells, integrin αvβ3 positive cells, both FAP and αvβ3 positive).
This project is a innovative strategy to improve the radiation dose delivered to the tumor and improving treatment outcome, while reducing radiotoxicity and achieving better treatment tolerability.
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
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- natural sciences chemical sciences nuclear chemistry radiation chemistry
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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)
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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-2023-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.
2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
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.