Objective
Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis (MS) result in chronic pain, disability, and major socioeconomic burden, with estimated 20.9 million RA patients globally. Despite significant therapeutic advances, up to 20% of RA cases remain refractory, and MS frequently progresses despite treatment. Current therapies rely on systemic immunosuppression, require chronic dosing, and inadequately target tissue-resident pathogenic immune cells - resulting in persistent inflammation, progressive organ damage, and heightened infection risk. Our breakthrough solution is an inducible CAR T cell platform for Unleashing Suppression of inflammation (iCARUS). Unlike current CAR T therapies that indiscriminately deplete entire immune lineages, our approach combines selective depletion of pathogenic T cells with programmable local delivery of anti-inflammatory cytokines or cytokine blockers. This dual-action design enables targeted reset of pathological immune circuits, reprogramming of local tissue microenvironments, and durable disease remission without systemic immunosuppression. For patients, this platform promises a game changer in quality of life and lower infection risk. For payers, it provides a potentially curative, one-time treatment reducing lifelong healthcare costs.
In this PoC, we will advance our ground-breaking technology from constitutive to inducible targeted CAR and cargo designs, guided by single-cell multiomics and advanced artificial intelligence. We will validate efficacy and safety in RA and MS murine models, paving the way for IND-enabling studies. This modular platform can be expanded to other autoimmune, neuroinflammatory, and fibrotic diseases, representing a new paradigm of precision immunotherapy where both the CAR and its therapeutic payload can be tailored to the disease context.
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 computer and information sciences artificial intelligence
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine rheumatology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology multiple sclerosis
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology autoimmune diseases
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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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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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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) ERC-2025-POC
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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.
7610001 Rehovot
Israel
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.