Project description
Cell membrane-coated nanoparticle for advanced neuroblastoma treatment
Children diagnosed with neuroblastoma (NB), an aggressive form of cancer, face poor outcomes. For high-risk patients, fewer than half survive beyond five years. Relapses are common, caused by tumour complexity, drug resistance, and cancer stem cells (CSCs). With support from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CURATIVE project aims to develop a new treatment approach using chitosan-based nanoparticles (NPs). These will combine drugs to target CSCs and a key process in NB progression. Designed for controlled drug release, the NPs will also be coated with plasma membranes from NB cells to boost tumour targeting and accumulation. The project is expected to improve survival, reduce relapse, and enhance quality of life for children with NB.
Objective
Neuroblastoma (NB) is a highly aggressive paediatric cancer, accounting for 15% of childhood cancer deaths. The 5-year survival rate for high-risk NB patients is less than 50%. Despite the significant advances in treatment options, the high tumour heterogeneity, drug resistance, and severe toxicities associated with conventional therapies continue to result in poor outcomes for high-risk NB patients. Recent studies showed that these challenges, along with frequent relapses, may be linked to the intrinsic resistance of a specific population of cells known as cancer stem cells (CSCs).
CURATIVE aims to address this by developing a chitosan-based nanoparticle (NP) that co-encapsulates a systematically identified and optimized synergistic combination of drugs designed to target both CSCs and a key mechanism driving NB progression. The NP, which will enable controlled and sustained drug release, will be coated with plasma membranes derived from NB cells to enhance tumour targeting and accumulation through homotypic targeting. By leveraging the innovative use of NB cell membranes, the NP can closely mimic the tumour environment, allowing it to evade the immune system and preferentially accumulate at the tumour site. This approach enhances both specificity and efficacy, while simultaneously reducing off-target effects and minimizing systemic toxicity. The expected outcomes of CURATIVE include increased survival and treatment efficacy, reduced relapse rates and toxicity, and improved quality of life for paediatric patients.
Overall, CURATIVE is positioned to provide valuable insights and resources to the scientific community, supporting the EU's objectives of advancing innovation in paediatric cancer care.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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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 clinical medicine oncology
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
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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)
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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.
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-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.
31080 Pamplona
Spain
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.